WHAT'S ON MY PLAYLIST

OSCAR DRONJAK OF HAMMERFALL

1 “Balls to the Wall,” Accept

I don’t know if the perfect song exists, but this is as close as you can get. The intro riff is to the Eighties metal generation what “Smoke on the Water” was to the Seventies. Classic doesn’t begin to describe it!

2 “Dorian Grey,” Stormwitch

The guitar work of Lee Tarot and Steve Merchant has had a massive influence on me. Their way of playing encompasses everything I look for in a metal guitarist/band: great, guitar-driven songs performed with variation and skill in rhythm and lead.

3 “Exciter,” Judas Priest

The styles of Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing complement each other perfectly. They’ve taught me so much about playing guitar and writing music. When I started out, I spent hours trying to learn the songs; when I got older and better, I realized I had missed so many of the details that really make their songs into the classics they are.

4 “Necrophiliac,” Slayer

A big emphasis has been placed on riffs and building the track, often breaking off with something completely different in the middle or toward the end of a song, and [Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman] weren’t afraid to just let the riffs do the talking. This was a songwriting master class for me a — nd R v I e C ry K mYuc "h H sh O ap R edRt O he R w"ay I approach writing music.

5 “Calling Dr. Love,” Kiss

The way Paul Stanley and Ace Frehley structured their rhythm parts. They often played very different things, but it worked so well together! And then, of course, Ace’s incredibly personal way of playing leads helped elevate the music even more. Add Gene Simmons’ bass lines and Peter Criss’ drumming, and it creates something unique and, well, Kiss-eriffic.

HAMMERFALL'S NEW ALBUM, HAMMER OF DAWN, IS OUT FEBRUARY 22 VIA NAPALM RECORDS