Certainly, The Great Heathen Army felt less like a genuine effort to write a complete album, and more an exercise in writing big arena-rockers for fans to pretend to row along with, while holding imaginary drinking horns aloft.

In other words, Amon Amarth got a little… hokey.

Listen, I’m all for having a good time, even more so for not taking oneself too seriously – and sure, you can argue that the whole Viking thing has always been a little bit on the side of cheesy, I guess. But what Amon Amarth has always excelled at (particularly since their breakthrough With Oden On Our Side), is finding that real sweet spot between genuinely great songwriting and album-building, and leaning in just enough to the Viking aura to make the whole thing all the more engaging and fun (particularly in a live setting).

Alas, recent efforts like The Great Heathen Army and Berserker (and many would argue Jomsviking – I personally disagree), though boasting a few bangers on each respectively, overall felt like a band going for style over substance.

Which is why it brings me IMMENSE joy to tell you, Amon Amarth has rediscovered that critical balance. I think The Allfather Awakens is the best Amon Amarth has sounded in a LONG time. I’m talking, like, 15 years here, when they dropped my personal-favorite AA album, Surtur Rising (I realize this in and of itself might be a controversial opinion, but that album fucking rips and you can’t convince me otherwise).

Now look, I’m not saying this is a complete return to With Oden On Our Side or Twilight of the Thunder God era AA. The band that has slowly but surely embraced more melodic, anthem-heavy elements of the last few releases – that’s just part of the reality of who this band is in 2026. And that’s great! Who doesn’t love a great friggin’ anthem?! And we sure as hell get a couple here – particularly the immensely catchy and bouncy “We Rule the Waves” with its sing-along chorus and simple, super-effective riffing. But it also carries a bit of a sense of self-assuredness that was lacking in recent efforts.

Ditto for the titular “The Allfather Awakens”, which, sure, the riffs are certainly lifted and slightly rearranged from past AA work, but god damn if they don’t sound tight as hell with drummer Jocke Wallgren, who, to these ears, sounds the most in sync with the band as he ever has. And hell yeah, we get a banger of a drinking track with “Kvasir’s Blood,” a nice and heavy down-tuned headbanger featuring some of Johan’s lowest, most menacing vocals to date (more on this shortly) and a rollicking chorus about drinking mead made from the blood of the gods which, how is that not going to bring a smile to your face? It’s fun as hell.

But it’s not all just arena-friendly anthems this time around. Album opener “Gjallarhorn” (the best opener the band has had in a minute) strikes a perfect balance – featuring some awesome sing-along “woah”-ing that will sound amazing in a crowd of thousands of metalheads, but also puts some of the band’s signature tremolo-picking riffs on full display with absolute glory. I honestly haven’t felt my blood pump and heart race like this from an AA track in a long time, and it’s a welcome return – and it only continues with the follow-up “Eight Legs of Thunder” coming hot on its tail –  a fitting ode to Odin’s eight-legged horse Sleipnir (not their first, but maybe their best), boasting appropriately galloping riffs, and genuinely one of Olavi Mikkonen’s most epic, inspired solos of his career. It’s such a fun track that, again, sees the band leaning into the Viking fun without crossing over into being too cheesy.

And then there’s the punishing “Die with a War Cry” that may genuinely be one of Amon Amarth‘s heaviest tracks to date (certainly of their modern era) – showcasing more of Johan’s apparent new mastery of deep, growling lows that sound straight out of Helheim itself. Say whatever you will about any of AA‘s more recent work, John Hegg continues to get better and better with every release and deserves his flowers.

I also really like the addition of the band’s first acoustic track in “Upphaf.” It’s a perfectly placed break in the middle of this record that brings an unusual sense of reflection and serenity to the otherwise furious affair. If anything, I see no reason this couldn’t be integrated more into even more traditionally heavy or epic Amon Amarth tracks (not that it needs to be a focal point; it’s just another nice wrinkle). I think it also let the band feel confident on closing out the album on two absolute friggin’ scorchers – first with the blazing “Oden’s Hunt,” which sends the band on a full-throttle attack of tremolo-picking and relentless double-kicked drumming. Again, Johan sounds absolutely monstrous on this track, particularly on the crushing bridge leading up to the final chorus.

Closer “Ascending Like An Eagle” features some riffing that could easily have found its way on some of the band’s earlier albums, before switching into some more modern soaring leads in the chorus, a nice nod to the old while embracing who they are as a band now, and a super strong end to what was such a well-balanced and crafted album.

I can’t tell you how nice it is to be this excited about one of my favorite bands’ new albums, and to see them, this late into their career, settle into a groove they’ve struggled to find, to deliver such an immense album. I want to stress that this album isn’t just good because of how much better it sounds than their recent output (not just from a songwriting perspective, but from a production standpoint, this album just sounds so much more full and robust as well), this album stands tall just fine all on its own. Amon Amarth got serious again without sacrificing the fun that has always made them such a compelling act, and we can all only hope that they can continue to strike this epic balance.

