- advertisement -

HAMMERFALL Avenge The Fallen
2024 Nuclear Blast

"Passion is our Lord - Courage our sword
Heavy Metal in our hearts - Hard to tear apart"

HAMMERFALL have been flying the flag for true Heavy Metal since 1997 and continues to be one of the most reliable and dependable bands in all of music. Their lineup remains the same as the last three albums: Joacim Cans (vocals), Oscar Dronjak (guitar), Pontus Norgren (guitar), Fredrik Larsson (bass) and David Wallin (drums). 2024 sees the band returning to Nuclear Blast Records and releasing Avenge The Fallen, their 13th studio album, less than a year after completing their tour with HELLOWEEN. This band never stops on their mission to deliver metal to the masses. HAMMERFALL have been on a roll over the past few albums, building their brand even higher and producing solid anthems, seemingly effortlessly. I really enjoyed Hammer of Dawn (2022), and especially Dominion (2019). Lead singer Joacim Cans had this to say about the band's mindset prior to the recording of Avenge The Fallen: "Do we want to be a band who releases new music just for the sole reason of getting out on the road again or do we want to keep pushing and challenging ourselves? In times where people have less and less attention span, we still think in the form of full length albums."

Avenge The Fallen opens with the title track (the only other time this has happened was on 2006's Threshold), and it's a real clarion call to the troops. You simply cannot beat that chorus. In fact, the band employed some of the best singers in metal to help record the backing vocals on this album. There's Marc Lopez (METAL CHURCH), Niklas Isfeldt (DREAM EVIL), John Bush (ARMORED SAINT) and Thomas Voikstrom (THERION) just to name a few. Next up is the instant HAMMERFALL classic "The End Justifies", (video on KNAC.COM HERE) which is of course a reference to the phrase "the end justifies the means". It's one of the fastest tracks on the album, and the whole band fires on all cylinders. This song spells out the band's creed as straight forwardly as possible. "Freedom" follows, with plenty of big vocals and hooks. Next comes the three big 'H' songs: the call and response march of "Hail To The King" (video on KNAC.COM HERE), the uptempo "Hero To All" and the ballad "Hope Springs Eternal". There are layers of vocals on this ballad that are pretty damn cool.

"Burn It Down" is a speed metal attack with double bass drums and plenty of riffs. "Capture The Dream" might contain the best riff on the album, however. "Rise of Evil" is another pounding anthem with a hooky chorus; this is one of my favorite tracks on the album. The final track is about the inevitable march of time, called "Time Immemorial". There is a bonus track only on the digipak called "Night Terrors". On Avenge The Fallen, HAMMERFALL delivers no frills power metal mixed with dramatic moments and some references to their past. What can I say? I dig this album. It grew on me over time. It doesn't replace Legacy Of Kings as my favorite HAMMERFALL album, but it is definitely another solid entry in the band's catalog. I look forward to seeing the band in a live setting again, as I believe the majority of this album could and should be performed live. Avenge The Fallen is available now from Nuclear Blast Records in digital, LP and CD formats.

4.3 Out Of 5.0