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Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
Hammerfall - Avenge The Fallen Album Art

Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen

Traditional Heavy/Power Metal
5.0/5.0

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Nuclear Blast Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 08.08.2024 | Released: 09.08.2024

Following the massive, two-year, United Forces tour with fellow metallers Helloween, Sweden's Hammerfall returns with their lucky thirteenth studio album, Avenge The Fallen. The album finds the quintet switching from Napalm to Nuclear Blast Records.* It's also Hammerfall's first time working with producer Jay Rustin (Armored Saint, Avatar, Anthrax, et al), whom singer Joacim Cans met at a tour stop in Los Angeles. Moreover, Avenge The Fallen features a host of metal luminaries providing back up vocals, including Thomas Vikstro?m (Therion), Jake E (Cyhra), John Bush (Armored Saint), Marc Lopez (Metal Church) and Niklas Isfeldt (Dream Evil). These choral gang vocals are terrific, really putting the tunes over the top.

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Hammerfall

But most importantly, Avenge The Fallen is classic Hammerfall. As founder and guitarist puts it, "When I started Hammerfall more than 30 years ago it was because no one played the music that I grew up with and was a huge fan of. If no one did it, it was up to me to do it and that's how it is still to this day. The music I write is the music that I love and believe in, heavy metal can't be faked and that's a fact!"


Which means, of course, keep it true, classic and melodic, fast and heavy traditional metal. If you dig the genre as I do, a Hammerfall album puts you in your heavy metal happy place with the twin guitar harmony, gallop and groove, soaring vocals, memorable refrains, and epic guitar solos, the sin qua non of true metal. You get this from the start with title track bursting with groove and those massive gang vocals. If you want the speed of power metal you'll find it with Hero To All, The End Justifies, and Burn It Down. Alternatively, the pace can moderate with Hail To The King, a steady headbanging song with a shouting refrain. Similar in tempo but more the classic metal anthemic ballad is Hope Springs Eternal, perhaps more mellow song of the bunch.

As said earlier, Avenge The Fallen is quintessential Hammerfall, delivering their signature keep it true, classic and melodic, heavy metal. This could be their best album to date. Quite recommended.

*Which means I got a digital download to review and enjoy from NB, rather than a stream from those turds at Napalm. Which also explains why I did not review the last two Hammerfall albums. Thank you, Nuclear Blast Records!


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The Take Away

Avenge The Fallen is quintessential Hammerfall, delivering their signature keep it true, classic and melodic, heavy metal. This could be their best album to date. Quite recommended.

Support the artist, click the link below to buy the album at Amazon (US site) in your favorite format.

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