Odin, The Allfather has awoken, and so has Amon Amarth.

The Great Heathen Army was sending out mixed signals from the get-go with both rumors of a more ‘nasty’ and death metal sound, a post apocalyptic, not very Viking-themed video for the first  single “Get in the Ring”, and some of the worst t cover art the band has had (c’mon guys, you follow Berzerker up with THAT? Like self-titled albums, bands on their own album covers is just lazy in my humble opinion). So is The Great Heathen Army one of Amon Amarth‘s good or not-so-good albums?

The answer is ‘Yeeeeees’?

I’m being vague and facetious for a reason. At times, yes, the album does deliver something a little gritter and nastier especially Johan Hegg’s vocals, which seem an octave or so lower, and yes some of the riffs seem a little beefier and more ‘death metal’. For example, one could be forgiven for thinking the opening riff of the opening track “Get In The Ring” was a Bolt Thrower song, “Oden Owns Ye All” is as stern and primal of a track they have ever penned and “Dawn of the Norsemen” recalls the band’s early days of Once Sent From the Golden Hall.

But also, as they have shown in the past, they have plenty of accessible and commercially catchy songs, which some will like, and some will not. The melodic stomp of “Heidrun”, the blandly, radio-ready track “Find A Way or Make One” and the awkward duet with Saxon’s Biff Byford for “Saxons and Vikings” (get it?)” are the kind of tracks that gave fans fits previously for being too clean and commercial. That said, they do the job of making your foot tap or head bob, which will translate well to a live setting.

The album strangely ends with two slower, moodier songs in a row. Some subtle keyboards give both “Skalgul Rides with Me” and “The Serpent’s Tale” a little more atmosphere, but they are still pretty standard Amon Amarth slower songs, though they end the album with a bit of a whimper, considering some of the sterner stuff that’s on the album before.

The Great Heathen Army is an Amon Amarth album. That’s about all I can say. It’s not on the bad or good side of the scale, it’s just there. There are some decent songs but the pre-album rumors or a much more death metal sound are greatly exaggerated, and these guys are still what they have been for the last 6 albums or so.

Of course, don’t fret- it’s still an Amon Amarth album, highly polished, often rousing, melodic Viking death metal, but often a bit safe and predictable. And honestly, they haven’t delivered a truly bad album in their long discography, and Berserker is not a bad album at all, but it continues the more melodic trend heard on 2016s Jomsviking.  And like that last album, there are a few ragers, some filler, and some downright commercial numbers, but all of it instantly recognizable as Amon Amarth, good and bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H24S0nym-pE

Let’s start with the good, as with all of their albums that a couple of tracks that just get it right, delivering, blood pumping, fist pounding anthems of Viking furor: opener “Fafner’s Gold”, standout “Valkyria”, first single “Raven’s Flight” and “Ironside” see Amon Amarth at their melodic, heaving, hammering, viking  best, while the trio of “The Berserker at Stamford Bridge”, “When Once Again We Set Our Sails” and closer “Into the Dark” add a little somber atmosphere to the fray with good effect.

But there are also a few tracks of sugary, bouncy, predictable, almost arena/radio friendly rock, only made death metal by Hegg’s coarse growls: “Crack the Sky”, “Mjölner, Hammer of Thor”, “Shield Wall” and “Wings of Eagles” (which could be an Unearth number without the Viking vocals and lyrics), while certainly expected Amon Amarth numbers are just a bit too light in the pommel for my liking, despite some undeniable catchiness (especially “Skoll and Hati”).

There’s an old saying in (American) football: “Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane”, and with the cover artwork adorning Berserker and then the music contained within, it seems a appropriate here as Berserker is the band’s least impressive album in while. But no doubt it wont stop the Viking juggernaut from continuing to make consistent albums for the foreseeable future, I just hope they have a bit of an uptick for the next one.

A steady lineup, a steady label, no issues to distract from their goal, full length album number eight on Metal Blade in nearly fifteen years with the label. How does that translate? For those that thought the last several albums were a conscious attempt to soften their sound to attract a wider audience and therefore not harsh enough or worse still those that use the sellout word, Johan offers this, “A major change for us on this album was the sound and production. It was one of the main things we had discussed before going into the studio. We thought we needed to be a bit more aggressive and rougher than the previous two. We wanted a harder, tougher sound and I definitely think we got that.” Myself, I was never worried about it because the changes were gradual, not like, for example Rush’s change from progressive metal to arena rock, and because despite the softening of sound in the studio the harshness was maintained on stage. More brutality in the production room can’t be a bad thing however. Now that legions were swept into the fold with the past two efforts they can ramp up the intensity and keep most of the new fans because once again the shift is gradual. From the lyrics, “we’ll split their skulls and spill their guts upon the frozen ground.” No compromise there. Harshness is still there to a degree much higher than any mainstream death metal band, and I don’t mean in the lyrics alone.

