If a fan was asked to describe Amon Amarth's style of music using as few words as possible, the words "Viking metal" would probably be uttered. Despite taking their name from J.R.R. Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" (Amon Amarth is an elvish name for Mount Doom), pretty much every song in Amon Amarth's catalog concerns Norse mythology or the Viking way of life. Surtur, the title figure in the Swedish metal band's new album 'Surtur Rising,' is an important figure in Norse mythology: he is a powerful giant who brings forth the flames which engulf the Earth during Ragnarok, destroying everything. This album is the perfect soundtrack to the end of the world - apocalyptically heavy from beginning to end, with growled lyrics about war, death, and destruction.
The band's previous album, 'Twilight of the Thunder God,' debuted at #50 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart, so a lot of fans might be wondering if Amon Amarth might be going mainstream now. The answer, I'm ecstatic to say, is a loud, booming NO. If anything, 'Surtur Rising' is even heavier than 'Twilight.' In fact, they haven't changed their sound too much over the course of eight studio albums, but hey, they really don't need to. Although the new album doesn't stray from the Amon Amarth formula, I guarantee it'll be a contender for top metal album on many a list at year's end.
"War of the Gods" starts the album off in typical Amon Amarth fashion: vocalist Johan Hegg's deep frost giant vocals growling over top of insanely heavy yet melodic death metal.
It doesn't mellow out after that. "Destroyer of the Universe" is a blast of speed that's as aggressive as the title of the song. "Slaves of Fear" and "Wrath of the Norsemen" are heavier than a Viking warship loaded with slaves and treasure. "Live Without Regrets" starts off with furious blasts of speed that cut through your ear canals like hordes of Viking berzerkers, while "The Last Stand of Frej" is slow and plodding and heavier than the walls of Asgaard.
Listening to this album is the aural equivalent of Thor smashing your helm-clad head in with his mighty hammer Mjollnir. Amon Amarth really is one of the heaviest bands in metal history. Producer Jens Bogren must be given credit for imbuing the album with such a powerful, epic sound. Everything is so crushingly heavy, yet every instrument is clear as a bell, and nothing is buried deep in the mix. I love the sound of this band!!
Like I said, this new album is heavier than their last. Choruses are less catchy here than on 'Twilight.' Songs like the title track, "Free Will Sacrifice" and "Guardians of Asgaard," all from the previous album, had huge, catchy sing-along battle cry choruses, yet were still heavier than a two-handed broadsword. I miss that on the new album; the only song that comes close is the larger-than-life final track, "Doom Over Dead Man." At the end of the day, however, as we gaze upon the blood-soaked, corpse-strewn battleground, that is a minor complaint. This isn't my favorite Amon Amarth album but it will definitely be ranked among my top five favorites of 2011.
A bonus DVD, 'Bloodshed Over Bochum, Germany,' comes with the album. Even if you don’t like the new album, this is quite a deal. The DVD includes over four hours of live concert footage filmed during the “Bloodshed Over Bochum” concert series in December, 2008. The band performed their first four albums in their entirety at these shows.
So far, Amon Amarth's current tour does not bring them to Columbus, but they will be in at Peabody’s in Cleveland on May 3rd.
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