You know, if this band were more well-known, you'd probably see a whole bunch of fundy Christians complaining that the lyrics inspire violence against their religion. This would result in CD and concert bannings all over the southern U.S. and would seriously piss off my friend Tristan, causing him to burn a few churches or something. Well, thankfully, these guys are still underground.

Anyways, I bought Amon Amarth's first LP Once Sent From the Golden Hall about six months ago on a whim. I'd heard good things about them but never actually heard their music. When I took the CD home and put it in my stereo, I got that warm n' fuzzy feeling as soon as it started.

The music is chock full of hard-hitting, no-frills melodic death metal. The lyrics are chock full of glorious tales of the Viking victories against the oppressive Christian armies that tried to invade Scandinavia during the Middle Ages. Listening to that album made me want to grow a huge beard, put on my horned helm, grab my freshly sharpened poleax off its rack, and go hunting for "Dogs of Hvertikrist."

Now, with the release of Amon Amarth's sophomore LP on Metal Blade, that warm n' fuzzy feeling is back and even warmer n' fuzzier. This album, as stated above, differs very little from the style used on Once Sent..., but the feeling from the previous album has been intensified tenfold. The songs are faster, more brutal, and concise. Much like Once Sent... and going even further back, the Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds EP. No cheesy, overused keyboards, no acoustics, no female vocals, no randomized time changes. All this is thundering guitars, pounding double bass drums, and bloodthirsty growls, all of which are carried forth with the spirit of 1000 Mighty Viking Warriors.

And somehow, this turns out to be a better album than 99% of all the gimmicky shit out there. There really isn't a weak spot on this album. It's not exactly the most complex or daring piece of music I've ever heard, but it's simply great all-around. Peter Tägtgren continues to solidify his spot in the top tier of producers too. The sound is very punishing, but also crisp and perfectly mixed.

The top highlights are "Bleed For Ancient Gods," "Legend of a Banished Man," "God, His Son and the Holy Whore," and the title track. Basically, this album is like downing ten shots of whiskey straight up, then beating the living snot outta some guy who looks at you funny - entertaining, brutal, succinct, and it'll make you feel like a big man afterwards.

ALL HAIL AMON AMARTH... Not only for their kick-ass music, but also for the fact that they can pull off the "glory" lyrics without being cheesy (hell, they even subtly poke fun at Hammerfall on "Metalwrath" - gotta love that!).

This review is credited to:
The Havoc Vulture