Saint Deamon have been churning out their everyman metal, for better or worse,  for the best part of twenty years. And on new album League of the Serpent they bring all that experience to bear, in the process delivering probably their most well-rounded, sonically pleasing album yet.

It’s not as wilfully proggy as Pandeamonium, from 2009 – probably my favourite of all their albums – but, and it’s a big but in terms of accessibility and, well, career longevity – pound for pound this new effort sets a new high water mark for the band.

Tracks like Load Your Cannons literally have it all – big, impossible to ignore chorus, meaty riffs and jaw-dropping solo mayhem all present and correct, Sir! – packing as much into three and a half minutes as many bands do in half an album, whilst the more considered, epic material – A Lie To Be Undone, say – bring more highbrow fans into the fold by sheer weight of technical pizzazz.

Together Magnus Noberg (bass), guitarist Toya, vocalist Jan Thore Grefstad and Alfred Fridhagen (drums) betray not a single musical frailty; Grefstad, the perfect Euro-metal throat, is an exemplary mix of rebel rousing frontman and virtuosic performer whilst Toya knows just what makes the perfect flashy yet melodic solo. And on tracks like closer They Call Us Deamons Noberg and Fridhagen just make fast-paced, locked in rhythmatics seem ridiculously easy.

After that, there isn’t a great deal more to add. Those of you well versed in the Euro metal scene will already have made your minds up about Saint Deamon, and nothing I say, or, more importantly, nothing you hear, is going to change that; but if they are a name that’s new to your ears, this slightly-more-accessible version of the band (as opposed to the one found on their last two outings) is a great place to start and is sure to appeal to those who enjoy their metal well sung, well-written and well-played.

League of the Serpent releases on April 21st.