Kamelot

One of the most innovative and prestigious bands in modern symphonic metal, heavy icons KAMELOT present their most introspective, uplifting, vital release to date – their first full-length in five years, 2023’s aptly titled The Awakening.

Having reigned supreme with the release of internationally top-charting melodic metal pinnacles such as The Fourth Legacy (1999), The Black Halo (2005), Silverthorn (2012), Haven (2015, #1 US Hard Rock Albums), and most recently 2018’s acclaimed The Shadow Theory (#2 US Hard Music Albums), The Awakening enters the KAMELOTlegacy as their most massive and diverse offering yet – mixing symphonic, gothic, melodic, progressive and power metal styles while yielding some of the heaviest tracks in the band’s history.

On their 13th studio album, The Awakening, the band expressly invites listeners to discover “the power of one” within themselves as well. Exuding the impassioned songwriting, complex musicianship, and sophisticated production that’s always made KAMELOT a remarkable act, the LP offers a more diverse, uplifting, and introspective journey compared to bleaker predecessor The Shadow Theory. As such, The Awakening encourages its audience to, well, awaken not only to the grandeur of its genre(s), but to the greatness of life itself.

No matter how much everything changes in culture and the world at a large, heavy metal endures. It empowers. It engages. It engenders strength. It also outlasts fads. So does. Since forming in Gothenburg, Sweden during 1993, the quintet—Oscar Dronjak [guitar], Joacim Cans [vocals], Fredrik Larsson [bass], Pontus Norgen [guitar], and David Wallin [drums]—still storms the gates of heavy music’s pantheon and waves the genre’s flag higher and higher on every subsequent release. With multiple international number ones, gold certifications, sold out tours, and over 100 million streams and 100 million YouTube views by 2019, the group upholds this venerable legacy on its eleventh full-length and second record with Napalm Records, Dominion.

In true HammerFall fashion, every element becomes dangerously and dramatically amplified. The riffs hit harder. The rhythms thunder louder. The choruses soar closer to the clouds.

Welcome to Dominion.

“In a lot of ways, this album is classic HammerFall,” exclaims Oscar. “We didn’t set out to make a sequel to a previous album. Instead, it’s a mix of the strengths from all of our records and everything that has led us to this point. You’ll continue to be surprised the more you listen; it’s something I’m very happy with.”

“Dominion is a balanced and diverse record with all of the elements needed in order to make the perfect heavy metal album,” adds Joacim. “I’m honored to say that studio album number eleven is the most vital we’ve ever released.”

The music backs up his claim…

The genesis of Dominion can be traced back to a two-year tour cycle in support of 2016’s Built to Last. The record incited fan adoration and widespread critical acclaim. In a four-out-of-five star review, Metal Hammer crowned them, “Sweden’s Power Metal Kings.” Meanwhile, praise came from the likes of Invisible Oranges and Blabbermouth with New Noise describing the disc as “one of their finest releases since the glory days.” Given the excitement, the musicians stayed on the road.

During this period, they made a career-first decision.

“The writing process for Dominion stands out,” Joacim continues. “Usually, we do everything in cycles—writing, recording, promotion, release, tour, festival, and repeat. This time, we wrote in between tours, on tours, and after tours. It felt very creative and was actually refreshing at the same time. We were under way less pressure, due to the fact we had more time to work on each and every song and the luxury to let demos ‘mature’.”

Once those ideas “matured,” they brought them back to Oscar’s Castle Black Studios in Gothenburg. In the middle of recording, the guys enjoyed another first. For every offering since 2011’s Infected, Joacim flew to Los Angeles in order to cut vocals alongside producer James Michael [Sixx:A.M., Mötley Crüe]. The weekend session yielded a musical centerpiece in a form of the piano-driven ballad, “Second to One.”

“Joacim and I wrote a song with James, which was totally new for us,” recalls Oscar. “Also, I’d never gone somewhere for a weekend just to get something done. It was really fun to spend a few days in L.A. together. The whole process was a breath of fresh air.”

HammerFall properly introduce this bold and brave body of work with the single “(We Make) Sweden Rock.” Propelled by airtight percussion, the track leaps from fleet-fingered fretwork into a stadium-size chant, “Sweden Rock, (We Make) Sweden Rock, bringing the hammer down, three are the crowns in our banner.” The lyrics constantly references bands ranging from wonder movement pioneers of the sixties such as November through eighties icons like Yngwie Malmsteen and Europe to the groundbreaking Gothenburg Sound as trailbazed by founding father Fredrik Nordström and death metal titans At The Gates and In Flames as well as melodic heavy metal crusaders, including Ghost and, of course, HammerFall. The lyric video boasts cameos by numerous genre luminaries.

