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Well, isn't this a whole lot of fun. Sweden's Ambush present here an album chock-full of catchy, upbeat, fun and easy-on-the-ears heavy metal that is largely characterized by an overall vibe that is very much like the fun heavy metal albums of the '80s when you got those bands that were out to have fun and sounded like it. Package that with a polished, modern production job that highlights the tiniest detail and throw in a mix of early and circa-2000 power metal bits and you get an album that is really deserving to be on many Top 10 lists this year. It's got it all—soaring vocals with incredibly catchy melodies that downright force you to sing along, speedy guitars and drums with the mandatory squealy solos (air guitars at the ready, people) and an autorepeat at the end of the album (OK, OK, that was me...) While Infidel is a traditional/power metal gem, it's also quite accessible and might just draw in a few rockers who usually steer clear of metal—all without watering down the metal. Basically, an ideal ambassador to down-to-earth, fun heavy metal.