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Solo albums by members of well-known bands are very rarely like the mother band’s material. Think Bruce Dickinson Vs Iron Maiden. Myles Kennedy Vs Alter Bridge. Freddie Mercury Vs Queen. Anyone expecting the new solo album from Kai Hansen to sound like his mother band, Helloween (or even the other band associated with his name, Gamma Ray), will be in for a surprise, as Born With a Hammer is anything but the power metal that Hansen is more known for.
Freed from the restraints of his day job, Hansen has come up with an eclectic album that constantly surprises and keeps the listener guessing what the hell is coming next. And very often, within the same song.
“Welcome to Life”, for instance, has so many twists and turns that it will make your head spin. The psychobilly-meets-The-Offspring intro gives way to a trad metal vibe before speeding up again into a full-on speed metal segment, and this alternates throughout the track. No more changes springing out at you? Think again, for here comes the cooler-than-ice-cold breakdown with some Freddie Mercury vocalisations (think “One Vision”) and laid-back reggae vibes, before flooring it again for the last few moments. Bonkers, utterly bonkers; but in a good way.
Album opener “Feeding the Beast” veers into classic Dickinson-led Maiden territory, with hints of a Judas Priest influence, and highlights the heavier side of the album, with Carcass drummer Dan Wilding excelling. Hansen’s trademark rasping vocals are in full flow, with the stellar production by Hansen, along with Eike Freese and Alexander Dietz, pushing them to the front.
“Wait and See” is another heavier moment where the album explodes to life. Industrial-like in places (is that a sample of Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” on the intro?) with a nice blend of Hansen’s rasp melding with some punky shouts and harsh vocals in choice places.
On the gonzo “I.D.G.A.F.”, (driven by throbbing bass grooves from Heaven Shall Burn’s Alexander Dietz), Hansen sings “All your stories are annoying me, why don’t you shut up and go away… cos I don’t give a fuck, I just wanna rock…I don’t care what’s wrong with you…” Stick that on a manifesto, and I’ll vote for him.
The variety comes with tracks like “Don’t Care”, which has a touch of a Royal Republic feel; pulsing electronics, heavy hits, some huuuuge hooks, and almost spoken-word-like vocals from Hansen. The rhythms from Wilding are super-contagious, and in the hands of other acts, they might have opted for a drum machine. Ballsy and insanely great fun from start to finish, this is a good example of an established artist stepping out of their comfort zone and seeing where it takes them.
The eight-minute title track acts as the centrepiece of the album, and it is practically impossible to talk about the track without mentioning Queen’s behemoth “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Falling into the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink category, it is a gloriously OTT tribute to Queen with a sound that harks back to the greatest Queen album of them all: “Queen II”. No point in trying to be a smart-arse cynic about the similarities; just go with the flow and take off the blinkers for eight minutes of overblown, grandiose fun with lashings of Queen-isms.
The album could have ended with the title track, and most wouldn’t have minded, but there are still gems like “End of the Road” and “Invaders” to enjoy before the album ends in eardrum-blitzing style with “Wonderland”, where Hansen mixes Judas Priest double-kick-drum hits and piercing screams with a huge, uplifting melodic chorus.
If this lineup can clear their respective schedules and play a handful of gigs, then this material will melt some faces and, in the case of “Welcome to Life” and “Don’t Care”, free some minds. A genuinely surprisingly strong album that will end the year in many Top 10 end-of-year polls.
Available now via earMUSIC
Connect with Kai Hansen HERE
Review: Dave
Portrait photos: Franz Schepers
Live image: Rob Wilkins – Hellfest 2026
