CD Odyssey Disc 1941: Amon Amarth

I’ve fallen hard for this next band in a short period of time. So hard I was still sorting out how I felt about the eight albums in my collection when I bought this one – their ninth.

As habits go, there are worse ones.

Disc 1941 is… …Versus the World

Artist: Amon Amarth

Year of Release: 2002

What’s up with the Cover? A warrior in full-on “D&D action figure” pose faces down his opponent: the world!

Yes, this intrepid adventurer has decided to fight…planet earth. This cover reminds me of that Monty Python skit of the guy who plans to jump the English Channel, dig to China and eat Westminster Abbey: you don’t like his odds, but you have to admire his moxie.

As for this particular warrior’s quest, I would just caution him that objects in space are larger than they appear.

How I Came To Know It: I learned about Amon Amarth way late – 2019 – through a friend. Since then I’ve learned they don’t make bad records, so when I saw this gap in my collection at the local record store, I snapped it up.

How It Stacks Up: I have nine Amon Amarth albums. I have more every time I write a review of them it feels like (when I reviewed “Twilight of the Thunder God” back in 2022 (Disc 1538) I only had five). Anyway, it is hard to stack against a moving target, but on balance “Versus the World” is…eighth, but that’s no shame with a band this good.

Ratings: 3 stars

Amon Amarth – the band that consistently reminds me that death metal is legitimately awesome when played at a high level and infused with a little melody. Plenty of death metal is too harsh for my tastes, but Amon Amarth is engaging and catchy, while being just as intense and dangerous as anything else in the genre.

“Versus the World” is the earliest record by Amon Amarth I’ve experienced so far, and served to educate me on the evolution of their sound. Later records have crisper production values and a bit more separation of sound. “Versus the World” is muddier and raw around the edges while retaining all the qualities that make for a great Amon Amarth record. It almost has a hardcore vibe, until that precision drumming of Fredrik Andersson kicks you in the side of the temple, practically yelling “metal” at your delicate Eustachian tubes. Daring you to be a wimp and put in ear plugs.

Just kidding. There is nothing wimpy about putting in ear plugs at a metal show, if you want to be able to hear music later in life. Safety first, kids.

But I digress…

Back to the record. With “Versus the World”’s thick crunch I was tempted to call it “wall of sound” but it isn’t – Amon Amarth are so tight in their playing, and so grounded in the tasty pocket of rhythm guitar player Johan Soderberg that it is more like a symphony than a smash.

As with most (all?) Amon Amarth records, the lads like to sing about Vikings and the shit Vikings get up to. Rowin’, raidin’, lootin’, killin’ and eventually crossin’ over into Valhalla for more of the same (Viking heaven was pretty much all the same stuff from Viking life, minus the ability to die).

They’ve also got a song (“Thousand Years of Oppression”) about Christianity which is not…er…complimentary. In the lyrics the band rejects the “kind God” for Odin, and pine for the return of the “wrath of the Norseman”. While those ships have – quite literally – sailed, the song is one of the record’s best, featuring some precision drumming from Andersson and a powerful inexorable build to climax.

When I first heard “For the Stabwounds in Our Backs” I was convinced it was about the Viking response to the St. Brice’s Day Massacre of 1002 (history buffs: look it up) but according to the liner notes it’s just a bunch of Viking warriors returning from the dead and doing what Vikings like to do most. Still, there’s no clarity on who the backstabbers are and for this reason I like my (incorrect) narrative better.

As ever, the powerful and highly emotive death growl of lead singer Johan Hegg underpins every song on the record. Hegg is, quite simply, the best death growl I have ever heard. He is able to enunciate his words, infuse just the right amount of melodic phrasing, all while losing none of the visceral aggression the genre demands.

“Versus the World” lacks the thump of the classics that would follow it, (“Fate of Norns” in 2004 and “With Oden on Our Side” in 2006) and the songs don’t have the same dynamic differences of later classics like “Jomsviking” (2016) (Disc 1542) but it makes up for this with a purity of vision.

It is also a great tether-point to start to better understand the band’s sound, vision, and evolution through the years. Has Amon Amarth changed in subtle ways through their 25+ year journey? Of course, and hearing early records is just a reminder that change or no-change, they’ve always been a force.