Olavi masterfully delivers intensity through melodic lines in his compositions because he is never showing off. If it does not advance the mood of the song he does not do it. Intensity through melodic tension. His melodic lines set a mood instead of just picking off a series of high speed notes. Olavi and Johan complement each other well and in no way do they enter the power metal trap of dueling lead guitarists. Despite significantly more melody on this album they both hold the line of sacrificing individual glory for the power of the song. They pull off more melodies without seeming like the album as a whole is more melodic. It does not come across as listen to me strut. No fluff, no pointless solos, no spotlight pointed at them. “War of the Gods” has memorable riffs and eloquent melodic lines. In “Töck’s Taunt – Loke’s Treachery Part II” Johan’s guitar shines as bright as Olavi’s. I always like to see a member of the rhythm section craft a song. “Slaves of Fear” was written by the drummer, Fredrik, and the opening repeated riff will stick with you. It is not in “Pursuit of Vikings” territory but pretty damn memorable. One complaint, where’s Ted? I wish his bass was more prominent.

All the songs feature more complexity without losing sight of the mantra of extreme metal; more rage, more passion, more intensity. The melodic lines are more ominous, melding well with the crushing riffs. Not to beat a dead horse without putting its head on a pole, but I think the last two albums suffered in the production room, if suffered they did, not in the song writing department, and as stated by Johan, that has been addressed here, as is only fitting for an album dealing with a lord of chaos that intends to destroy all of the universe.

First an album for Odin, then an album for Thor, now an album for Frey. Frey is portrayed as he is, an immensely powerful battle god. It is Njordr’s son that faces the most powerful being in the worlds, not Thor or Odin. “The Last Stand of Frej” is a somber ballad Amon Amarth style and is a worthy successor to “Embrace the Endless Ocean.” Imagine going into battle knowing your survival is impossible and if you lose everything you hold precious will be destroyed. This song captures the hopelessness of Frey’s plight and the power behind his decision to sacrifice himself against Surtur in hope of savings the worlds. In the end Surtur lit the worlds aflame, Frey lost. The lyrics say;

“I am calm and ready to die
Everything around me burns
And I know that I will not survive
See him rise
From land of flames
Destruction is at hand,
It is time to make a stand
My death awaits, I have no fear
To this end my fate is bound
Though I’m doomed
I’ll stand my ground.”

Johan Hegg is the voice of Amon Amarth, and an enormous part of their sound. I would not like to imagine an album without him. “Wrath of the Norsemen” shows Johan’s harsher side in vocal delivery and despite what would be unintelligible for the uninitiated he pulls of grind intensity and no lyric sheet necessary simultaneously. Add to that “Töck’s Taunt” and the exceedingly low growl. I love the more vicious delivery of Johan’s youth, and like on all albums we get tastes of it throughout Surtur Rising as well. Also of note is “Live Without Regrets” and on the above mentioned “Wrath of the Norsemen” he screams, “NO ONE CAN SAVE ME! FROM THIS HORRIBLE DREAM! NO ONE CAN HEAR ME! OR MY HEARTRENDING SCREAMS!”

It is not unique to Tom Thiel’s artwork here, look for John Dollman’s example from a hundred years go, for example, but a personal gripe I’ve got is the portrayal of the Jotuns as huge humans. Jotun is generally translated as giant, but they are certainly not just oversized people. The emphasis is in otherness, on monstrous features. It is also true that gods and giants intermarry so at least some of them must be of comparable size. If there is some confusion over if one is a giant or god it is usually one’s actions that betray their race, not physical size. Surtur probably is of immense stature but of monstrous features as well as monstrous size. There are threats of marrying off someone to three headed giants. But back to the album.

Two songs deal with the teachings of Havamal, teachings of the high one. “War of the gods” deals with the war between the Aesir and Vanir, though there is debate over that interpretation. It seems to me more likely a war between the gods and giants that got confused in translation long ago and has been perpetuated that way. But anyhow, the theme to “Töck’s Taunt – Loke’s Treachery Part II” (I don’t have to tell where part one is) is that Loki betrays Frigg and dooms Baldr to Hel. And of course there are several songs about battle and glory. Two songs give opposing viewpoints on the monumental meeting of Surtur and Freyr, and the last song deals with honor and luck, build your own way through the one life you’ve got.

In “The Last Stand of Frej” Johan growls, “With all my strength I run the horn Deep into his eye…” He uses the same idea in “Destroyer of the Universe.” He is confusing two different battles. Frey killed Beli, another giant, with the antlers of a stag. Chalk it up to artistic license. Surtur still, in the end, lights the worlds on fire, destroying all that is.

