For the third time in a row – in 2009 with No Sacrifice, No Victory, in 2011 with Infected, and now once again with their 2014 release (r)Evolution - Swedish heavy metallers, HammerFall, have steadily climbed the ranks to have their ninth studio album debut at #1 on the American Billboard Heatseekers chart and clinch their highest-ever first-week sales record in the United States in the process.

From #38 (2009) to #16 (2011) to the top of the American Heatseekers chart this week, (r)Evolution also debuted at #1 in Sweden and entered the Top 10 in five countries.

Guitarist & founding member Oscar Dronjak shares his excitement about HammerFall's great accomplishment: “Following on the heels of the #1 in Sweden, (r)Evolution is laying siege to charts in Europe, and our chart entry in America is the highest there ever! Thank you so much for the support!  The Templars of Steel have spoken and the world will have no choice but to listen!”

 

 

(r)Evolution global chart entries:

#1 - Sweden

#1 - US Heatseekers

#4 - Germany  

#4 - Czech Rep.           

#5 - Switzerland          

#10 - Finland     

#13 - Austria   

#32 - US Hard Music

#67 - France

#84 - Belgium

#105 - Netherlands

#110 - UK         

The band's new video for "Hector's Hymn", directed by 11Frames Productions, can be seen below:

With (r)Evolution the band takes things back to the roots in many ways, as they once again worked with producer Fredrik Nordström, who helmed their two milestone releases Glory To The Brave and Legacy Of Kings during the band’s early years and thus has taken a major part in the development of Hammerfall. The music was recorded in guitarist Oscar Dronjak’s Castle Black Studios in March and April. Then singer Joacim Cans went to the United States for vocal recordings, once again working with James Michael (Scorpions, Mötley Crüe), who also did a great job on the predecessor, Infected.

HammerFall's World Wide (r)Evolution Tour kicks off in early 2015. Check out all dates here.