Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God (W/Dvd) (Dig)
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Free Music Notes for Twilight of the Thunder God (W/Dvd) (Dig)
Free Music Review: Melo-death or Power-death? Whatever it is, it's great!
Hit: 5 Stars
First off, I'm not a death metal aficionado. If you have read my review on "With Oden on Our Side" you'll know that Amon Amarth was my first real purchase in the Death Metal genre. I was attracted to them because the music in the snippets I'd heard was just the kind of thing I like. Aggressive, rough even, but beautifully melodic. It helped that Johan Hegg's vocals are incredibly easy to understand as he enunciates his growls and sings very rhythmically.
I'd read some of the early reviews on Metal sites about this CD, and snapped it up. While "With Oden on Our Side" had a few songs which really stuck out for me, and a couple which later elevated themselves on further listenings, "Twilight of the Thunder God" strikes me as an even more consistently melodic CD. The music is never pushed to the background by the vocals and usually takes the forefront. I'm listening to it yet again right now, and am reminded that there are even some guitar solos which wouldn't be out of place on traditional heavy metal or power metal CDs.
One other thing I really like about the music is that it's heavy and textured. Some other melodic death metal that I thought I might like left me a bit cold, and it was usually a combination of the singer being too dominant and the music sounding a bit thin. There's definitely a strong bass element here which works very nicely.
While the songs rarely tend to be extremely fast (most would fall squarely into 'mid tempo' with a couple of faster songs), different emphasis on drums or guitars make most of them feel unique. I really don't have any favorites yet, but overall I like it significantly more than their previous effort.
The special edition has a bonus DVD with some live performances that rounds out an already great package.
Free Music Review: Truly one of a kind
Hit: 5 Stars
Say it with me: Swedish Melodic Viking Death Metal.
Hey, I'm hooked already!
Seriously, though, this is one great album. The melodies fit the music perfectly. The guitars, bass, and drums punish from the opening moments of the first track and contine the sonic assualt through the closing moments of the last track.
I was never a fan of Amon Aarth before, partially because it took me until now to even hear about them. Trust me. Where I live, it is very difficult to find great non-American bands. True the Swedes have always done it better than the Americans. Case in point number one: Dark Tranquillity. Perhaps still my favorite band. Upon listening to AA for the first time, my original impression was that they sounded quite a bit like DT. That's a good thing.
Not that I'm setting DT as the gold standard for melodic death metal; there are a lot of melodeath bands out there.
I was a bit disappointed in the fact that Twilight of the Thunder God has only ten tracks, but for the extra couple of bucks I paid for the album on iTunes, I got 13 bonus tracks, all recorded live at the 2007 Summer Breeze festival. For the live tracks, the sound quality is less than perfect, as expected, and for a few moments the lead singer sounded corny when he was talking to the crowd in that low death growl. It reminds me of the bodybuilder Rex from Napoleon Dynamite. Still, the live tracks were a welcome addition. They were all great to listen to, despite the obvious live outdoor environment where the tracks were recorded.
This is an all-around amazing album. Now my next mission is to go back and get all of AA's old stuff.
Buy it. You won't be disappointed. Twilight of the Thunder God gets an incredible 4.8/5 stars.
Free Music Review: Something new and something old - A Must Buy.
Hit: 5 Stars
First of all, this album can and will be described as a great many things. In my words this album is amazing. It's still the same Amon Amarth you know and love but they've expanded on their already power-house formula to bring you a mix of both the old and the new.
While I *still* have mixed feelings about some of the guest work that Children of Bodom guitarist Roope Latvala and Apocalyptica did on a couple of the tracks - mostly the quick Dragonforce-style effects laden taps that were done on "Twilight of The Thunder God" (I know it's just Roope Latvala's style), but I didn't think it was that necessary. Not that it's a "BAD" performance - It's DAMN GOOD - it's just a bit... out of place on an Amon Amarth album. I think it will be what most people quickly identify as the "new" in the title of the review.
Other than that, it's business as usual. Brutal Nordic-themed death metal. The riffs are still catchy and recallable hours after listening to the album. New twists to their wind and string instrumental use (Ala Apocalyptica) is also a welcomed and unexpected addition. The bonus DVD is a nice touch, too. I've always liked that Amon rarely gives you 'just' the CD. The Artwork on the album bares mentioning, as well. Returning album artist Thomas Ewerhard still stays true to the iconic Amon Amarth art style.
I didn't think that "With Odin.." could be topped, but I shame myself for doubting that it couldn't be. They have remained one of my favorite bands for almost 6 years now and they have yet to disappoint me.
Pick this one up as soon as you can. You will not regret it!
Free Music Review: Now if the football Vikings could match this band's strength
Hit: 5 Stars
Lyrical content has never been a big consideration with me. While I appreciate the intelligent lyric as much as anyone, the music is what I pay attention to. Maybe that's how most musicians are - I've noticed non-musician fans tend to pay much more attention to the lyrical content. Whatever floats your boat, or in this case, a longboat.
Not being a student of Norse historical mythology, the tales of warriors and bravado earn at most a big shrug with me and the subject matter not changing album after album for Amon Amarth could get monotonous, but with the music this catchy, who cares?
"Twilight Of The Thunder God" is the best AA CD I own, with more musical muscle than ever before without sacrificing the signature guitar attack that could have easily had ol' King Olaf headbanging with the best of 'em had this type of metal existed back in the good old days. The title track has lead guitar, as do a few others, and that's a plus because the tunes really did need some icing here and there. The use of real minor chord structures adds depth to the rhythm playing and helps accent the lead work, which is pretty damn good. More, please.
Of course, much is made of the appearance of Apocalyptica, but the CD's main strength is the pounding beat, lyrics you can decipher and good melody work. Amon Amarth have grown, and one hopes they continue to expand their sound, with more lead guitar work, and maybe some clean vocal lines here and there just to spice it up. Pillaging a village near you.
Free Music Review: Death metal at its finest
Hit: 5 Stars
The career of Amon Amarth has nowhere to go except up. With a heady mixture of both brutal riffage and experimentation such as a violin solo, "Twilight of the Thunder God" is truly a gem amongst rocks in the vast death metal quarry. The title track itself screams with raw fury as it announces the arrival of these Viking metal legends onto the battlefield with vocalist Johan Hegg, as always, fiercely enumerating the Viking creed. Other songs such as Live for the Kill and Embrace of the Endless Ocean project a kind of dark beauty with their yearning melodies and self-pitying lyrics. Still others including "Guardians of Asgaard" and "Varyags of Miklagaard" are powerful incitements to unrestrained chest-beating and a good old fashioned growl-along. These two especially, bind Norse mythology to Viking history with results that appeal both to the fan base as well as the uninitiated or casual listeners. In an era where extreme metal is just beginning its naissance into mainstream culture, Amon Amarth stand at the forefront of this often ridiculed genre with a no-nonsense, meat and potatoes offering that would allay even the most hardened skeptics of their sincerity and passion. When merchandising gimmicks and profligate promotion are slowly becoming the life-bread of many new bands, we should consider ourselves fortunate to enjoy the art of bands such as Amon Amarth who offer us nothing more than professional musicianship without the jazz and flair.