Spring Break
Amon Amarth create metal masterpiece
Stephen Ortiz
Issue date: 9/25/08 Section: Focus
Pour out some mead, sharpen your battle axes and be sure to grow your finest Swedish beard, because Viking death metal band Amon Amarth is back with their seventh studio album, and they aren't taking names.
For those of you who don't know, Amon Amarth, which is Sindarin (a J.R.R. Tolkien elvish language) for "Mount Doom," is a Swedish band that has been on the scene since 1992, and this year welcomes their latest work, a masterpiece titled "Twilight of the Thunder God."
"Thunder God" is brutal in the best way possible. Everything about it shines in true metal glory. Lead singer Johann Hegg roars each line with a deep defiance that trembles into the deepest corners of Valhall, telling the stories of his country's Viking history with such triumph that you think he'd seen it all with his own eyes. Think of Hegg as a bard and each track a different tale of Asgaard, with great battles or adventures into the unknown.
The rest of the band is made up of members (who all have really cool names except the bassist, Ted Lundstrom - that's not very metal) drummer Fredrik Andersson and guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Soderberg, who all do their part to ensure a head banging good time. The riffs are lightning fast, the drums crash on every note and the bass rumbles deep in the background - kind of hidden but essential.
The album opens in such a thunderous way that would only be fitting of a track titled "Twilight of the Thunder God," with lyrics that are too cool to be cheesy. Hegg bellows, "Thor, Oden's son / Protector of mankind / Ride to meet your fate / Your destiny awaits."
Other standout moments include "Guardians of Asgaard," "Tattered Banners and Bloody Flags" and the more-epic-than-normal "Embrace of the Endless Ocean."
The only complaint that can be had with "Thunder God" is that there are only so many boundaries death metal can push - and Amon Amarth pushes them all to 11. Some of the tracks begin to sound like others and mesh together. Besides that though, there is nothing wrong with this album.
Most will probably look at Amon Amarth as a gimmick, something to poke fun at because of their Viking influence, but when you think about it, if you've been around for over 15 years, chances are you're doing something right. And it's true - Amon Amarth embodies all that is metal.
For those of you who don't know, Amon Amarth, which is Sindarin (a J.R.R. Tolkien elvish language) for "Mount Doom," is a Swedish band that has been on the scene since 1992, and this year welcomes their latest work, a masterpiece titled "Twilight of the Thunder God."
"Thunder God" is brutal in the best way possible. Everything about it shines in true metal glory. Lead singer Johann Hegg roars each line with a deep defiance that trembles into the deepest corners of Valhall, telling the stories of his country's Viking history with such triumph that you think he'd seen it all with his own eyes. Think of Hegg as a bard and each track a different tale of Asgaard, with great battles or adventures into the unknown.
The rest of the band is made up of members (who all have really cool names except the bassist, Ted Lundstrom - that's not very metal) drummer Fredrik Andersson and guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Soderberg, who all do their part to ensure a head banging good time. The riffs are lightning fast, the drums crash on every note and the bass rumbles deep in the background - kind of hidden but essential.
The album opens in such a thunderous way that would only be fitting of a track titled "Twilight of the Thunder God," with lyrics that are too cool to be cheesy. Hegg bellows, "Thor, Oden's son / Protector of mankind / Ride to meet your fate / Your destiny awaits."
Other standout moments include "Guardians of Asgaard," "Tattered Banners and Bloody Flags" and the more-epic-than-normal "Embrace of the Endless Ocean."
The only complaint that can be had with "Thunder God" is that there are only so many boundaries death metal can push - and Amon Amarth pushes them all to 11. Some of the tracks begin to sound like others and mesh together. Besides that though, there is nothing wrong with this album.
Most will probably look at Amon Amarth as a gimmick, something to poke fun at because of their Viking influence, but when you think about it, if you've been around for over 15 years, chances are you're doing something right. And it's true - Amon Amarth embodies all that is metal.
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