
Album of the Week
Born With A Hammer
Kai Hansen
Released Sep 18, 2026 • earMUSIC
A spirited, adventurous, thoroughly enjoyable triumph.
⭐
8/10
Hard Rock
1
starting results
0
Tracklist
- 1 Feeding the Beast ⭐
2 Welcome to Life
3 Don't Care
4 Wait and See
5 Born with a Hammer
6 I.D.G.A.F
7 End of the Road ⭐
8 Triple Trouble
9 Invaders
10 Wonderland ⭐
Editor's Picks
For Fans Of:
Stormwarrior, Iron Savior, Blind Guardian
⭐ Standout Tracks:
"Feeding The Beast", "End Of The Road", "Wonderland"
THE REVIEW
Kai Hansen has been making metal for more than four decades, most famously with Helloween and Gamma Ray, as well as through projects including Unisonic and Iron Savior. Yet Born With A Hammer is something of a landmark because it is the first album released simply under his own name. That immediately raises an obvious question: is this basically another Helloween album wearing a different shirt? Thankfully, the answer is no. There are plenty of familiar Hansen ingredients here, including fast guitars, strong melodies and his distinctive voice, but Born With A Hammer has a character of its own. Hansen clearly enjoys having the freedom to try things that might not fit comfortably into one of his other bands. Punk influences, electronic touches, darker passages and some wonderfully unexpected ideas appear alongside the traditional metal foundations. It gives the album a playful quality without ever making it feel like Hansen has forgotten what he does best. There are moments when the record takes a few unexpected turns, but the guitars, melodies and sheer energy always bring it back home. The result is an album that sounds recognisably like Kai Hansen, while giving him plenty of room to show a different side of himself.
THE SONGS
“Feeding The Beast” gets things moving with the sort of driving guitar work Hansen fans will immediately recognise, while still making it clear that this isn't simply Helloween under another name. “Welcome To Life” takes a few more chances, bringing punk energy and some unexpected changes of direction. “Don’t Care” adds electronic touches and a rebellious attitude, before “Wait And See” heads into darker territory with a heavier, more industrial feel. The eight-minute title track is the album's centrepiece. It takes its time getting started, gradually builds into faster and heavier sections, then changes direction again. There is even a distinctly Queen-like feel to parts of the arrangement before everything comes together in a huge, memorable finale. “I.D.G.A.F.” shows Hansen's sense of humour, pairing an extremely blunt lyric with a surprisingly infectious song. It may not be the one to sing along to loudly in polite company, but musically it is difficult to resist. “End Of The Road” brings back the galloping guitars and melody associated with Hansen's power-metal work, while “Triple Trouble” pushes that even further. Tight guitar harmonies, a fast pace and plenty of energy make it one of the album's most obvious headbanging moments. “Invaders” keeps the momentum going with a straightforward heavy-metal attack, before “Wonderland” brings the album to a strong conclusion with weight, melody and another reminder of Hansen's ability to write a memorable metal song.
THE VERDICT
Born With A Hammer is Kai Hansen enjoying the freedom to do things his own way. The album has enough familiar metal ingredients to satisfy longtime fans, but there are enough surprises to make it feel like something more than a trip back through his past. It may take a few unexpected turns along the way, but the riffs, melodies and Hansen's unmistakable personality keep it firmly on track. For anyone who enjoys melodic, energetic heavy metal with a few surprises thrown in, there is plenty here to come back to.



