I must admit it’s the first time I review Amon Amarth and I know that they are for years working around the viking theme. I can say that these Swedish folks got me hooked from the first notes! The artwork is a real eye catcher and as you all know: a good eye catcher is the perfect start!
It’s their 10th album and here they focus on the Jomsvikings myth. For those who don’t know: a boy falls in love with a girl. Sadly the girl is due to marry with another one. The boy has to flee after he killed somebody by accident: his first kill (and that’s the first song). It’s fast, aggressive with the perfect way to tell a story whilst unleashing lots of feelings.The drums sound like 1.000 hammers of Thor: hard and heavy and damn fast! It has even something catchy and a touch of Iron Maiden (listen to the guitars).
As with Wanderer the fleeing continues, the tempo is a bit slower and the storytelling takes the lead. On A Sea of Blood is a fast track, heavy with hammering drums and sharp guitars. After this he encounters the Jomsvikings, the start of a sad and very cruel story! The band can as no others make you feel the pain, the fear, the anger, the rage … All emotions feel true and real! One Against All is for that reason a great track! The backings give it that extra touch needed. I’m pretty sure this one will be a hit on stage! Another great track is Raise Your Horns makes me think a bit about the song As The Bottle Runs Dry (The Wolfbanes), in a Viking metal version! Once again it feels like a perfect live track! Party on and don’t forget to wipe away the blood of your kills from earlier that day!
The Way Of Vikings is another catchy one, with hardcore lyrics and lots of spilled blood! It really feels like a matter of life and death! The guitars are great, just as the hammering drums and the horns! At Dawn’s First Light reminds me a bit more of Iron Maiden (it also sounds a bit into retro heavy metal). It’s sharp and fast with lots of killing. Run for your lives gets now another place in my memory, for sure! The bloody story continues with One Thousand Burning Arrows, the tempo is a bit lower and the music a bit more melodic. More into old school heavy metal is Vengeance Is My Name. It’s raw with a fat sound and lots of bloodshed! I adore the melodic sound and the catchy tone. Another highlight is the duet with DoroA Dream that Cannot Be! The bass player must have stiff fingers afterwards, just listen to the way he plays! It’s very clear that Doro must do this more: the blending in is just perfect! The story is very sad, but hey that’s what this album is about! I hope they will do it at least once again on stage and otherwise I count on the fans to ask for an encore as this collaboration simply asks for more! We get a last blow with the end of this raw story with Back On Northern Shores.
I must say I totally loved every second of this album! It will end for sure pretty high on my album list! I can say I’m not the only one in the house who loved them! I hope to see them on stage as I can only bow for so much greatness! It feels like discovering a chest filled with gold with each song that passes by! This is a bloody Vikings heaven written by Odin himself!
Tracks:
1. First Kill
2. Wanderer
3. On A Sea Of Blood
4. One Against All
5. Raise Your Horns
6. The Way Of Vikings
7. At Dawn’s First Light
8. One Thousand Burning Arrows
9. Vengeance Is My Name
10. A Dream That Cannot Be (feat. Doro)
11. Back On Northern Shores
