HAMMERFALL - Infected (CD)

The Swedish Power Metal juggernaut that is HAMMERFALL are back! 'INFECTED', the eighth studio album of the Templars, now marks the begin of a new time for the quintet: For the first time since the turn of the millennium and after roughly ten years of cooperation, Charlie Bauerfeind was NOT responsible for the production, for the production, The result - After the opener 'Patient Zero', a highspeed hymn la 'Painkiller'/Judas Priest, the programmatic as well as HammerFall-like Headbanger 'Bang Your Head' and the slightly swinging 'One More Time' with its subtle dramatic flair one thing is for sure: The five Swedes were able to combine their 80s roots and True Metal aspects of the first two albums perfectly with a fresh touch, which takes account of both modern influences and listening habits of the 21st century, Subsequently, another lightly swinging uptempo anthem 'The Outlaw' commends itself as a successor to 'Renegade', the straightforward and unfussy 'Dia De Los Muertos' seizes on Teutonic virtues and 'I Refuse' - the album's heavyweight - marches harshly from first to last, enriched with massive grooves made in the USA and an unostentatious cross-reference to the brute sound of Rammstein, It doesn't matter whether you take '666 - The Enemy Within' with its dynamic rhythm alterations, the monolithic stamper 'Immortalized', the irresistible party anthem 'Let's Get It On', the Pokolgep-remake 'Send Me A Sign' or the melancholic opus 'Redemption' that marks an epic ending: 'INFECTED', quickly turns out to be a fresh, pestiferous Rock'n'Roll virus in every department, which sure will infect Metalheads all around the world, No need for an immunization - there's no cure for it anyway!