Review: Kai Hansen – Born With A Hammer
On ‘Born With A Hammer’, Kai Hansen moves between power metal, hard rock and punk
Kai Hansen – Born With A Hammer
Format: CD / Vinyl LP / Digital
Label: earMUSIC
Release date: 18 September 2026
Text: Martien Koolen
If you are familiar with German power/heavy metal, then you should know Kai Hansen, as he is one of the defining people in that genre.
He was co-founder of the notorious Helloween and founder of Gamma Ray, and now Hansen releases his new album called ‘Born With A Hammer’, featuring ten brand new metal songs.
Hansen’s new album is remarkably diverse, as the songs on this album move between power metal, heavy metal, punk, hard rock, melodic rock and even pop rock. Kicking off with Feeding The Beast, the first single of this album.
Hansen sets the scene for a very raw, energetic, and versatile record indeed, as this opener features an impressive machine-gun like guitar riff and evolves into a pure power metal track.
Follow up, Welcome To Life is a completely different track, as this one sounds like raw garage rock, while the mid-section is slow beat. Don’t Care is a “get-used to” track as it is funky, crossover, sounding like discometal, whatever that may be; check it out for yourself….
Wait And See is a very heavy song with screaming riffs, while I.D.G.A.F. – which of course means I Do Not Give A Fuck – has a 100% galloping rhythm, and it features a familiar riff; hello Twisted Sister and The Kinks….
The title track is an eight-minute epic with slow and fast passages, a power metal song that truly brings back memories of old Helloween and Gamma Ray stuff.
End Of The Road is another “standard” heavy metal track in the veins of Helloween, while Triple Trouble almost sounds like speed metal.
So, there you have it, a wonderful, diverse new power metal album by Kai Hansen, driven by razor-sharp riffs, enormous energy and anthemic melodies; a must have album for fans of German power metal and if you play this album at maximum volume, it is even more awesome indeed!
Tracks:
01. Feeding the Beast
02. Welcome to Life
03. Don’t Care
04. Wait and See
05. Born with a Hammer
06. I.D.G.A.F
07. End of the Road
08. Triple Trouble
09. Invaders
10. Wonderland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaihansenofficial/?locale=nl_NL
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