Threshold (album)

Threshold is the sixth studio album by Swedish power metal band HammerFall, released on 18 October 2006.[4] The album entered the Swedish charts at number one, staying on the chart for eight weeks.[5] It was the band's first number 1 album since Renegade in 2000.[6] It is currently the last HammerFall studio album with guitarist Stefan Elmgren and bassist Magnus Rosén, as Rosén left the band in 2007 and Elmgren left in 2008.[7]
The cover artwork was created by Samwise Didier.

Threshold
Studio album by
Released18 October 2006
Recorded2006, Lundgård Studios, Denmark
GenrePower metal, heavy metal
Length50:30
LabelNuclear Blast
ProducerCharlie Bauerfeind
HammerFall chronology
Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken
(2005)
Threshold
(2006)
Steel Meets Steel: Ten Years of Glory
(2007)
Singles from Threshold
  1. "The Fire Burns Forever"
    Released: 6 August – 6 September 2006[1]
  2. "Natural High"
    Released: 22 September 2006[2]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]

The guitar solo of "Howlin' with the 'Pac" is essentially a reworked version of the one from "Hearts on Fire". As with several songs on the previous album, the song "Dark Wings, Dark Words" is inspired by A Song of Ice and Fire.[8]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Threshold"Oscar Dronjak, Joacim Cans4:45
2."The Fire Burns Forever"Dronjak, Cans3:22
3."Rebel Inside"Dronjak5:34
4."Natural High"Dronjak, Cans4:16
5."Dark Wings, Dark Words"Dronjak, Cans5:02
6."Howlin' with the 'Pac"Dronjak, Cans4:06
7."Shadow Empire"Dronjak, Cans, Stefan Elmgren5:15
8."Carved in Stone"Dronjak, Cans6:13
9."Reign of the Hammer"Elmgren2:50
10."Genocide"Dronjak, Cans, Elmgren4:43
11."Titan"Dronjak, Cans4:24
Total length:50:30

Music videos

  • The song "Natural High" was made into a music video depicting Hector the Knight battling vampires in a decrepit castle; he managed to kill most of the vampires with his hammer, but one of them escapes, leaving Hector by himself. The video itself is a montage alternating between the band and the action, which is shot in live-action and complemented with CGI.[9]
  • The song "The Fire Burns Forever" was also made into a music video.[10] The band recorded it with some of the Swedish participants in the European Athletics Championships.[11]

Single "The Fire Burns Forever"

"The Fire Burns Forever" was also released as a single and only available as a download between 6 August and 6 September 2006, exclusively at the ITunes Store and Nuclear Blast Musicshop. Hammerfall and the athletes also performed "The Fire Burns Forever" at the official opening of the Championships on 6 August in Gothenburg, Sweden.[11]

Personnel

Backing vocals by Oliver Hartmann, Rolf Köhler, Olaf Zenkbiel, Mats Rendlert, Joacim Lundberg, Markus Sköld, and Johan Aremyr

Chart positions

[12]

  • Sweden: #1
  • Germany: #15
  • Austria: #30
  • Switzerland: #32
  • France: #192

References

  1. "HammerFall - The Fire Burns Forever - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  2. "HammerFall - Natural High". Discogs. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  3. AllMusic review
  4. "Threshold | Hammerfall - Official Webpage". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
  5. "Threshold in Swedish charts". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  6. "Swedish charts archive". Retrieved 9 January 2010.
  7. "Magnus Rosén". magnusrosen.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  8. "HammerFall - Threshold - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives". metal-archives.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  9. Nuclear Blast Records (22 September 2006). "Hammerfall – Natural High (Official Music Video)". Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2018 via YouTube.
  10. Nuclear Blast Records (24 June 2008). "Hammerfall – The Fire Burns Forever (Official Music Video)". Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2018 via YouTube.
  11. "Hammerfall Reveal New Album Details". Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  12. Hung, Steffen. "swedishcharts.com - HammerFall - Threshold". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
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