Hammerfall are a metal band you can rely on. Playing the kind of heavy metal made famous by bands like Manowar, these Swedish defenders of the faith have consistently released albums full to the brim with big tracks full of meaty riffs, widdly guitars and choruses you can hang your hat on.  Now back with their ninth album, ‘(r)Evolution’, it’s safe to say they aren’t ready to stop yet.

The flipside of all this, is that you probably already know whether you will like ‘(r)Evolution’ and if you don’t it will take about ten seconds of opener ‘Hector’s Hymn’ for you to make up your mind. From the fast paced riffs that kicks things into gear, to the over the top lyrics which reference everything from the soul to the dragon to talk of holding your “hammer high, to the sky”.  It’s one of the best power metal tracks you will hear this year, but there are many out there that will want to gag at the cheesiness of it all.

You see there is nothing subtle about this album, it is power metal at its simplest, but at times it also shows it off at its best.  Hammerfall have been doing this long enough that they know how to craft a good track and that’s clear throughout. On songs like ‘Origins’ you cannot help but feel like they should be playing over an epic battle between gods and men.  It’s enough to have anyone punching the air and swearing their allegiance to Thor, or their deity of choice.

Of course all of this does essentially mean that ‘(r)Evolution’ is at its core a very simple album.  If you want musical progression you should definitely look elsewhere. Lead singer Joacim Cans is what you want from a power metal frontman, big pipes and the ability to hold a note and guitarists Oscar Dronjak and Pontus Norgren can certainly play, but you are unlikely to be blown over by what they are doing.  There is very little to distinguish it to what this band have been doing since 1997’s Glory to the Brave.

If you have a passing interest in power metal ‘(r)Evolution’ is one you can probably afford to miss. There is nothing here you haven’t heard before and while there a couple of great tracks, there are also a few that are likely to just pass you by. If you are a hardcore Hammerfall fan though, this will be the album you want. After the disappointment that many fans felt of ‘Infected’, Hammefall have come out fighting and this is them on, if not top form, a very good level.  It’s music that is designed to be listened to with a beer in hand and a fist in the air and if that sounds up your street then take a seat, crack open a cold one and enjoy.

 8/10

Hammerfall ‘(r)Evolution‘ is out now via Nuclear Blast.

The band’s new album ‘(r)Evolution’ – hailed “the essence of HAMMERFALL at its very purist” by guitarist, songwriter and founding member Oscar Dronjak – was produced by Fredrik Nordström (DIMMU BORGIR, SOILWORK, OPETH), who also helped produce the first two HAMMERFALL albums, 1997’s Glory To The Brave and 1998’s Legacy Of Kings.

According to Dronjak, the new album title “comes from the second remake of the Planet Of The Apes movie, ‘Rise of…’ In Swedish, it was called ‘Apornas Planet: (r)Evolution,’ and the name stuck with me ever since I saw (and loved!) the movie.  It seems like a fitting title for this album: We’ve taken everything that makes HAMMERFALL HAMMERFALL and evolved it.”

‘(r)Evolution’ CD track list:

Pre-order ‘(r)Evolution’ on Limited Edition CD + signed print:  http://bit.ly/hammerstore

‘(r)Evolution’ Blue Double Vinyl track list:

Pre-order ‘(r)Evolution’ on Limited Edition Blue vinyl from the Nuclear Blast UK webstore for just £18.99:http://bit.ly/hammerfallblue

Watch the official video for ‘Hector’s Hymn’.