“A Beast Am I” is told from the point of view of Fenris. Curiously at the end there is a pause followed by an acoustic assisted instrumental break that flows very well into the following track and makes me wonder if it is a mistake in track break location. It feels more appropriate as the beginning of “Doom Over Dead Men” than as the disjointed end of “A Beast am I.”

“Doom Over Dead Man” is doomdeath brilliance with their most complex composition to date. Complex, heartfelt, epic, somber. A nice orchestral presentation that does not, emphasis on not, come across as cheesy. To quote once more from the song;

“So I die but won’t be mourned
Broken and alone I wish that I were never born
So I die and won’t be missed
No rune stone will be raised
As my body rots away.”

Imagine going on a journey toward enlightenment, don’t get caught up in religious fervor and extremism, live your own way, do what is best for you and yours or the quotation above will apply to you.

Several other songs await your discovery. Get your mead cups ready, first round for Frey, second round for Johan, Olavi, Johan, Ted and Fredrik.

Elaborated drummer Fredrik Andersson: “We’re really excited about the upcoming album, Surtur Rising. And what better way to showcase it by playing the full album on our first U.S. tour for Surtur Rising?! It’s definitely a unique opportunity for our fans because not only will the album be performed live but a second set with material from our previous albums will take place. We want our fans to really experience AMON AMARTH.”

Surtur Rising, the band’s eagerly anticipated eighth studio effort, is scheduled for North American release on March 29, 2011 via Metal Blade Records. Named in tribute to Surtur, leader of the fire giants of Muspelheim (“flame land”) and the oldest being in the nine worlds of Norse mythology, the follow-up to 2008’s heroic Twilight Of The Thunder God, was recorded, mixed and mastered at Fascination Street Studios Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and bears a striking, war-torn cover by Tom Thiel.

AMON AMARTH
An Evening With Amon Amarth
4/14/2011 The Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
4/15/2011 Station 4 – Saint Paul, MN
4/16/2011 Granada Theater – Lawrence, KS
4/17/2011 The Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
4/19/2011 Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
4/20/2011 Showbox Sodo – Seattle, WA
4/22/2011 The Regency – San Francisco, CA
4/23/2011 Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA
4/24/2011 House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA
4/25/2011 Nile Theatre – Mesa, AZ
4/27/2011 White Rabbit – San Antonio, TX
4/29/2011 Culture Room – Fort Lauderdale, FL
4/30/2011 Beacham Theatre – Orlando, FL
5/01/2011 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
5/02/2011 Jaxx – Springfield, VA
5/03/2011 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
5/05/2011 Best Buy Theater – New York, NY
5/06/2011 Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
5/07/2011 Theatre Of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA

Tickets are on sale now through all local ticket outlets.

Be sure to visit the band’s recently-launched Surtur Rising landing page which includes album pre-orders for North America and Europe as well as up-to-the-minute news updates, tour announcements, videos and singles leading up to the record’s release. To access the site, point your browser HERE.

In related news, AMON AMARTH recently performed on the much talked-about 70,000 Tons Of Metal Cruise which took place from January 24th – 28th. The voyage began in Miami, Florida, made its way to Cozumel, Mexico and played host to 40 bands! Check out Metal Injection’s photos of the band ravaging the boat HERE.

http://www.surturrising.com
http://www.amonamarth.com
http://www.facebook.com/AmonAmarthBand
http://twitter.com/amonamarthband
http://www.myspace.com/amonamarth

AMON AMARTH: “Surtur Rising” Album Art + Track Listing Revealed
Band To Appear On 70,000 Tons Of Metal Cruise Later This Month

Sweden’s AMON AMARTH are currently gearing up to unleash, Surtur Rising, the eighth studio offering in their critically revered pantheon of Viking-inspired death metal. Named in tribute to Surtur, leader of the fire giants of Muspelheim (“flame land”) and the oldest being in the nine worlds of Norse mythology, the record, which was listed among Decibel Magazine’s most anticipated albums of 2011, features 10 tracks of sword-wielding, fist-pumping, hyper climactic battle anthems. The follow up to 2008’s monolithic Twilight Of The Thunder God full-length, was recorded again at Fascination Street Studios Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and features strikingly brutal cover art by Tom Thiel. Check it out HERE.

Surtur Rising Track Listing:
01. War of the Gods
02. Töck’s Taunt – Loke’s Treachery Part II
03. Destroyer of the Universe
04. Slaves of Fear
05. Live Without Regrets
06. The Last Stand of Frej
07. For Victory or Death
08. Wrath of the Norsemen
09. A Beast Am I
10. Doom Over Dead Man

As an unofficial kick off to its release, AMON AMARTH will make a live appearance on the long anticipated 70,000 Tons Of Metal cruise, scheduled to take place from January 24th – 28th. The voyage will begin in Miami, Florida, make its way to Cozumel, Mexico and play host to 40 bands including Voivod, Sodom, Iced Earth, Fear Factory and Obituary. For more info, visit: http://www.70000tons.com/.