Best tracks: For the Stabwounds in Our Backs, Where the Silent Gods Stand Guard, Thousand Years of Oppression, Bloodshed

CD Odyssey Disc 1590: Amon Amarth

This is my second straight review of an album released in 2013. They are very different…

Disc 1590 is…. Deceiver of the Gods

Artist: Amon Amarth

Year of Release: 2013

What’s up with the Cover?  I believe this is Thor in his goat-drawn chariot (last seen in our “What’s up with the cover?” for Tyr’s album, “Lay of Thrym” back at Disc 1570). Here he is giving what-for to a horned figure we must presume to be Loki, aka “deceiver of the gods”. If you’re betting on the outcome, the smart money is on Thor.

How I Came To Know It: I have been digging with wild abandon through Amon Amarth’s discography, as they are one of my favourite discoveries of late. I initially decided “Deceiver of the Gods” didn’t warrant purchase, but I gave it a second listen as my appreciation and understanding of the band deepened. This time around, it easily made the grade.

How It Stacks Up: I now have eight Amon Amarth albums, and they are all “bitchin’” as we say in the world of metal. At least we used to say that. I have bought all eight of these albums over the past year, so it is hard to know exactly where they fall, but since I passed “Deceiver of the Gods” over the first time I’m going to mark it a bit more harshly and say it is…seventh. Don’t worry; it is still good.

Ratings: 3 stars

In previous reviews I have expounded on how much love Viking metal likes to throw Thor’s way. The old Thunder God gets more than his fair share of songs, but I get it. He’s pretty cool. On “Deceiver of the Gods” Amon Amarth parts ways (temporarily) with all the Thor talk and focuses on the gods’ oft-times nemesis, and occasional ally, Loki.

The record does branch out eventually, but the first four are all about the Loki love, starting with the record’s title track. Stylistically, this song has a bit more melodic elements than you’d expect, but by 2013 Amon Amarth were lightening up ever so slightly. Fear not: you’re still going to get Johan Hegg’s guttural vocals and the furious double-base mastery of Fredrik Andersson, but the guitar riffs are a bit higher in the mix.

I’m not saying you’ll be able to dance to this stuff, but it does lift itself out of the black metal sludge ever so slightly. Think, waist-deep in sludge, which in this case feels just right. No sludge at all and you might as well listen to the radio.

The second Loki-tune, “As Loke Falls” is a lot thicker and heavier, but Amon Amarth still find room for guitar noodles that would make Iron Maiden proud. These tunes have that same Maiden gallop you know and love, it’s just that they’re riding heavy warhorses covered in steel barding. It thumps a bit more, but still gets you there.

The Loki lovefest rounds out with “Father of the Wolf” (the giant Fenris Wolf is a child of Loki, who had quite a few problematic children, the other two being the death goddess Hel and the Midgaard Serpent) and then “Shape Shifter” (Loki often changed form while engaging in one of his various grifts for or against the gods).

From here, Amon Amarth get into more run of the mill Viking topics, including the ritual torture that is a “Blood Eagle” (this involves pulling the lungs out of a still living human, and the lyrics are, unsurprisingly, not for the faint of heart). Also there are various battles, wars and sieges and other examples of Viking derring-do. If you like this sort of stuff (and I do) then this record will really float your longship. If you don’t, then you might want to avoid Amon Amarth’s entire discography. Your loss, though, because these guys are awesome.

Overall, I tend to lean towards the songs on the melodic side, but I like that Amon Amarth remain heavy as hell regardless of how awesome a guitar riff they deploy. This stuff will always thump, growls like the Fenris Wolf himself, and will generally get your blood pumping. The double-bass in “Blood Eagle” is particularly glorious, and a brilliant accompaniment to the gallop of the song.

Lyrically, the band can get stilted and literal in places, but it is a minor quibble and at least they sing even the hokiest lines with a gusto that sells you on them.

Near the end of the record, Amon Amarth return to the Loki theme, with a song about Hel herself. This tune has a guitar riff so chunky it should be illegal to play it above the knees. Get down near the floor, let your hair hang over the strings and let the metal flow like lava onto the ears of year listeners.

“Hel” also features guest vocals from Candlemass frontman Messiah Marcolin. This adds a bit more of an anthem singing style and I briefly mused about whether all of Amon Amarth would be better with that style instead of the black metal growl of Hegg. After careful consideration I decided that while I love what Marcolin brings to “Hel” overall, Amon Amarth are perfect just as they are.

I’m glad I returned to this record, and while I rank it kind of low compared to their other albums, that’s just a sign of how much I like everything these guys do, this record included.

