HammerFall "Glory To The Brave"

Glory to the Brave is the debut album by the Swedish power metal band HammerFall, released in 1997. Despite the fact that the band was formed in 1993, HammerFall performed mostly live music and covers before this album was released. "Steel Meets Steel" was composed by Oscar Dronjak just before the band was formed and is included on this album. The band signed a deal with the Dutch label Vic Records. Nuclear Blast approached Vic Records and obtained a license deal for the album. Later, Nuclear Blast bought the entire rights from Vic Records. Although the In Flames guitarist Jesper Strömblad was listed as the drummer, all the drums were actually played by session musician Patrik Räfling, who joined the band as a full-time member shortly after the album's release.

The cover art was painted by Andreas Marschall.

"I Believe" was co-written with Peter Stålfors of Pure X and, later, the more famous Dream Evil.

Glory to the Brave was re-released in 2002 as a Deluxe Edition with the Stormwitch cover "Ravenlord" as a bonus track as well as a multimedia section including a music video.

Track listing

1. "The Dragon Lies Bleeding" Jesper Strömblad, Joacim Cans, Oscar Dronjak 4:22
2. "The Metal Age" Dronjak, Strömblad, Cans 4:28
3. "HammerFall" Dronjak, Strömblad, Cans 4:47
4. "I Believe" Cans, Peter Stålfors 4:53
5. "Child of the Damned" (Warlord cover) Tsamis, Zonder 3:42
6. "Steel Meets Steel" Dronjak 4:02
7. "Stone Cold" Dronjak, Strömblad, Cans 5:43
8. "Unchained" Dronjak, Strömblad, Cans 5:38
9. "Glory to the Brave" Dronjak, Strömblad, Cans 7:20
10. "Ravenlord" (Stormwitch cover, bonus track) Lee Tarot 3:31

An eleventh track on the enhanced CD (bonus deluxe edition) contained multimedia content: a videoclip, wallpaper and e-card

"Ravenlord" was released on the Japanese, Brazilian and deluxe editions.

Special editions: LP, Shape CD (Saw-Shaped), Picture LP, Red Vinyl LP, Deluxe Edition (containing bonus material), Value Box (with "Renegade" CDs)

Jesper Strömblad is credited as the drummer but did not actually play on the album.

On back cover bottom left it reads:

Licensed from:

VIC RECORDS

Tafelberg 71

3328 SR Dordrecht

The Netherlands

phone/fax: 0031 78 61 72 576

First catalog ID is on CD only, the second is on the spines and back cover.

Recording information:

Recorded, produced and mixed in November 1996 at Studio Fredman, Göteborg.

Digitally mastered at The Mastering Factory.

Co-produced/recorded/mixed by Hammerfall.