I may or not be a spoiled power metal fan. Let’s face it bands and albums bombarded me in the mid to late nineties. I might not have been the biggest Power Metal fan back then (my older brother was) and it took me several years to truly appreciate some of the bands. I have been out of the loop a bit in the last few years in the genre. I have broadened my horizons so to speak and I do listen occasionally to some Power Metal and I do crank my stereo sometimes while listening to some of the classics I grew up with. As I said, I may have been too spoiled for my good.

When you think of it, the original power metal fans were unaware back then that they were spending the best days of their lives with the genesis of the genre. It’s been 25 years and bands have come and gone, unfortunately. Some bands have attained mediocrity, but some bands have been the constant and Hammerfall is one of the few bands still true to the genre.

‘’Avenge the Fallen’’ is already their 13^th studio album in almost 30 years of existence, which is quite impressive. They are always working on new material, and they release albums on a very consistent basis compared to many other bands in the genre. You always look forward to an album from Hammerfall, you never know in what direction they will go but they keep the listener on their toes.

It’s rare to find a music group that can put out something new and stay relevant. There are a lot of bands that are from the old school of Power Metal that have fallen for it in the last few years and the new efforts aren’t that good, to be honest. Groups like Stratovarius or Sonata Arctica have failed to reach the heights of their past.

Hammerfall have managed to stay relevant by keeping its sound but adding something new. They are still very solid and it doesn’t become redundant although there are always elements that we find in each of their albums. I don’t need Hammerfall to reinvent the wheel, I just want something that will make me want to fight. It’s so anthemic, I wouldn’t say it’s patriotic their new material but it deserves to motivate you and you feel energized. It’s pretty much the only group of its kind apart from Dragonforce that invigorates you and it’s also a positive message that they bring. ”Hail to the King”, which is the first single, really announces the colors of the group. It sounds like old Hammerfall (with a great music video, by the way, you should watch it) but it sounds modern at least. I’m impressed that despite everything the songs including the title track ”Avenge the Fallen” sound better than 90% of current bands in the genre.

I don’t know how they do it, especially for an album they wrote while touring with Helloween last year. I think they remain the most grounded band and they have appropriated the style of True Power Metal in a sense. It’s still an album that goes by very quickly, it’s barely 45 minutes but you don’t have the impression that it’s that short. I find that there is no length (let’s say, if we compare to the last Sonata Arctica for example, or the last Gloryhammer).

The rhythm is good, the cadence has a good rhythm and I always place great importance on the placement of songs on an album and I believe that they have succeeded in perfecting this science. Joacim Cans is still in great shape, he has not lost his powerful voice and Oskar Dronjak continues to write beautiful melodies, it remain a constant from album to album.

Even though I find that the material on ”Avenge the Fallen” is perhaps a step below ”Hammer of Dawn”, it’s still enjoyable to listen to and it gets your heart pumping and puts a smile on your face on lips and that’s what Power Metal should do, that should be people’s reaction when listening to the new album.

How about that cover? Probably the best-looking cover they ever had and have had some pretty good ones in the past. Props to the artist who did an incredible job and probably the best-looking album cover of the year with ‘’Phantoma’’ by Unleash the Archers.

The album always has something to say, and it always puts us in a reflective state. Listen to it at any time and it will share with you a message worth hearing.  It is a perfectly assembled album with themes that are inseparable from the human experience.

It’s very difficult to name a particular song on the album, it’s more about cohesion than anything else. I wouldn’t say the songs are interchangeable at least. ”Capture the Dream” and ”Hero to All” are good examples of song lyrics that make you react. It remains a positive message, I would also say that ”Freedom” brings many more questions and I am happy that a song (or several) makes me think a little more about my own humanity, my life, and the principles that I am in everyday life.

Hammerfall are not going to make a ”Concept Album” but there are always themes present in their albums and it is not cliché like many groups of the past in the genre. We’re not talking about wizards, dragons, or supernatural powers at least so it’s very refreshing and they continue to deliver the goods album after album. It is an exploration of life’s anxieties, finding your footing through the trials and tribulations of life. What is our purpose? Is there any purpose? When is the right time? Is there any time at all? What are we fighting for?