Dream Evil were originally formed in 1999 by guitarist/producer Fredrik Nordström and guitarist Gus G. as an outlet for their interest in classic power metal of the Dio/Judas Priest/Accept school.

And though Gus G. left in 2004 to concentrate on Firewind (and now his gig as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist), Nordström has kept the torch aloft, releasing United in 2006 and now this album.

In the Night is as goofy and over the top as anything the group's done in the past, up to and including 2004's classic The Book of Heavy Metal.

The lyrics to songs like "Bang Your Head," "Kill, Burn, Be Evil," the title track, and the hilarious "The Ballad" are as nonsensical and awesome as anything ever written by Judas Priest or Manowar.

Perhaps more importantly, the music is gloriously anthemic, every song driven by a fist-pumping riff with a chorus that virtually demands singing along and a shredtastic guitar solo.

Unlike, say, DragonForce, though, the solos in Dream Evil songs always arise naturally out of, and serve, the song as a whole.

And the production is superb, displaying the modern high-tech crunch of In Flames or other melodic Swedish outfits while holding to classic songwriting traditions.

Dream Evil understand the difference between timeless and retro, and stay on the right side of that line throughout this excellent album.