While not as overt as Japan’s Metal Lucifer nor Germany’s Sacred Steel, these Swedes have always dropped ‘metal’ into the lyrics as oft as possible. Actually, this time around (a dozen choices), there’s not a single ‘metal’ title, although the brotherhood mentality survives intact: ‘Bang Your Head’ and the titular track announces "bounded by leather, surrounded by chains, metal forever, we raise through the flames we will unite, Hail metal!"

Beyond the obvious tongue-in-cheek handle, ‘The Ballad’, heavy on piano, makes up for the lacking ‘metal’ quotient elsewhere. While several of the songs open with searing guitar runs, or threaten thunderous drum rolls, unlike past efforts, “In The Night” predominately opts for mid-tempo numbers. ‘Kill, Burn, Be Evil’ fails to live up to the title. Personally, the only sustained high energy attack comes in the form of ‘Frostbite’, although ‘On The Wind’ comes close. Paradoxically, both arrive in the middle of the disc. The opening ‘Immortal’ ends with Niklas Isfeldt singing a cappella for about half a minute. The orchestrated, keyboard intro of ‘The Unchosen One’ finale owes a nod to Nightwish and kin. Fun, if slightly goofy, times.