“The song is a tribute to the Swedish hard rock and heavy metal movement,” explains Joacim. “Lyrically, there are constant references to these bands, and every sentence is a direct referral to a group and/or a song. The icing on the cake is the lyric video where we managed to collect loads of unique photos from tons of Swedish bands. All hail the sons of the Northern Light! Together, we all make Sweden rock.”

Originally conceived in Florida by Oscar after “a couple of Bud Lights” and lyrically inspired by John Milton, the title track casts ironclad musicality in fire and brimstone with the clarion call, “Serve in Heaven or reign in Hell. Find your Paradise Lost.” Meanwhile, the anthemic “One Against The World” sends a message directly to the diehard audience who never miss a tour.

“It’s about getting ready to hit the stage and see everyone in the crowd,” Joacim elaborates. “It puts the bands and the fans together. We’re one against the world. That’s the message we want to present.”

This message rings out louder than ever for HammerFall. The group’s impact can be felt in nearly every corner of heavy music. Among many accolades, Rock Hard touted the 1997 debut, Glory to the Brave, in its book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. 2000’s Renegade bowed at #1 in their home country and went gold. In 2002, Crimson Thunder yielded the seminal “Hearts On Fire,” and went gold. With 25 million Spotify streams to date, the song notably became a theme for the Swedish Olympic Women’s Curling Team, which led to the band performing the opening ceremony at the European Athletics Championships in front of a global audience of 250 million. In addition to playing everywhere from India to Australia, the group has shared the stage with everyone from Iron Maiden and Rammstein to Dio. 2014 saw (r)Evolution bow at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart in addition to topping charts back home.

In the end, HammerFall grow stronger yet again on Dominion.

“This band means everything to me,” Oscar leaves off. “It’s a huge part of my life, and it’ll be my legacy. I’m proud of everything we’ve done. In my wildest dreams, I never thought it would go as well as it has when we started the band in the nineties. It feels great.”

“To me,” Joacim smiles. “HammerFall is home.”

AD INFINITUM turns a new symphonic metal chapter!

In 2023, rising modern symphonic metal outfit AD INFINITUM reenter the scene with their
electrifying third studio album, Chapter III – Downfall, out March 31 via Napalm Records. AD
INFINITUM’s signature sound – consisting of punching, modern, even progressive riffs,
addictive symphonic nuances, hooky choruses and Melissa Bonny’s inimitably versatile vocal
skills – has positioned them for unstoppable ascension in the metal world, and is now
perfected with ease on Chapter III – Downfall. This next offering provides another wave of
proof of the band’s breakout success, which the energizing four-piece – consisting of Melissa
Bonny (vocals), Adrian Thessenvitz (guitars), Korbinian Benedict (bass) and Niklas Müller
(drums) – garnered almost immediately, with millions of video views and streams worldwide
since the release of their debut in 2020.

Chapter III – Downfall bewitches with an innovative sound full of soaring melodic splendor,
juxtaposed against brooding, dark, even gothic heaviness. Exploring concepts of Ancient
Egyptian history and mythology, AD INFINITUM melds a perfect balance of storytelling and
technically sophisticated songwriting, spreading their wings in both areas of production and
lyricism. Charging instrumentals, pounding drums, chunky, grooving riffs, mind-boggling
solos and enchanting orchestrations build the band’s unique world of sound as
frontwoman-to-watch Melissa Bonny’s soul-stirring cleans and haunting growls put her
incredible vocal range on display – dropping jaws with each line. Opening track “Eternal
Rains” immediately catches your breath with a captivating chorus, followed by eclectric
“Upside Down” – defying all rules by combining epic melodies and demonic growls with
finesse. “Seth” convinces with a resounding modern sound and eerie ambience that’ll have
new fans turning heads, whereas “From The Ashes” impresses with reminiscence of artists
like Meshuggah, proving that AD INFINITUM never fails in delivering surprises. “Somewhere
Better” creates a perfect symbiosis of vicious vocals and ethereal soundscapes, carrying the
listener far away with its wide range of infallible instrumentals. “Under The Burning Skies”
directs its haunting vocals towards the horizon, unfolding into an intense mid-tempo ballad
shortly after. And, as a special treat, AD INFINITUM welcomes Chrigel Glanzmann of
Eluveitie, who provides his voice for the atmospheric monologue introduction on “Legends”,
paving the way for a touch of Middle Eastern-inspired djent flavor.

Produced by AD INFINITUM and Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios, Chapter III – Downfall
showcases that this up-and-coming quartet can effortlessly turn the genre upside down,
gracing it with contemporary vibes without forgoing their signature metal origins, and
thrilling all metal fans as they rise to the top!