Best tracks: Deceiver of the Gods, Father of the Wolf, Blood Eagle, Hel

CD Odyssey Disc 1568: Amon Amarth

Happy Canada Day! Here’s a review to get your holiday off on the right foot.

Disc 1568 is…. Berserker

Artist: Amon Amarth

Year of Release: 2019

What’s up with the Cover? Our titular character, wading fearlessly into battle against a host of spearmen. Of course, a lot of these guys would have died behaving this way, but Amon Amarth has decided to capture that moment in time when the berserker is really feeling it.

Right at this moment, everything is looking rosy. Sure he’s been cut a couple of times, but there’s more blood on his axe blade than his chest, so it’s all good. Later, that rosy outlook will probably be replaced with the frothy pink blood that suggests one of those spears has pierced a lung. For right now things are looking up, and there’s more killin’ to do, ‘ere the end.

How I Came To Know It: My friend Greg played me a song off of this album called “Shield Wall”. It was pretty awesome and from there I’ve fallen pretty hard for this band, buying five of their albums over the past six months or so.

How It Stacks Up: I previously reviewed “Twilight of the Thunder God” and “Jomsviking” and, wanting to leave room for this record to beat them out. But having listened to all three, and with a better understanding of the band overall I think they are both better, dropping “Berserker” into #5.

Ratings: 3 stars

On “Berserker” Amon Amarth lighten up. In fact, this record is positively cheery by their standards – a couple songs even have intros featuring classical guitar and cellos. These don’t last long though, and it is important to understand that “cheery” here still means you will be enjoying an onslaught of Viking melodic death metal. This record is the most melodic of what I’ve heard from them so far though, so cheery within that context only.

The hallmarks of the band remain, with the guttural screams of Johan Hegg and the driving crunchy rhythm of Johan Soderberg’s guitar. These two things alone should be enough to get your head banging with enthusiasm. Soderberg is a stalwart of the band from the beginning. Amon Amarth is one of those bands, like ACDC, where the rhythm guy is king. He is the reason this stuff has a melodic structure and a gem of a musician. Lead Olavi Mikkonen is no slouch either. Together, these guys are magic.

Hegg’s vocals are a bit less guttural than usual here, but since that’s not angry rasp isn’t typically in my wheelhouse anyway, I was happy that the lyrics were easier to understand. If you are feeling participatory, I still wouldn’t try to sing along; with death metal you are better off employing air guitar or drums if you don’t want to hurt your throat.  It was awesome to be able to better hear the stories unfold, though.

With those stories you will be treated to a whole lot of Viking history and mythology. If you don’t consider that a treat, you should probably find a different band to listen to. I happen to roll just fine with that, and “Berserker” has a number of killer tracks that fit the bill.

The most notable is “Shield Wall,” the song that first drew me to the band. This song has an urgency and power that perfectly captures what I imagine what it would have felt like to stand in a shield wall, your trusted companions on either side of you, feeling invulnerable. Likely you’d also be wondering at the lunacy of the berserkers who’d torn their shirts off and run out in front. Like what the hell, man, get back here where we can help you! Big I digress…

“Shield Wall” is a masterful display of Jocke Wallgren’s drumming. Wallgren’s work is a perfect blend of furious, precise, and heavy as fuck. It is only his second album with the band, and while we could all sit around bemoaning the loss of the brilliant Fredrik Andersson, I’m just thrilled to have one great drummer replaced with another.

On this record I also mused that Viking metal bands sing about Thor a lot. I mean, there is lots of Norse mythology to go around, but Thor is the guy who gets the most airtime. That he tends to fill that air with thunder and lightning must add to the appeal. On this record “Crack the Sky” edges out “Mjolner, Hammer of Thor” as “best Thor song” but they’re both solid.

Less good is “Ironside,” which is about a real-life historical figure that fans of the TV show “Vikings” will be familiar with. Here the band tells the story, but it feels like they sacrifice poetry in service to ensuring all the details are right. A good song needs to employ imagery and emotion as well as the specifics of the events.

But this is a minor quibble. After all, “The Berserker at Stamford Bridge” does the same thing, and it is tons of fun (spoiler alert – he eventually dies and probably should have stayed in the shield wall). Overall, this record is another brilliant entry in Amon Amarth’s discography and has me looking forward to the release of “the Great Heathen Army” due out in August. Bring it on!

Best tracks: Crack the Sky, Shield Wall, Raven’s Flight, Into the Dark

CD Odyssey Disc 1542: Amon Amarth

At the risk of losing credibility on the whole Viking obsession thing, this next review represents the fourth album in the last five that is obsessed with Vikings. Once again I must refer you to the full range of music represented on this blog to confirm this is not all I listen to – it just seems to be all I listen to lately. Such are the vicissitudes of random selection.

