Threshold (album)
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2012}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Threshold
| type = studio
| artist = HammerFall
| cover = HammerFall - Threshold.jpg
| alt =
| released = 18 October 2006
| recorded = 2006, Lundgård Studios, Denmark
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Power metal, heavy metal
| length = 50:30
| label = Nuclear Blast
| producer = Charlie Bauerfeind
| prev_title = Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken
| prev_year = 2005
| next_title = Steel Meets Steel: Ten Years of Glory
| next_year = 2007
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Threshold
| type = Studio
| single1 = The Fire Burns Forever
| single1date = 6 August – 6 September 2006{{cite web|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/HammerFall/The_Fire_Burns_Forever/128879|title=HammerFall - The Fire Burns Forever - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives|website=metal-archives.com|accessdate=23 May 2018}}
| single2 = Natural High
| single2date = 22 September 2006{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/HammerFall-Natural-High/release/798356|title=HammerFall - Natural High|website=Discogs|accessdate=23 May 2018}}
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r858476|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]
| noprose = yes
}}
Threshold is the sixth studio album by Swedish power metal band HammerFall, released on 18 October 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.hammerfall.net/releases/albums/threshold/ |title=Threshold | Hammerfall - Official Webpage |accessdate=28 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203140754/http://www.hammerfall.net/releases/albums/threshold/ |archivedate=3 December 2013 }} The album entered the Swedish charts at number one, staying on the chart for eight weeks.{{cite web|url=http://www.swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=HammerFall&titel=Threshold&cat=a|title=Threshold in Swedish charts|publisher=swedishcharts.com|accessdate=20 July 2009}} It was the band's first number 1 album since Renegade in 2000.{{Cite web|url=http://www.swedishcharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&artist=HammerFall&artist_search=starts&title=&title_search=starts|title=Swedish charts archive|accessdate=9 January 2010}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.magnusrosen.com|title=Magnus Rosén|website=magnusrosen.com|accessdate=23 May 2018}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/HammerFall/Threshold/126081|title=HammerFall - Threshold - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives|website=metal-archives.com|accessdate=23 May 2018}} The cover artwork was created by Samwise Didier.
Track listing
{{tracklist
| title1 = Threshold
| writer1 = Oscar Dronjak, Joacim Cans
| length1 = 4:45
| title2 = The Fire Burns Forever
| writer2 = Dronjak, Cans
| length2 = 3:22
| title3 = Rebel Inside
| writer3 = Dronjak
| length3 = 5:34
| title4 = Natural High
| writer4 = Dronjak, Cans
| length4 = 4:16
| title5 = Dark Wings, Dark Words
| writer5 = Dronjak, Cans
| length5 = 5:02
| title6 = Howlin' With the 'Pac
| writer6 = Dronjak, Cans
| length6 = 4:06
| title7 = Shadow Empire
| writer7 = Dronjak, Cans, Stefan Elmgren
| length7 = 5:15
| title8 = Carved in Stone
| writer8 = Dronjak, Cans
| length8 = 6:13
| title9 = Reign of the Hammer
| writer9 = Elmgren
| length9 = 2:50
| title10 = Genocide
| writer10 = Dronjak, Cans, Elmgren
| length10 = 4:43
| title11 = Titan
| writer11 = Dronjak, Cans
| length11 = 4:24
| 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDTmKNl3e6Q |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/sDTmKNl3e6Q |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Hammerfall – Natural High (Official Music Video)|last=Nuclear Blast Records|date=22 September 2006|publisher=|accessdate=23 May 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}
- The song "The Fire Burns Forever" was also made into a music video.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9BwjlSLFFM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/Y9BwjlSLFFM |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Hammerfall – The Fire Burns Forever (Official Music Video)|last=Nuclear Blast Records|date=24 June 2008|publisher=|accessdate=23 May 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} The band recorded it with some of the Swedish participants in the European Athletics Championships.{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/hammerfall_reveal_new_album_details.html|title=Hammerfall Reveal New Album Details|publisher=|accessdate=23 May 2018}}
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.
Personnel
- Joacim Cans – lead vocals
- Oscar Dronjak – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, programming
- Stefan Elmgren – lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, programming
- Magnus Rosén – bass
- Anders Johansson – drums
Backing vocals by Oliver Hartmann, Rolf Köhler, Olaf Zenkbiel, Mats Rendlert, Joacim Lundberg, Markus Sköld, and Johan Aremyr
Chart positions
- Sweden: #1
- Germany: #15
- Austria: #30
- Switzerland: #32
- France: #192
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/hammerfall/threshold.html Lyrics at Darklyrics]
- [https://www.hammerfall.net/ Official band website]
- [https://www.hammerfall.net/releases/albums/threshold Album information]
{{HammerFall}}
{{Authority control}}