Elyna Kahn (long version here)
Greetings from the South of the world, dear siblings in Power Metal! I’m excited to announce another big release emerging from Sweden, where the hammer and the sword resonate powerfully: Avenge the Fallen, Hammerfall‘s thirteenth album. After such a long career can the band still have a few tricks left? You’ll have to stay with me to find out!
This album is a compendium of what Hammerfall has been since its beginnings: the epic soundtrack that every story of knights, musketeers, and related archetypes should have. There is no other band that better embodies the codes of honor, life, and work of these heroes—or anti-heroes; interpretation is free. Now, if you are expecting this album to surprise you in terms of structure, tempo, or lyrics, you might be disappointed. Avenge the Fallen is Hammerfall in essence. 4/4 time signature at a medium-to-fast tempo, along with two ballads and the usual lyrical themes of glory and transcendence, companionship and camaraderie, the destiny of heroes, bravery, and the desire for revenge. However, the sound quality might pleasantly surprise you.
Hammerfall has maintained its personality while improving its sound with each album. On the other hand, it seems that Cans has some kind of pact with a strange entity because his voice remains impeccable. If you listen to Glory to The Brave, Renegade, or Crimson Thunder and then jump to this album, it seems that the years have not affected his vocal cords at all. Avenge offers several new hymns to be included in the band’s extensive setlist, like the fast-paced “The End Justifies” and the Viking-choir-infused title track. The ballad “Hope Springs Eternal” stands out with its emotional power, while “Hero to All” and the haunting outro “Time Immemorial” showcase Hammerfall‘s signature style and intensity. The album remains consistent from the beginning to the end.
There is not much to criticize about this intense journey, apart from the video clip for “Avenge the Fallen“. The tune is fire, but the video doesn’t quite do it for me, to be honest, but hey, not everything is perfect in life. Now, if you want some variation, look for music in the Prog universe, because Hammerfall hasn’t changed and won’t change. Although many may say that listening to any Hammerfall album is like listening to them all. For once, we don’t need change!
Avenge the Fallen is an endearing album that gives us 10 tracks with Hammerfall‘s soul, following the melodic and rhythmic line that has remained almost unchanged since 1997. And That’s something I appreciate because many bands have gone through history experimenting with new sounds, song structures, and lyrics, trying here and there without being able to find their own personality. This is not the case with Hammerfall, who found its sonic spirit from the beginning and have maintained it over the years, achieving a safe place in music for my autistic brain.
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release date: 9 August, 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/hammerfall
Country: Sweden
Score: Elyna gave no score, but I’d give it 3.0/5.0 for the geeks!
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