AMON AMARTH is:
Johan Hegg: Vocals
Olavi Mikkonen: Guitar
Johan Söderberg: Guitar
Ted Lundström: Bass
Fredrik Andersson: Drums

Follow AMON AMARTH at the following locations:
http://www.myspace.com/amonamarth
http://www.amonamarth.com/
http://www.facebook.com/AmonAmarthBand
http://twitter.com/amonamarthband

1998s Once Sent from the Golden Hall has all the signs that it’s an Amon Amarth album, but none of the polish that their newer entries have. It’s cut from a rougher cloth than any of the other albums. Some might be a little dissuaded by that; after all, clean-cut and more melodic lead-driven Amon Amarth is what got them in the spotlight in the first place. Still, some great songs are gloriously seated on this CD, including two of their more grandiose, the mighty “Amon Amarth” and the only song they regularly play live from this album, “Victorious March.” These are the more easily digestible tracks Once Sent has to offer, the one smothering the listener in foreboding gloom, the other priding itself on its fist-pump ready riffage.

The drumming is considerably different here than on any other Amon Amarth records, due in part to drummer Martin Lopez’s more technical drum style. A few more might be dissuaded by that fact as well, though the result is not as disjointed and inappropriate as it may seem. Fredrik Andersson is more straight-ahead than Martin, to which new Amon Amarth fans will indubitably be more accustomed. I would not go so far as to say this is a bad album, though some may have trouble following the metal breadcrumb trail if they started as late as Twilight of the Thunder God.

It is harder for me to talk about Once Sent than any others in the Amon Amarth discography, perhaps because it’s my least favorite, but maybe also because I can rarely see this as more than a springboard for one of their best albums, 1999s The Avenger. Chugging, marauding riffs, no frills drumming, and a more hoarse presentation of Johan Hegg than any other, The Avenger plays like a fist-fight fueled by honey and blood, smashing eardrums to paste. This is perhaps the best amalgam of the unrelenting heaviness of Once Sent and the melodic hooks of Versus the World, and the result is the most agreeable Amon Amarth album around.

The thing about The Avenger that some might not like is the seven-track length, and yeah, while this is the shortest of the albums, clocking in at just over 36 minutes, it is chock full of furious, memorable songs, perhaps most memorable of which are “The Last with Pagan Blood,” “Legend of a Banished Man,” and “Bleed for Ancient Gods,” the first and last of which regularly see rotation in their live sets. This is the lineup we’re all familiar with, as Johan Söderberg and Fredrik Andersson both joined prior to this album, giving the album the right amount of fullness and crunch necessary to maximize headbanging goodness.

It sounds like I’m picking and choosing one album over the other (and I am), but make no mistake: both albums are absolute necessities for those looking to sink their teeth into the more visceral and violent side of Amon Amarth.

The main thing I look for in Amon Amarth is consistency. They know what works in the studio and they stick with it, so sound quality is always spot on. They also know what image they want the songs to fit within, and they always do. Pick any release and any song would fit on any other release. Overall this is a diverse album, as long as you describe diverse as fitting within the confines of the predetermined Amon Amarth sound. Not only is there fast powerful riffing and high tempo drumming, but also somber melodies and heartfelt sorrow expressed with grace. “Embrace of the Endless Ocean” is an album closer that makes you pause in what you are doing and take notice. It also makes you hesitate in starting up another disc as you devote some time to reflection.

“Tattered Banners and Bloody Flags” grabs your attention with the drum rolls to start and keeps it with the guitar leads. “Where is your God?” has repeating riffs that will haunt your dreams they are so memorable. No need to mention the growls of Johan, as dynamic and powerful as ever and once again they dominate in the mix. And, as always he has a story to tell and he relates it beautifully. A few years back Johan told me his favorite passage from the Eddas is Ragnarok, and now he has successfully scripted the story for this album, a continuation of “The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter”, “Burning Creation” and “…and Soon the World Will Cease to Be,” the title track is Thor’s battle with Jormungandr, as magnificently rendered on the album cover. The song is a frenzy befitting this monumental battle that decides the fate of the world, easily one of the most powerful songs that band has ever written. Olavi Mikkonen is in top form.

About two years ago I started loading all my CDs and records into my computer in anticipation of getting an ipod. According to itunes I have 2148 bands represented and only one band has received more airplay in the last two years than Amon Amarth; Enslaved. There is something to be said about the company you keep… In addition to the cd release there will be a 2CD & DVD digipack, a double etched LP (1500 copies), a picture disc LP (500 copies) and a ‘Bubblehead’ edition (2000 copies). Does Twilight of the Thunder God measure up to the damn near perfect With Oden On Our Side? Damn straight it does.

