Ever since their initial offering Once Sent From The Golden Hall back in 1998, purveyors of Viking-themed Death Metal Amon Amarth have coralled a fierce and faithful following amongst lovers of extreme but melodic Metal, never seeming to let those followers down. Since then the band's output has been second to none in quality of both albums and live shows. Often understandably looked at wryly by those who only see a more extreme version of the 'manly' aesthetic seen in the ever cheesy Manowar, these Swedes however have truly never put form over function and proved this with 2008's Twilight Of The Thunder God; an album of surging power and aggression but also swathed in sublime melody that never goes so far as to relinquish its main thrust of battering you on the side of the head. In fact, the album was so revered (#1 on my top 20 of that year, and on many, many other 'best of' lists) that it seemed the band would be hard pressed to top it without going in a unforeseen direction like Enslaved had done a decade before. Not to worry AA lovers, the band have not left their Viking ways behind and have again produced a mighty fine slab of death and fire.Galloping out of the gate "War Of The Gods" is a thunderous track, pinning you back with force and conjuring the best moments of AA's aggressive nature. Throughout Surtur Rising the hair swinging in unison, and constant marauding Swedes seem to rely a little less on melody than their recent efforts and stick to more bars of churning Death. And all over it works beautifully. With feet firmly entrenched in their mid-paced dirge landscape, and including those catchy melodies by dropping down an octave and picking out three or four note counterpoints, "Töck's Taunt - Loke's Treachery Part II" slips into that groove AA have carved out for themselves. Guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Anders Hansson are experts at this playing, one carrying on with a cutting rhythm while the other dropping down to pick a melody at a shifted tempo; it's a sound I love and Amon Amarth do it like no other. This style isn't as ubiquitous as on more recent records, but it's still present and comes in always at just the right moment. Vocals are executed like always by mead swilling Norseman Johan Hegg, from his raspy and ever increasingly decipherable low key starts to his searing deeper growls. "Destroyer Of The Universe" is another battering ram of energetic Death Metal, surging at a hefty clip. On bass Ted Lundström continues to plunder out a deep crevice which drummer Fredrik Andersson flies around, joining him in creating a solid backbone for the others to riff off. The band detours from the slashing warfare to slow to a near Doom-Death requiem on "The Last Stand Of Frej", a sure fire favourite anthem for fans of grooving their headbanging.
Mikkonen and Hansson go a bit out of their usual same key solos on a lot of the songs here, choosing instead to rip out some shredding blasts instead; and again it just works smoothly with such well written work. If you're in the need for catchy, melodic but also unrelenting Death Metal you've found your prize in Surtur Rising, another tremendous weapon in Amon Amarth's already overflowing cache of deadly artillery. The longboat is sailing...grab a sheild and jump on, it's a fantastic journey.
Addendum: The album is being released in what seems like 10 different version; deluxe, digi-pack, luxurious gate-fold LP etc. Some of these depend on which continent you are on. I was given the US album with the bonus System Of A Down cover "Ariels". It's not bad, but I'm not a great fan of covers. It doesn't diminish the album and many may get a kick out of it. On other versions are a cover of Accept's "Balls To The Wall" and KISS's "War Machine".
Of 5 wailing horns:
1. War of the Gods
2. Töck's Taunt - Loke's Treachery Part II
3. Destroyer of the Universe
4. Slaves of Fear
5. Live Without Regrets
6. The Last Stand of Frej
7. For Victory or Death
8. Wrath of the Norsemen
9. A Beast Am I
10. Doom Over Dead Man
Official Amon Amarth Site
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