HAMMERFALL

Few bands could claim to have done more for the heavy metal cause over the last 30 years than HAMMERFALL. Gothenburg's undisputed kings of melodic bombast have been remarkably consistent over the years, and even though they seem unlikely to top the sheer excitement and bravado of their earliest records (and seminal debut "Glory To The Brave" in particular),  their most recent run of albums has been a model of metal-to-the-max consistency. Anyone expecting anything other than another tour de force of power metal triumph from the Swedes' 13th album is being silly. Two years on from the excellent "Hammer Of Dawn", "Avenge The Fallen" is undeniably more of the same, and thank Odin for that.

If anything distinguishes this from any of HAMMERFALL's more recent albums, it is that some of the venom and grit that inhabited their sound early on has returned, giving several of these shiny new songs an undercurrent of aggression that has been largely smoothed off over the preceding decades. The opening title track hurls the gauntlet down with no apologies: a deliciously overwrought but joyously thunderous anthem with steadfastness and uncompromising commitment to righteousness at its core. It hits harder at a stately mid-pace than many comparable bands can manage at a canter.

When HAMMERFALL do let rip, they are clearly enjoying some kind of return to the intensity of youth. "The End Justifies" is an unashamed neck-wrecker, with a magnificent Joacim Cans vocal, a viciously hooky chorus and enough Gatling gun kick-drums to flatten all-comers. Four minutes of undiluted heavy metal joy, it's one of the best songs HAMMERFALL have penned since their debut.

The same is true of the title track, which was unveiled as one of the album's pre-release singles, and immediately sounded like the kind of song that will be lodged in the band's set lists for many years. There is always a dash of schmaltz and corniness in power metal, but the genre's most skilled exponents know how to deliver it. Every Joacim Cans vocal resonates with utmost sincerity; every unvarnished message of hope and strength is expressed via simple, timeless ideas. HAMMERFALL walk it exactly like they talk it, and "Avenge The Fallen" has the feel of an updated manifesto as a result.

Every self-respecting power metal album must have at least one roof-removing ballad, and the avowedly downbeat "Hope Springs Eternal" fulfils that role here. Again, Joacim Cans is the master of tearful ceremonies; mental images of a huge, sweaty crowd swaying gently in unison are unavoidable. In contrast, "Burn It Down" is an iron-edged rumble with a speed metal undertow and a triumphant refrain that blazes with defiance.

It's a heavy metal thing, and HAMMERFALL are certified experts with vastly more fire in their bellies than their legendary, veteran status might suggest. "Avenge The Fallen" is another undeniable victory.