Twilight of the Thunder God was recorded at Fascination Street Studio in Örebro, Sweden. The album will feature 10 ravaging tracks of AMON AMARTH’s menacing battle metal replete with swarming riffs and searing percussion that provides a monolithic backdrop for vocalist Johan Hegg’s wracked howls and lyrics rife with Nordic mythology. Known for seamlessly combining the key attributes of death, black and power metal to create “fantasy-fueled sonic mayhem”, AMON AMARTH (Elven-speak for “mountain of doom” in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings) has eclipsed its previous efforts with Twilight of the Thunder God, creating an album that places the band amongst metal’s elite.

AMON AMARTH just completed work on a commanding music video for the album’s title track. The clip was filmed on the old Viking site, Jomsborg, home of the Jomsvikings in Wolin, Poland, with the Polish team Group 13 and director Dariusz Szermanowicz. An advance look at the Twilight of the Thunder God video can be viewed via a promo trailer at this location. The song, which is also available for streaming on the band’s MySpace page, features a guest guitar solo by CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist Roope Latvala.

Twilight of the Thunder God features several additional high-profile guest appearances including Entombed singer L.G. Petrov (on ‘Guardians of Asgaard’) and Finnish cello metal band Apocalyptica (a guest appearance on ‘Live For The Kill’).

The final track listing for Twilight of the Thunder God is as follows:

1.) Twilight of the Thunder God
2.) Free Will Sacrifice
3.) Guardians of Asgaard
4.) Where is Your God?
5.) Varyags of Miklagaard
6.) Tattered Banners and Bloody Flags
7.) No Fear for the Setting Sun
8.) The Hero
9.) Live for the Kill
10.) Embrace of the Endless Ocean

In support of Twilight of the Thunder God, AMON AMARTH has announced a fall, 2008 North American headlining tour. The scheduled 3 week trek will kick off on October 1 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA. Support on the AMON AMARTH tour will be provided by Helsinki folk-metal act Ensiferum, Austrian blackened death metal band Belphegor and Tampa, Florida melodic death metal troupe The Absence.

Following the completion of the North American headlining tour, AMON AMARTH will embark on a month-long European tour as hand-picked support for thrash metal titans Slayer and the band’s “Unholy Alliance Chapter III” tour. Also appearing on the tour will be Mastodon and Trivium.

Metal Blade has launched a special multi-media website to advance Twilight of the Thunder God. The website features a video diary from the studio and regular installments of an AMON AMARTH “comic strip” featuring the band, which will later see print as one piece. The comic is being penned by well-known artist Lucio Parrillo (known for his cover art and character design for video games and role play games such as Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Magic, Hecatomb, etc.), is based upon Twilight of the Thunder God and includes “everything a fine bloodshed is supposed to have.” Check out the site now at this location.

AMON AMARTH features Johan Hegg (vocals), Johan Söderberg (guitar), Olavi Mikkonen (guitar), Ted Lundström (bass) and Fredrik Andersson (drums).

What specifically started your interest in Viking religion/ history?
For me personally I guess it was back when I was about ten years old, we read about it in school and I really enjoyed the sagas and legends, as I grew older I started reading more about it and became even more intrigued. It also helped having an older sister who was very much into the whole thing, and coming from an area of Sweden with a lot of history of Viking settlements.

What is your favorite story from the Eddas?
It has to be the story of Ragnar’k. It’s just very intense.

That’s my favorite too, back in the mid 1980’s I actually had the entire Voluspa committed to memory. Some of the most powerful lyrics in Viking themed metal come from you. Did you steal a sip of Suttung’s mead?
Hahaha… Yeah, I couldn’t help myself.

I’m glad you got the good stuff and not the batch where bad poets got their inspiration that Odin urinated out when pursued by Suttung. Which comes first, lyrics or music? Do you write music to fit lyrics or lyrics to fit music?
Mostly music, but sometimes it’s the other way around.

Do you prefer to be identified by your musical style or your lyrical inclinations? To me Viking metal was always defined as Enslaved and Unleashed, and characterized by convictions and philosophy, not necessarily by sound. Now it is folkish bands writing cheesy drinking songs that have the Viking metal title. Do you care how Amon Amarth is referred to, Viking metal or death metal?
We used to care, but not so much anymore. People will always try to find labels for bands, and since we are a metal band singing about Vikings I guess we’ll always be referred to as Viking Metal.

I try to use the labels bands describe themselves with instead of trying to place them in one of the neat little categories. Since you are ok with it I’ll refer to you guys as Viking metal. Most people do not seem to be able to appreciate instrumental music. They need lyrics to relate. Your songs would work without the lyrics thanks to great instrumentation. Have you ever thought about releasing a song without words?
On the never released Sunlight Studios recording of Once Sent From The Golden Hall there was an instrumental song, but that never made it on to the Abyss Studios recording. However we put it on the bonus disc of With Oden On Our Side.

