Pretty Maids have a long-standing tradition for bringing well-known names with them as support at their X-Mas show at Amager Bio in December.
2015 was no exception, although the name this year probably catered to a younger audience than some of their earlier choices. The name, was Hammerfall.

“Good evening Templars of Copenhagen!”
- Joacim Cans (vocals)

Blasting smoke cannons and a bass sound so deep and loud that it made the security fence tremble announced the arrival of the Swedish warriors this night, on a stage that they have previously headlined themselves.
That Hammerfall was popular with the Copenhagen crowd was a definite fact, and they most likely played a part in getting the hall sold out, even though the show had stiff competition for metal fans as Slayer and Anthrax were also playing together this evening relatively close by. The fact that Hammerfall had just recently visited, well, about half a year ago, our fair city, then at the Copenhell festival, had apparently not filled the Danish fans thirst for Swedish power metal. Yes, Oscar Dronjak, this is power metal – no reason to try and hide or deny this fact, and no reason to be ashamed of it either.

I digress however, let’s get back to the show at hand.
The band looked very much like they did at their last visit, still with David Wallin, or Mr. Pain as he was called this evening, handling the drums. This time I got the impression from Cans however, that Wallin was announced as an actual member of the band, instead of just live support. I may have been mistaken though, as I have found no further statement to support this.
Whether or not Wallin is permanently swinging the sticks in Hammerfall, he was still contributing well to the energy of the band, which once again was at the top of their game, which is nice to see as the horrible plunge they took at last year’s Wacken festival is still a little too fresh in our minds.
Looking strictly at what the band did, it was very much what they usually do – a proven formula of humour, audience interaction, and a swinging performance – but even so it is easy to tell when a band means it, or is just going through the moves. Hammerfall meant it, and they were having fun! Maybe a support gig took some of the pressure off, which must be there as headliner, or maybe it was because they were sharing the stage with some of their own metal heroes – whatever the reason, Hammerfall clearly had a good time, and that feeling infected the crowd as well.

“How many of you see Hammerfall for the first time tonight? (lots of shouts) And how many have seen us before? (also a lot of shouts) Hey, you’re the same people who answered before as well!”
- Cans (vocals)

Yes, Hammerfall had Copenhagen in the palm of their hand, and for good reason. One sing along begun almost as soon as the last one ended – if it wasn’t during the regular choruses, it was when Cans or one of the others in the band incited a “hey” chant, as was done exemplary in Let The Hammer Fall, in which Cans sucked up a little bit extra to the local crowd as he snuck a “Copenhagen” in at one point, replacing the actual words of the chorus.
Vocals weren’t necessary for the audience to sing along however, as was best proven during the funnily named 400 Meter Medley, the instrumental song where the musicians blend a lot of Hammerfall themes together into one long, well, medley. The song that got Copenhagen going was The Dragon Lies Bleeding from the debut album. If you ask me, this is a song they are more than welcome to bring back as a whole into their set, but in lack thereof, this is an acceptable compromise.

If anything should be pointed out, Cans didn’t talk as much as he usually does. Maybe not so strange with their more limited than usual stage-time, and I guess whether or not you take this as a negative, is a question of taste.
Still, the highly intoxicating beer ‘best of’ setlist, and the great performance, secured Hammerfall a hit position this evening, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they were just as popular as Pretty Maids this evening.

Setlist:

Hector’s Hymn
Any Means Necessary
Renegade
Blood Bound
Heeding The Call
Let The Hammer Fall
Live Life Loud
400 Meter Medley
Threshold
Last Man Standing
Hammerfall
Bushido
Hearts On Fire