Disc 1542 is…. Jomsviking

Artist: Amon Amarth

Year of Release: 2016

What’s up with the Cover? A burly looking Viking hefts a bloody axe as he prepares to finish off a not so burly looking Viking. Odin’s ravens Huginn and Muninn soar contentedly over the slaughter, ready to report back on how many more places to set at the feast table in Valhalla. Judging by that melee going on in the background they should alert the kitchen staff to get at least one more pig on the barbecue.

The guy in the water is definitely on the guest list. I’d say that he shoulda kept his helmet on but really, was that going to make a difference?

How I Came To Know It: I just told this story back at Disc 1538 but to recap it was originally through my friend Greg, and this record was me digging through their back catalogue as I became obsessed with them. OK, so there is a bit of obsession here.

How It Stacks Up: I have five Amon Amarth albums but judging from how much I’ve been enjoying them lately I might add to that total. For now, I’ll put “Jomsviking” in at #4, but since I am still exploring, that may change.

Ratings: 3 stars

I just gave an overview of Amon Amarth’s music, but assuming you aren’t diligently reading every entry on this blog (unconscionable, but possible) here’s a recap. They’re a melodic death metal band from Sweden that like to write songs about Vikings. A lot.

In the eight years between “Twilight of the Thunder God” and “Jomsviking” Amon Amarth have lightened up a bit. The songs here are a bit more melodic than death metally, lead singer Johan Hegg’s growls are a fair bit easier to understand, and the double-bass of the drums is marginally less front and centre.

The drummer is also new, with longstanding band member Fredrik Andersson gone from the band and replaced by Tobias Gustafsson. Gustafsson would only stick for the recording of this one record. I think he is solid, although as previously noted the drums are a bit less furious here. I do not put this on Gustafsson though; this is the way the songs are structured. Drum is a big deal in this style of metal, and when called on, he hits hard and fast. No complaints.

I am more into anthemic power metal sound than death metal, so the band’s shift in that direction was a welcome one. The songs still assault the ears but being able to follow along with the storyline was awesome.

It was particularly valuable here, as “Jomsviking” is a concept album, based around a brotherhood of Vikings of the same name who lived as a martial brotherhood with a strict moral code sometime in the 10^th and 11^th centuries. Amon Amarth sets the story of one man going from his first kill, through joining the Jomsvikings as he pursues his one true love. It isn’t a particularly innovative storyline but I’m a sucker for a love story and throwing some swordfights and mayhem in the mix is definitely welcome.

There are standouts throughout the record, starting with “Wanderer” which has a nice power metal crunch just the way I like it, and the much more violent assault of the double-bass in “One Against All” which teeters on the edge of falling over from its own fury, but never quite does. The chorus of one man standing against all is suitably heroic for epic stuff of this nature.

“Raise Your Horns” is the obvious showpiece of the record, with elements of both approaches. Furious double base, soaring guitar riffs and a very sing-along chorus of

“Raise your horns, raise them up to the sky
We will drink to glory tonight
Raise your horns for brave fallen friends
We will meet where the beer never ends.”

Of course, Vikings used hollowed horns for drinking glasses, but modern audiences can raise the metal “devil horns” if you want to participate and don’t have a drink on hand. There’s a great video for the song that shows fans doing a bit of both.

“Raise Your Horns” is clearly the crowd pleaser of the record, but my favourite is the more tragic “One Thousand Burning Ships” that describes the Viking funeral rite of setting a king in his ship and setting it adrift, lit by fire arrows to honour his way into Valhalla. Some of the lyrics on on “Jomsviking” fall short of the emotional resonance they intend, but on “One Thousand Burning Ships” Amon Amarth gets it all right. I was feeling a bit verklempt for the loss, while also musing what an awesome funeral this would be if only I could get the necessary permits…

I was a little surprised at myself that I put the heavier “Twilight of the Thunder God” ahead of this record, but the truth is they are both great, just different. If you are new to this sort of thing and want to dip your toe into melodic Viking metal “Jomsviking” is a more accessible Amon Amarth record than some of their previous, and worth a listen. If you like it and are ready to get even heavier (while still getting 100% as much Viking action) then you can dig into their back catalogue from here.