I can’t believe I missed that. I’m going to have to pull out that bonus disc right now. I bought Sorrow Throughout The Nine Worlds off the rack in ‘96 based on the cover art and the song titles. Obviously I was not disappointed, I’m still with you today. I’m looking forward to seeing you on tour, in Worcester, Mass. Next time you come through the States I hope it is as the headliner.
Well, we are definitely working on coming over here as a headliner, but it is also the matter of getting a good offer and putting together a good package. I still think we have some work to do here in the US to do a real headliner tour, but I’m fairly certain we’ll be able to do it in 2007.

You are embarking on a North American tour with many shows in a short time, spread all across the continent, what do you do to prepare?
We did a headliner tour in Europe, hahaha. Seriously though, it’s nothing special really. You try to come up with a setlist, and then you practice it in the rehearsal room for a couple of weeks, and then you just go up and play. It sounds easy, but of course we have help from our crew.

What bands do you listen to while travelling? What bands got you started playing?
I actually bring my I-pod with pretty much 20 gigs of music, so it depends on the mood, but it’s mainly metal. I also try to listen a lot to the bands we’re travelling with, to get to know their stuff. The bands that got the band started is hard for me to answer, as it was Olavi who started the band originally. I know he lists bands such as Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Death, Emma Numminen, Sepultura and even D.R.I. as some of his original influences.

Are you writing new material while on tour?
We tried it in the past, but it is pretty hard to concentrate. Still, you get some cool ideas on the road, and I think a lot of the ideas we had for this album was actually created on our last American tour.

Can you tell us about your weirdest live experience?
It has to be Tel Aviv in Israel. We had 10 guards on stage, armed with Glocks. The audience literally were trying to kill each other during the first four songs, that’s how wild the moshpit was, so the show was almost stopped by the club owner. We had to get off stage to calm people down and luckily they did so we could continue, but when we announced the last song and started playing I honestly thought someone was going to die out there. Everyone was ok though, but it was fucking wild!

If you could tour with any band past or present, who would it be?
It would definitely be a dream to tour with Slayer, as they are one of my personal favourite bands, and I know most of the guys in the band feel the same way.

That’s a tour package someone should make happen. If you opened for Slayer that would be almost as good as headlining here. What is your favorite place to play live?
Anywhere we have a good audience, and people are dedicated to metal.

I can guarantee you two dedicated fans here in Maine, my daughter and me. If Metallica promised to play only songs pre 1988, would you tour with them?
Tough question. Metallica of the eighties are definitely one of my personal all time favourite bands, and a tour with them would mean big exposure for us, but I’m personally not to fond of Metallica post Black Album.. So in the words of Brick Tamlin ‘ noyes…

Metal Blade has a long successful history. You have been with them for about a decade, how does it feel to be associated with this label?
It feels really good actually, as I think Metal Blade has one of the best reputations in the business, and they’ve treated us good.

Does your music support your families or do you have other jobs?
We’re all living off the band for a year now. Sure, we’re not living as millionaires, but you get along financially, and it feels really good to be able to focus on the music full time. It also means we have more time for families and friends when we are home.

That’s great, it is nice to see a band achieve enough monetary success to support themselves without having to sacrifice their style. Thanks for the chat and I’ll see you on the road, any final comments?
Yeah, check out the new album and see you crazy Vikings on the road!

As I type this up it is less than 24 hours from when I’ll do just that, and I’ve got a four hour drive down in which to enjoy With Oden on Our Side

[Amon Amarth]

First of all, a change in studio from Berno to Jens Bogren and Fascination Street Studios has given the band some clarity amid their melodic yet sturdy sound, including Johan Hegg’s stout growls. The guitar tone is less ‘mushy’ and riffs (especially the faster ones) stand out more, but with this album’s focus on slower, more epic tracks, the production is less prominent, but it does serve to highlight the album’s more controlled gait. Fear not though brave Huscarles, Amon Amarth still rage with a Viking fury and understated melodic savagery, but more of the tracks on With Oden On Our Side are more marching, stern anthems of rousing, mid paced glory than blistering death metal.

A few of the tracks are more up-tempo (but still relatively restrained) shield smashers, as opener ‘Vahall Awaits Me’, single ‘Runes To My Memory’ and ‘Asator’ show that Amon Amarth can still hack away with a more brutal, yet precise death metal attack. However, the album’s (many) standouts are the slower, truly epic tracks; the superb canter of ‘Hermod’s Ride to Hell’, rousing crunch ‘Gods of War Arise’, surprisingly somber ‘Cry of the Blackbirds’ and ‘Under A Northern Star’, and personal favorite, the blood pumping war march of ‘Prelude to War’, arguably the band’s most rousing number since ‘Victory March’.

