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Don't hit me, I'm not crazy. I know that Dynazty was a sleazy hard rock/glam band riding the stupid "new wave of shitty bronze powder metal" bandwagon, or whatever the genre is called. But have you noticed how I wrote "was"? That's right. Someone slipped Power Metal dust in these swedes' drinks, because holy shit, this is stellar. Forget the dumb generic band name and the three albums released before this one; Dynazty managed to grow some balls and make a Metal album, and a good one at that.

Renatus has dirty and aggressive riffs, technical and jaw-dropping drumming and brutal power. This new and (highly) improved approach by the band quickly shows itself on the first chords of "Cross the Line", a bombastic tune with a very, very catchy chorus – which is a constant throughout the album. "Starlight" and "Dawn of Your Creation" will stick in your head for a long time, proving that the repaginated sound is a trend, not an exception. "The Northern End" mixes the pace a little bit, but doesn't lose strength thanks to the unstoppable pounding by George Egg on drums. "Incarnation" has a classic melodic start then bursts into a mid-paced tune with galloping riffs that reminded me of the best moments from Nocturnal Rites. With another great chorus, this is another highlight of the album. "Run Amok", "Unholy Deterrent", "Sunrise in Hell" and "A Divine Comedy" keep the high energy with great vocal performances by Nils Molin and powerful displays by Rob Love Magnusson and Mike Lavér on guitars. As if all that wasn't enough, "Salvation" comes in; the song is lengthier than usual with a small atmospheric introduction and features one of the best choruses of the 2010 decade so far, in my opinion. It's emotional, catchy, thunderous and marvelously crafted to make for a near-flawless piece of art.

Renatus means "born again" or "reborn" in Latin. This is the perfect title for a group that was moribund and stagnated in the lowly ranks of the sleazy rock genre and suddenly rose like a phoenix burning everything in its way. This was one of my favorite albums from 2014, and I could not recommend it enough for Power Metal fans. Lower your guard like I did and be surprised by the rebirth of these Swedish boys turned into men.