ALBUM REVIEW: Avenge The Fallen – HammerFall
Avenge The Fallen is pure HAMMERFALL, and maybe that’s the problem. 2024 has been an incredible year for rock and metal veterans. SEBASTIAN BACH, SAXON, ACCEPT, and GUN have all enjoyed something of a well-received renaissance. Those bands and many more rolling back the years to the delight of fans around the world. As streaming has taken over established artists are enjoying a longer shelf-life than ever before, and they’re determined to make hay while the sun shines.
It’s against this backdrop that HAMMERFALL steps back into the spotlight with album number 13. Not that they really went anywhere. Following the release of Hammer Of Dawn in 2022, the band spent much of the next two years touring with HELLOWEEN. A journey that took them across the globe and back again. Much of the album was written during that tour with Oscar Dronja trying to capitalise on the post-show adrenaline rush. Although the record was eventually recorded at home in Sweden, when it’s at its best, that burst of energy shines through.
After more than 30 years in the game, HAMMERFALL have a formula and it’s fully on display here – for better and for worse. Nothing on the album sounds especially fresh, but when the band is catering to long-term die-hard fans, the will to shake things up fades. Opening track Avenge The Fallen finds the quintet on top form and The End Justifies is HAMMERFALL-by-numbers in the best way possible. The riffs chug, the vocals from Joacim Cans soar, and the guitar solo dazzles to great effect.
Freedom ditches the idea of an intro with the vocals taking the hand of the listener for the next four and a half minutes. The track is a little gritter and all the better for it, marking the first part of a fun one-two punch with Hail To The King. The latter might just be the best song on the album as the band really hit their collective stride. The call and response sections will be adored by fans at festivals far and wide, while a stomping rhythm sets the tone.
It would be harsh to call Hero To All and Burn It Down filler, but they’re not especially memorable. Sandwiched between them is the album’s only really serious misstep Hope Springs Eternal.The intention to create a heartfelt ballad is an admirable one, but the result is a track Eurovision fans would find overly cheesy. Power metal has a reputation for being needlessly ostentatious, and this isn’t going to help beat those allegations.
Capture The Dream sees the band return to more stable yet predictable ground. The track does all the right things but it meanders without going anywhere. By contrast, Rise Of Evil is bursting with intent and heavy-hitting precision. The earlier grit returns and the production is perfect. The vocals feel like they’re working with the guitars and bass, rather than competing against them. This unity creates a really well-balanced track and the guitar that rips through the final third is a stunner.
Closing track Time Immemorial is too long, but that can’t take the shine off an impressive finish. If Hope Springs Eternal was a power metal caricature, this is the antithesis. It’s fun and ticks all the right boxes but doesn’t feel like you’re being laughed at in the process. The sprinkling of the acoustic sections is a great addition, helping give the track an effortless ebb and flow.
It’s highly unlikely Avenge The Fallen will create any new fans, but that isn’t the point. And intention is important. Long-time fans who’ve been with HAMMERFALL for decades will find something to love. After all, all of the staples are there. It’s just a shame they’re all too often delivered in such an uninspired fashion.
Rating: 6/10
Avenge The Fallen is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
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