Amon Amarth are a model of consistency, the steady keel of a long ship driving through the churning waves of death metal’s ebbs and flows and With Oden On Our Side is a testament to that consistency that shows the old warriors are still a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, each Amon Amarth release is like a small lesson in Viking violence and the culture’s Christian plight, so kudos to growler/edda spinner Johan Hegg for continuing to wage the lyrical war with poetic style. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the songwriters in the band: Olavi Mikkonen, who still pens the majority of Amon Amarth material, needs some serious help from his fellow bandmates. Not only is Mikkonen’s writing particularly one dimensional, but it’s also surprisingly predictable for this once intrepid Swede. Actually, there is something here that smells ‘ and it’s not fermenting grain, either. Previous Amon Amarth albums, all produced at Abyss Studios, had a unique strain running through them; they never had sounded the compressed, lifeless productions typical of Abyss. The Crusher, however, is much less powerful than even Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds. The drums kick, but they certainly don’t possess the punch needed to make Amon Amarth’s epic metal fly; and the guitars rarely come out of the background, which is a true shame since it’s Mikkonen and S’derberg’s majestic riffing that makes Amon Amarth the great band that it is.

Underground fans will revel in the remake of ‘Risen from the Sea (2000)’ off the band’s rare Thor Arise demo; too bad the rushed production makes it less magical than the original. There are a few excellent songs here, and they’re sandwiched together for convenient listening. ‘As Long as the Raven Flies’ and ‘A Fury Divine’ do, in fact, match the power of ‘The Last with Pagan Blood’ and ‘Metalwrath.’ The tracks’ soulful and purposeful riffing are mainstays of what we’ve come to expect from the band, blending mid-tempo trademark Swedish riffing, ravaging percussive work and memorable melodic work. ‘The Fall through Ginnungagap’ also succeeds as a bona fide Amon Amarth battle cry. The song uses a myriad of tempo and atmospheric changes to fit Hegg’s near-perfect, multi-pitched roar; the guitar work here is of special note as it shows when Mikkonen has the fire, he blazes the fretboard with barbaric fury. A similar outburst of energy is heard on the solo of ‘Releasing Surtur’s Fire’ ‘ S’derberg’s dive bomb into Mikkonen’s flurry of Slayer-esque notes is a bright moment on an otherwise lackluster album.

There’s no way to tell if the U.S. version of The Crusher will have the ‘Eyes of Horror’ Possessed cover, but it’s a one day at the studio affair that even in its hollow sound retains the essence of the original. By no means is The Avenger a terrible album. The fact remains Amon Amarth could do better (and they have), and longtime fans (including myself) will hear the difference.

Just the thought of a great death metal album is exciting enough to dust off debuts by Entombed, Dismember, Morbid Angel, Unleashed and Death for another nostalgic listen. Well, before you get start rifling through the coveted collection in search of the perfect escape, Sweden’s Amon Amarth makes endless searching easy by releasing Avenger.

 In the grand tradition of death metal classics, the true magnitude of Avenger doesn’t hit on the first listen. Or the second! By the time the album closes a second time, it’s evident that something of importance exists within its half-hour timeframe. That evidence exists after the panting on “The Last with Pagan Blood.” When the entire second section of the song ignites into one of the most explosive melodic exchanges heard in brutal death metal, it’s clear that Amon Amarth is sounding death metal’s much-needed battle cry. The line “Pride and Glory In Our Hearts,” however, speaks not only to Scandinavians, but to metalheads worldwide. It’s time to embrace metal as our faith and move forward with our convictions. With lyrics like “Wrath, hate, pain and death! The code we live by, It’s in our souls, Metal is the way,” the song “Metalwrath” can be read in the same light. It’s Amon Amarth’s “Hit the Lights.”

However, don’t get the idea that Avenger’s greatness is limited to one song. Tracks like “North Sea Storm,” the menacing “God, His Son and Holy Whore” and the mighty finale “Legend of a Banished Man” display Amon Amarth’s ability to balance melody and power without sacrificing a lick of the band’s patented aggression. Of course, all of this wouldn’t be possible without the searing guitar dynamics of Olli Mikkonen and newcomer Johan S’derberg. Again, this isn’t anything A terribly novel idea, but the thin line connects Avenger to heavy metal stalwarts Iron Maiden and Judas Priest musically and idealistically is testament to metal’s longevity and tenacity.

Sure, we’ve heard In Flames, Witchery and countless others do it successfully, but each riff and solo (listen to the solo interchange on the title track to hear what I mean) on ‘Avenger’ strikes with such overbearing honesty that it’s bound to be mentioned in the same breath as the honorable aforementioned. Yes, true death metal returns!