Hammerfall singer doesn’t like being called ‘power metal’: “I think heavy metal is enough”

Joacim Cans onstage with Hammerfall in 2022 — (Image credit: Andrea Friedrich/Redferns)

Hammerfall singer Joacim Cans has distanced the band from the ‘power metal’ tag in a new interview.

Cans, 54, says in an exclusive conversation with Metal Hammer that ‘power metal’ is simply “the American way of naming traditional heavy metal, especially if it’s not made in the 80s”.

“We are as traditional as can be,” he continues.

“I think heavy metal is enough, because within the boundaries of heavy metal, you can do so many things.”

In the same interview, Cans reflects on his higher education in Hollywood. The singer, born and raised in Sweden, moved to the US for a year to study music when he was 23.

When asked why he only stayed in the States for a year, Cans answers, “Because I hated it!”

He elaborates: “I felt that I was useless, not in school but outside of it.

“You went to [legendary Los Angeles bar] The Rainbow and met so many ‘talented’ musicians with so much going on: ‘We’re going on this tour and have this connection with this label. What do you have going on?’ ‘Nothing!’ I didn’t have the cool style with the big hair.

“Later I realised that, most people I met, they had the image down – now they only needed to learn how to play their instrument!”

Hammerfall were formed in 1993 as a New Wave Of British Heavy Metal throwback side-project for death metal musicians Oscar Dronjak (ex-Ceremonial Oath) and Jesper Strömblad (ex-Ceremonial Oath/In Flames). The band became a more full-time venture after Strömblad left to focus on In Flames and Cans joined in 1996.

Hammerfall will release their 13th studio album, Avenge The Fallen, on August 9 via Nuclear Blast.

The album features Armored Saint and former Anthrax singer John Bush on backing vocals.

Read the full interview with Cans in the new issue of Metal Hammer, which also features a celebration of 40 years of Metallica’s Ride The Lightning. Order your copy now and get it delivered to your door.

Metal Hammer issue 390 — (Image credit: Future (artwork by Puis Calzada))

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Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.