Increasingly the very definition of getting what it says on the tin, Swedish cheesemongers Hammerfall are back two short years after the middling Hammer of Dawn with a fresh platter of power metal for the faithful. And although still not hitting the heights of past glories or even late-career standouts like 2019's Dominion, there's still something about Hammerfall that brings joy to a weary heart. The band undeniably have a beyond-solid formula that elevates their hammering power metal songs into anthemic crowdpleasers, and the songwriting unit at the heart of the Hammerfall machine is still more than capable of infusing that extra bit of charm and catchiness. A first listen to Avenge the Fallen (lest we forget, the band's thirteenth full-length) will leave you shrugging; subsequent listens will leave you singing along.

The band's refusal to update their sound (or even production choices) here are more charming than irritating. Short of odd little experiments such as 2011's Infected, you could pick and choose any songs from any of their albums over the last two decades and find their styles seamless. Here, the Manowar-tinged likes of Hail to the King are epic stompers with widdly melodic flourishes thanks to eternal guitarist Oscar Dronjak and plenty of vocal hooks from the seemingly ageless pipes of Joacim Cans. Hammerfall's image of heavy metal paladins bringing down the hammer of justice is present and correct, songs such as Hero to All having a near-reverential guitar tone and too-serious-for-parody lyrics - if you were told that this was a Christian band, it would be easy to believe. Just as the best black metal has you grimacing and cursing the cross, so Hammerfall lift you up on a wave of righteous angst.

And, it must be said, the songs here are a particularly steel-solid set. Free of the wannabe-Eurovision entries that have crept into Hammerfall albums in the past, Avenge the Fallen boasts a set of songs that will slot right in alongside previous live anthems. Hell, even ballad Hope Springs Eternal is heartfelt and hits the right emotional buttons, contrasting well with the following chugging attack of Burn It Down. There's not really a weak track present, late-tracklisting likes of Capture the Dream and the rocking Rise of Evil equally entertaining as earlier highlights, and the closing near-six-minute Time Immemorial having the most melodic lead guitar with a particularly effective orchestral finale. As ever with Hammerfall, this is very much dependant on personal tastes yet those who love the band's brand will find yet more evidence of greatness here. Not their best album, far from their worst.