Whether you think of them as melodic death or straight up Viking metal, Amon Amarth has become a major force in the modern metal scene. In addition to their Norse aesthetics and relatively accessible sound by death metal standards, they are also becoming well known for having a consistency rate that is comparable to the likes of Motorhead and Cannibal Corpse.
Surtur Rising is the band's eighth studio album and has already proven to be one of their biggest commercial successes to date. In a rare feat, it managed to sell 15,000 copies in its first week of release and chart on the Billboard's Top 40 with their distinct sound still kept intact!
You Come To Me, Eyes Full Of Grief
With the possible exception of Adult Swim's Dethklok, Amon Amarth is probably the most easygoing band to ever utilize Cookie Monster vocals. That does not mean their music is watered down or creatively bankrupt, but rather that it is forged to form a distinct sound that appeals to fans of several genres.
This album is certainly no exception as it happily averts accusations of selling out by going along with the traits that were established on past albums such as Fate of Norns and Twilight of the Thunder God.
Thus, most of the music on here seems to go between both melodic and extreme elements. On one hand, the production is done with a very modern polish, vocalist Johan Vegg's growls are the most clearly enunciated this side of Novembers Doom, and the usage of strings and guitar harmonizing help give things an epic but still melodic vibe.
On the other hand, the riffs retain a healthy bite even in the midst of accessibility and the drums do largely go at an energetic pace. And while the vocals and overall band presentation may get a little goofy at times as most metal can, it does give the listener an enjoyable pounding.
In addition, the band has also retained their Norse lyrical themes and uses them to great effect as it goes about the usual tropes of Ragnarok and the other highlights of Viking culture. However, there are a few particularly interesting exceptions as "Slaves of Fear" deals with the terrorist mindset and "Doom Over Dead Men" seems to deal with the timeless and rather vague theme of dying.
Bringer Of Flames and Endless Hurt
Going along with the things that are firmly kept in place, the band does offer some solid songwriting. Predictably for a band of this genre, most of the songs on here are pretty fast paced and bring about an almost power metal vibe.
The opening "War Of The Gods" manages to be the strongest track due to its particularly powerful verse/chorus transitions. In addition, "Destroyer Of The Universe" and "A Beast Am I" are probably the most extreme and hard hitting tracks on the album while "Live Without Regrets" takes on an almost folk metal direction with its incredibly happy harmonies.
Of course, there are certain exceptions as some outliers play with slower tempos. "Toke's Taunt," the sequel to "Hermod's Ride to Hel" off of With Oden On Our Side, goes between a grinding verse riff and softer moments that recall classic Immortal and Bathory.
"The Last Stand of Frej" is a largely building track made memorable by its sweeping guitar lines and anticipating percussion while "Slaves Of Fear" features a mid-tempo riff that oddly reminds me of Trivium's "Unrepentent" while still remaining a solid song
But the most interesting song of all has to be the closing "Doom Over Dead Men," a closing ballad that features a sweet introduction, nice string usage between verses, and growled vocals that somehow don't sound out of place in the middle of it all. Hell, they fit a lot better on a ballad than they do in that strange System Of A Down cover that was included on certain editions of the album...
The Autumn Clouds Are Caving In
I'm not gonna lie to you; this is probably the most metal album that I've heard all year. It has just about everything that the genre should have and offers excellent songwriting and great instrumental performances all wrapped up with a smooth production job.
While some established fans may find more to enjoy in some of their earlier efforts, I also think that this album could make for a great regret free gateway band into extreme metal for unaccustomed listeners. The song structures and melodies should appeal to power metal listeners, death metal fans will enjoy the vocals and rougher guitars and drumming, and the overall accessibility should make it a good purchase for new initiates. Check it out if you haven't already!
Current Highlights:
- "War Of The Gods"
- "Tock's Taunt - Loke's Treachery Part II"
- "Destroyer Of The Universe"
- "Slaves Of Fear"
- "Doom Over Dead Men
Christopher Latta - I am the lead singer/bassist of Psychic Faith and the writer of many hard rock and heavy metal reviews
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