Since forming 14 years ago, Gloryhammer have been flying the flag for British heavy metal wearing armour and costumes on stage showcasing their own made-up characters. ‘Tales From The Kingdom Of Fife’ was the first record issued on powerhouse metal label, Napalm Records, which quickly grew them a loyal fan-base both on US soil and abroad. Now a veritable headliner in the US, Gloryhammer’s latest tour kicked off on March 7th in New York and will inevitably end on March 30th in Dallas, Texas.
Photo credit to Fernando Bonenfant
Although nowhere as prolific as their adoring fans would like, the group have managed to release 4 full-lengths. During that time, the band also landed some high-profile support slots on tours with power metal heavyweights Stratovarius, Blind Guardian and HammerFall. ‘Return to the Kingdom of Fife’ was released back in June 2023 and is propelled by standout tracks such as “Holy Flaming Hammer of Unholy Cosmic Frost,” “Wasteland Warriors Hoots Patrol,” and fan favorite “Keeper of the Celestial Flame of Abernethy,” all of which recall the best moments of Blind Guardian, Helloween, Gamma Ray, and Dragonforce.
Said the band about their latest video single, “For many years now, the Top Gun soundtrack, and in particular, Cheap Trick’s standout track ‘Mighty Wings’ has been a constant in our lives – the eagle-eared amongst you shall have heard it countless times in our pre-show playlist. When recording ‘Return to the Kingdom of Fife’ last winter, we decided to pay homage to the song that defined so many great moments for us by recording our own, distinctly Gloryhammer cover version.”
At present, Gloryhammer’s personnel list includes founding / original members Christopher Bowes aka Zargothrax (keyboards), Ben Turk aka Ralathor (drums), Paul Templing aka Ser Proletius (guitars), and James Cartwright (The Hootsman (bass) along with mainstay Michael Barber aka Zargothrax (keyboards) and newest member Michael aka Angus McFife (lead vocals).
The UK’s own Gloryhammer headline a night of power metal at Goldfield Trading Post located at 238 Vernon Street in Roseville. Also on the bill is Twilight Force and Rimron The Mighty Soothsayer. Doors open at 6pm and the show kicks off promptly at 7pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $30 here at goldfieldtradingpost.com. All ages are welcome.
(Capital Chaos TV)