Heavy metal can be divided into a plethora of categories, ranging from power to doom to thrash. For the last 16 years, Amon Amarth has hacked out their metal niche with battleaxes and broadswords. They have become one of the most prolific purveyors of Viking metal.
Perhaps the manliest (or rather, most macho) of heavy metal’s subgenres, Viking metal has a sound that is comparable to melodic death metal. The style has growling vocals and melodic guitar riffs, but its lyrics, which concentrate on Norse mythology and the Viking age, define it.
“Twilight of the Thunder God,” Amon Amarth’s seventh studio album, finds the band charting familiar icy waters. It is a worthy follow-up to 2006’s “With Oden On Our Side,” but it doesn’t quite reach the level of excellence that its predecessor attained.
The album plunges into a ferocious title track that describes an epic struggle between Thor and a giant sea serpent. It is an adrenaline-pumping anthem with a memorable chorus and a tenacious guitar solo, courtesy of guest guitarist Roope Latvala (Children of Bodom) that befits the grandiose lyrical content. The auditory onslaught continues with “Free Will Sacrifice.”
Morale wanes slightly with the lackluster “Guardians of Asgaard,” which features vocalist Lars Goran Petrov (Entombed). This track may be the only weak link in the chain mail due to the song’s boring chorus. Fortunately, the next track “Where Is Your God” will reawaken listeners’ bloodlust because of its increased speed and brutality. It stands out as one of the most intense tracks on the album, and singer Johan Hegg’s guttural growls will send shivers down the spines of the enemy.
The album gallops along at a steady pace thanks to impressive tracks such as “Varyags of Miklagaard” and “The Hero,” a song about an unrepentant Viking warrior that has an ominous chorus: “Show no sympathy/Shed no tears for me/I know who I am/I am an evil man.”
Toward the close of the album, the Finnish cello metal band Apocalyptica provides a welcome change of pace on “Live For The Kill” by contributing a melancholy string segment. The album comes to a close with the powerfully sorrowful “Embrace The Endless Ocean.”
Ultimately, while “Twilight of the Thunder God” does not achieve the splendor of With Oden On Our Side, it is nonetheless a formidable addition to Amon Amarth’s arsenal of albums. The band has been perfecting its sound for many years and some of the band’s new songs may seem formulaic or similar to previous material. However, this album is still proof that Amon Amarth truly is a master of its craft.
