I enjoy them as I enjoy God of War games, Conan movies, sword and sorcery books.... nothing wrong with those other medias - right?
I am also quite surprised how well that album did at the time (2002)... It seems it was the most comercial successful in their career - but IMO their weakest musical offering ever. The songs are even more diluted than they were in Louder than Hell (1996) But truth be told, between 96 and 2002 they were grinding hard around the globe, with ever increasing crowds and huge concerts as seen in this clip and their series of live VHS/DVDs. So this is a band that made it big on the road, "fighting the world" really, and I have full respect for what they achieved. Heck, before Logan was in the band there was not a single live video of the band before a big audience - they were a very small band in their creative prime.
Bang on ace. People can take the piss all they like but I 'll always love their original line up that produced 6 superb Heavy Metal albums between 1982 & 1988.
Great thoughts, I appreciate the sentiment and am not without convergence thereunto. Yes, JD has always been a bit 'like that' but I've always revelled in both the ludicrousness and patent musical wherewithal throughout most of the records. Good point re Prog; in fact, that genre was being lambasted 45-50 years ago! I do maintain there's a specific, mainstream anti-Heavy Rock (and Metal) instinct although it's possibly far worse in the UK than other territories; I mean, weren't Hammerfall doing quite well in parts of Scandanavia? From this jaded isle, I'm probably oversensitive to the stated issue but I swear, here, the enemies of Metal are legion! At some point, there'll be a knock on the door and bunch of slack jawed Sheeran clones will demand I hand over this kind of musical contraband; I shall politely decline then bid them 'good day.' See, I'm not entirely sure that there's any way I could ever turn down...
Others will be better placed to comment but in various parts of Europa, pockets of resistance appear wholly alive and kicking and that's despite no new material in a decade (although I seem to recall there being an EP at some point since.) I'm sure they could do well with a suitably crafted opus, even though Eric's voice may haved waned a tad since there are hundreds of thousands of aging, Metal refusniks, globally, like me who thrive on classic bands' twighlight offerings (e.g. Accept, Uriah Heep et al.)
I was disappointed reading that, thinking you'd whip out your battle axe and let it quench its thirst with their blood. Then I remembered you're English.
I'm partial to "Hail to England" myself, but I think all the early albums are varying degrees of great.
Maybe so. There's certainly a particular mania that heroically flows throughout. At the risk of repeating, the remixed reissue is an unmitigated triumph (er, of steel.) Been listening to far too little of late. I shall go down and sin no more.
If faced with a on rushing Broadsword...and had to choose a year..not album. 1984!!! Hail To England and Sign Of The Hammer stand supreme. Yeah...I know I cheated!!!
Sign Of The Hammer is possibly their all time sleeper; it's crammed with furious intent and ends with that remarkable flourish. I would certainly relish a remix along the lines of what JD did with Into Glory Ride.
For someone who has been accused of having a memory like a elephant...its still bugging me why I can't remember where my wax version of Sign Of The Hammer is???? The first 3 are awaiting their brothers return!!
'Money' for the acquisition of which - it must be said - the danger exists that one might have to turn down low...