Power metal legends Hammerfall released 12 studio albums between 1997 and 2022; therefore, it's somewhat understandable that their prior few records—Hammer of Dawn, Dominion, and Built to Last—showed diminishing creative returns. Although their latest LP, Avenge the Fallen, doesn't significantly right the ship or reinvent the wheel, its consistency should at least entice longtime followers and pull in newcomers who've not grown overly tired of what the group does.
Naturally, the same lineup from those albums returns, and according to frontman Joacim Cans, one of the quintet's main goals with the collection was simply proving that Hammerfall are still relevant. He also champions (rightly so) that Avenge the Fallen contains "one of [his] best performances on an album ever." Likewise, founding guitarist Oscar Dronjak admits that his newfound confidence and patience with songwriting has enhanced the group's work and made it possible to rework incomplete compositions from decades past.
All those positive attributes can be felt within the title track, which opens the LP in epic fashion thanks to its typically crushing riffs and percussion alongside passionately hooky lyrics and melodies. It's typical stuff, for sure, but it's quite focused, self-assured, and alluring, with a host of guest backing singers (including Therion's Thomas Vikström and Armored Saint's John Bush) occasionally shouting the title with the communal fervor of empowered Vikings and pirates.
The in-your-face speediness and eventually shift into softer territory on "The End Justifies" gleefully harkens back to earlier Hammerfall, too. Then, the storytelling and rhythmic changeups of "Hail to the King" are very captivating, with its strong balance of timid verses and triumphant choruses perfectly kicking off a killer guitar solo. The proggier tendencies of "Hero to All"—as well as the delicately symphonic nature of "Hope Springs Eternal" and the weighty finality of closer "Time Immemorial"—also spice things up enough to be both gratifyingly fresh and likably familiar.
While there aren't any out-and-out bad tracks here, a handful—"Freedom," "Rise of Evil," and "Burn It Down"—are relatively samey and straightforward (so they're not as appealing or commendable). Plus, "Freedom" occasionally houses corny platitudes ("Chart your moral course to steer your path," "Rise and be the master of your destiny") that can't help but make you roll your eyes. True, the fantasy-tinged genre is all about mythology, quests, good vs. evil, destiny, and the like, but for the most part, the other tracks do a better job at emphasizing more original and clever lyricism.
Those lesser tracks aside, Avenge the Fallen is an extremely enjoyable ride that Hammerfall lovers (and genre aficionados overall) should celebrate. Sure, some of the criticisms lobbied against their most recent releases still stand, and they don't exactly step outside of their comfort zone or shakeup power metal as we know it. Yet, Hammerfall do enough to warrant the price of admission and the time spent digesting their latest opus. In other words, they remain a reliable ensemble who excel at doing what they love enough to deservingly keep audiences coming back.
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