Best tracks: Wanderer, One Against All, Raise Your Horns, One Thousand Burning Arrows

CD Odyssey Disc 1538: Amon Amarth

It’s been a long day, but I’m determined to knock out this review in the hour or two I have before I am comatose and waiting for my alarm to go off again.

Disc 1538 is…. Twilight of the Thunder God

Artist: Amon Amarth

Year of Release: 2008

What’s up with the Cover? It’s the end of the world as we know it…and Thor feels fine. Here he is fighting Jormungandr, aka the Midgard Serpent. Thor is destined to kill Jormungandr but then succumb to its poison. In all my reading of Norse mythology (no small amount) I don’t recall Thor ever complaining about his fate. A real stoic, that Thor.

How I Came To Know It: I’ve known the band by reputation for a while, but never gave them a listen until my friend Greg sent me a song called “Shield Wall” from their 2019 album, “Berserker” (if at this point you think these guys are obsessed with Vikings, you are not wrong). I liked the song and away down the rabbit hole it sent me, sailing through their back catalogue like a longship on the high seas.

How It Stacks Up: I have five Amon Amarth albums. I like them all, but since I’ve bought them all in the past year, I haven’t given any of the others the attention they deserve to make an informed ranking decision. So I’ll just talk out of my ass and rank “Twilight of the Thunder God” third best. This leaves room above and below it. I also reserve the right to change my mind later when hopefully I’ll better know what I’m talking about.

Ratings: 3 stars

You’d expect a band named after the mythical active volcano Mount Doom in Lord of the Rings to thump pretty hard. On “Twilight of the Thunder God” Amon Amarth do not disappoint.

Their particular form of thump falls into the ‘melodic death metal’ sub-genre of metal. I usually find the auditory assault that is death metal a bit much, but the addition of the melodic elements here helps the whole thing to work. All the primal energy that makes death metal so attractive to its adherents is still there, but the guitars soar with enough bombast for me to ride the song. Think of the power-chords of the guitar as Paul Atreides and the double bass of the drums howling away as the sandworm he’s riding.

However, do not expect a whole lot of sand or heat on this record. The canvas upon which Amon Amarth paints is the frigid north of Scandinavia. As I noted above, these guys love them some Viking action. “Twilight of the Thunder God” is an immersive Viking cultural experience, with a metal soundtrack. Songs feature various Norse myths, centering in particular on Ragnarok, which is not surprising given the album’s title. They do branch out to sing about other characters sailing about, pillaging, killing or dying while undertaking heroic deeds but I get the distinct impression that these characters are also Vikings.

If you aren’t interested in Vikings, then this might grow tiresome for you, but I love it. I’ve always loved Viking history and Norse mythology, so hearing lead singer Johan Hegg gutturally growl away about the subject fills me with joy. I don’t usually go for the growl-singing of death metal, but Hegg does a great job of it, managing to match the ferocity the style needs while still delivering a narrative that is reasonably understandable.

Even on the more ferocious tracks, the ‘melodic’ elements survive, with the twin guitars of Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg provide that driving power that is my favourite part of modern European metal.

The album maintains a high level of energy throughout, but there are a couple standouts.

The first is the title track, which tells the tale of Thor fighting Jormungandr, just like the cover of the record suggest will happen. It is a tale told with furious intensity, and Fredrik Andersson’s incredible double-bass drum action makes you feel the battle in your bones from the first notes. When the song breaks down halfway through into a crunchy guitar riff you think you’ve heard it all, but there is still a guest solo from guitarist Roope Latvala (Children of Bodom) to put this song over the top.

My other favourite is “Guardians of Asgaard,” a song that starts with a guitar crunch that is so heavy they had to put an extra ‘A’ in ‘Asgard’ just to keep it from buckling under the weight. This song will sink down into your guts deeper than a berserker’s bearded axe. This stuff is pure headbanging glory.

Many of the other tracks were less accessible at first, but as my ear adjusted to the experience I understood the nuance of the music amid all the fury. “Twilight of the Thunder Gods” is a rough ride on a sea of metal, but you’ll find the salt spray in your face invigorating once you settle in for the journey.

A quick endnote on the packaging before I go. My copy is a re-release with a bonus DVD, but even better is the big, well-constructed CD case. Like the record, it has heft and, along with a high-quality booklet insert, it makes you feel like you’ve actually bought something. I know CDs are a dying art but kudos to metal bands like Amon Amarth that keep the dream alive for those of us who still collect them.

Best tracks: Twilight of the Thunder God, Guardians of Asgaard, The Hero