After a year's hiatus, during which time he wrote his autobiography, HammerFall guitarist/mastermind Oscar Dronjak has reassembled the troops (including absent mascot Hector, gracing the cover art once again) for an enjoyable 11 song ride. After a string of ho-hum albums, Infected was an experimental shot in the arm, as much for Dronjak and longtime writing partner/singer Joacim Cans. Devoid of the usual sword & sorcery themes, some were left scratching their heads (zombies, Spanish language, MMA, etc.), despite it being their best album in a decade. No such dandruff inducers this time around, right from the opening "Hector's Hymn" (which probably should have been the first video/single, not the second). It name-checks, directly, or in part, songs throughout the Swedes' career (exemplified onscreen, by utilizing past album art). It's an uptempo, clickety-clack double bass drum led number most fans expect.

Seemingly alternating between speedy vs. mid-tempo, only "Winter Is Coming" is a true ballad. Unlike so many in the cluttered power metal field, Cans' high pitched vocals are strong, never wavering or off-key, a necessary asset for this style of music. Nearly every song also makes use of a multi-voice (often echoing) chorus, comprised of the Hammers' former drummer, guitarist and a bunch of local (Gothenburg) music friends, including members of In Flames, Dream Evil, Ceremonial Oath (Oscar's pre-HM outfit) and Dreamland. Elsewhere, there are vocal contributions from Mats Levén (Therion/Candlemass) and producer/Sixx: AM frontman James Michael.

First single/video “Bushido”, loosely translates to “Way of the warrior,” a title previously utilized by HammerFall. The rapid fire delivery of the titular phrase in the otherwise staccato delivered “Live Life Loud” guarantees this will be a live favorite. “We Won't Back Down”, while Cans adopts a slightly different timbre, in duet with the aforementioned Michael, is another lively head shaker. The bouncy, recurrent synth intro to “Origins” (sounding like a leftover from the initial pair of albums) would have been better served on harpsichord, but still one of the strongest inclusions herein. “Tainted Metal” is straight out of Germany, by way of Sweden. Good stuff! The concluding “Wildfire” might be their fastest song ever, verging on Dragonforce dynamics. Time to welcome old friends back from a productive rest. Lots of work still to be done, like breaking North America. Yeah.