Album Review: HammerFall – Avenge The Fallen (Nuclear Blast Records)

Power metal legends, HammerFall will release their 13th studio album ‘Avenge The Fallen’, on August 9th, 2024, via Nuclear Blast Records.

With this many albums under their belt, few could blame HammerFall if they were ‘coasting’ a little bit at this stage, and while there are elements of Avenge the Fallen that can be accused of that, overall, it finds the band in a very creative place.

A place that is familiar, but leaves you with a warm and fuzzy feeling, regardless of how on form the band are. New HammerFall music is always welcome, and even when they’re not at their best, they tend to deliver something memorable. This is very much the case with the opening duo of the title track and The End Justifies. There are contrasting elements, but there are also so many throwback elements, showcasing HammerFall greatness via epic melodies, gigantic riffs, soaring choruses, and more, but also showcasing a band moving forward in different ways.

They’re clearly still hungry, even at this point of their career and that hunger becomes almost ravenous with Freedom, Hail to the King, and Hero to All. Raise your fist high in the air and sing from the deepest part of your lungs. The excitable and enjoyable anthemic aspects of this album (expected too) are on full display and HammerFall push forth a cacophony of heavy rhythms and glorious melody, all in their inimitable infectious way.

The middle part of the album comes and goes in deeply melodic fashion with Hope Springs Eternal. A sweet-sounding piece with the vocals given a ton of prominence (for good reason as they’re awesome), and some killer guitar soloing. Before the epic, hair-raising, and head-banging heavy metal ways of HammerFall return with aplomb on Burn it Down, Capture the Dream, and Rise of Evil.

Here, there’s a lot of HammerFall 101, but there’s never anything wrong with enjoying harmonic fist-pumpers like this. Power metal that is exceptionally likable, even if it’s not going to change the game in any way. Who expects it too, though? Lower your demands and just enjoy the insatiable hunger HammerFall has to create power metal anthems.

It’s not an album that overstays its welcome either, HammerFall going the ‘all killer, no filler’ route for the most part. Wrapping up their latest epic album with their most progressively tinged effort of all, Time Immemorial. It’s an ending befitting of this album, an album befitting the legend of HammerFall, and an album more than capable of living up to fans expectations of this band.

Will it win over any detractors? Probably not, but that’s fine, as they’re a miserable bunch anyway. HammerFall are back, and Avenge the Fallen is mighty fine.

HammerFall – Avenge the Fallen Track Listing:

1. Avenge The Fallen
2. The End Justifies
3. Freedom
4. Hail To The King
5. Hero To All
6. Hope Springs Eternal
7. Burn It Down
8. Capture The Dream
9. Rise Of Evil
10. Time Immemorial

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