Album Review: Twilight Of The Thunder God by Amon Amarth

Over the last two decades, Viking lore and metal music have gone together like mead and a drinking horn. From the days of seminal Swedes Bathory to the adventurous Norwegian black metal of Enslaved, Nordic themes have played a significant role in extreme metal, and still continue to today, and whether a band’s approach is reverent (Faroese band Tyr) or cartoonish (Finland’s Turisas), that melding of mythology and heavy music is always appealing to listeners. One can see it at shows: some audience members take that Nordic heritage seriously, adopting it as a lifestyle, dressing in traditional garb, while others merely slap warpaint on their faces because they just dig the pure escapism of it all.

Full Review >>

Review Summary: Twilight of the Thunder God is simply a fun listen, and one of the most exciting metal albums of the year.It's kind of hard not to like Amon Amarth. While it's undeniable that the Swedes have hardly deviated from their tried and true formula over the past sixteen years, the band just kicks so much ass that the lack of progression isn't difficult to overlook. Factor in their constant improvement as well as the overall fun-ness (for lack of better term), and not even the band's ridiculously 'metal' image is off-putting.

Full Review >>

If extreme metal existed back in the days of Vikings, Sweden's Amon Amarth would undoubtedly be the musical choice of vessels sailing rough and treacherous seas. And on the seventh full-length studio effort overall by the quintet, Amon Amarth sticks closely to the same sound and approach that got them this far in the first place. But unlike their prior studio efforts, several renowned names within the metal community drop by to lend a heavy hand, including Entombed vocalist Lars-Göran Petrov on "Guardians of Asgaard.

Full Review >>

A thousand years ago, if you walked into a Viking long house, you might notice a station near the fire pit where the women would heat up glass bulbs. The purpose? To iron clothing on whale-bone ironing boards. The Vikings preferred linen shrits, and if you’ve ever owned one yourself, you know that getting that shit presentable is a bitch. After ransacking monasteries and sailing the icy seas, Vikings appreciated looking sharp.

Full Review >>