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Amon Amarth

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For the Middle-earth location, see Mount Doom.
Amon Amarth

Amon Amarth is a Viking-themed death metal band from Tumba, Sweden, founded in 1988 (current name since 1992)[1], and named after an alternative name for Mount Doom, a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. As of 2009, the band is signed with Metal Blade Records and has released seven studio albums, one EP, one DVD, and seven music videos.

History

Formed under the name Scum in 1988, the band was originally a grindcore group formed by Paul "Themgoroth" Mäkitalo (Dark Funeral) on vocals, Olavi Mikkonen on guitar, and Ted Lundström on bass. When Johan Hegg joined the band, their music changed towards death metal. After a 1991 demo, they changed the band's name to Amon Amarth in 1992, then recorded their first demo Thor Arise under the name in 1993 followed by another demo in 1994 entitled The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter. In 1996, they signed with Pulverised Records, on which they released their first MCD, Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds, which sold 6000 copies.[2] They then signed with Metal Blade Records, and with the release of the album Once Sent from the Golden Hall in 1998, their popularity rose internationally. Since then they have done multiple Canada and US tours, festival appearances, seven music videos, and appearances in over 100 metal magazines.[2] In early January 2008, their first tour of Australia and New Zealand took place, along with supporting Dimmu Borgir, after finishing a US and Canadian tour with Sonic Syndicate and Himsa.

Amon Amarth extended their record deal with Metal Blade Records for three more albums.[3] After extending their record deal, the band released Twilight of the Thunder God, which featured guest appearances by Lars Göran Petrov of Entombed, Roope Latvala of Children of Bodom, and the cello metal band Apocalyptica. Accompanying the release of the album was an eight-page comic strip based on Norse mythology which was released by magazines from all over Europe.

Amon Amarth has embarked on a North American headlining tour in October 2008, with support from Ensiferum, Belphegor, and a melodic death metal band from Tampa named The Absence.[4] The band are also touring as support for the thrash metal band Slayer throughout Europe on the Unholy Alliance Chapter III. The band recently played their first ever show in India, headlining the Deccan Rock Festival in Bangalore on 5th December 2009.[5]

Musical style and lyrical themes

The band bases most of their songs on Norse mythology, the Viking Age, and the pre-Christian world. This mythology is an element that originally emerged as an ideological off-shoot of black metal in a genre known as Viking metal in the early 1990s, made popular by such bands as Bathory and Enslaved. Lead singer Johan Hegg's sister has once contributed lyrics for the band for the song “A Thousand Years of Oppression” on Versus the World[6].

When asked to comment on the band's genre, vocalist Johan Hegg remarked:

We play death metal. We write about vikings so, therefore, some refer us to viking metal, but I have no idea what that is. I can't imagine the viking’s veer into metal at all except on the swords and stuff. And musically, I guess they only played these strange lip instruments and some bongos or whatever.

— The Metal Web's interview with Johan Hegg

Discography

Albums

Released Title Label
1991 Demo 1 Self-released as Scum
1993 Thor Arise Never released, see below
1994 The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter Self-released, see below
1996 Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds Pulverised
1998 Once Sent from the Golden Hall Metal Blade
1999 The Avenger Metal Blade
2001 The Crusher Metal Blade
2002 Versus the World Metal Blade
2004 Fate of Norns Metal Blade
2006 With Oden on Our Side Metal Blade
2008 Twilight of the Thunder God Metal Blade

Thor Arise

Thor Arise is a demo recorded in 1993. The album was never initially released due to its low production standards. The album features "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", a cover of the Black Sabbath song. The song "Thor Arise" was re-recorded as a bonus track on the Digipak version of The Avenger. "Risen from the Sea" was re-recorded on The Crusher. The entire album was re-released with the "Viking Edition" of Versus the World.

Track listing

  1. "Risen from the Sea" − 5:43
  2. "Atrocious Humanity" − 5:54
  3. "Army of Darkness" − 5:26
  4. "Thor Arise" − 6:30
  5. "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" − 4:22 (Black Sabbath cover)

Credits


Credits

Videography

Video albums
Year Video details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
SWE[7] GER[8]
2006 Wrath of the Norsemen
  • Released: 26 May 2006
  • Label: Metal Blade (# 3984-34045-9)
  • Format: DVD
 2 91 US & CAN: Gold[9]
Music videos
Year Title Director
2003 "Death in Fire"
2004 "The Pursuit of Vikings" Heiko Tippelt, Phillip Hirsch[10]
2006 "Runes to My Memory" Bill Schacht[11][12]
2007 "Cry of the Black Birds"
2008 "Twilight of the Thunder God" Dariusz Szermanowicz[13][14]
2009 "Guardians of Asgaard"

Members

Current
Former

As Amon Amarth:

  • Anders Hansson − guitar (1989 - 1998)
  • Nico Kaukinen − drums (1989 - 1996)
  • Martin Lopez − drums (1996 - 1998)

As Scum:

  • Paul "Themgoroth" Mäkitalo − vocals (1988 - 1991)

References

  1. ^ "Biography at amonamarth.com". Retrieved 2007-02-27.
  2. ^ a b "Amon Amarth Biography". Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  3. ^ Amon Amarth Extend Deal With Metal Blade Records Feb 10 2008
  4. ^ Amon Amarth - Tentative N. American Tour Routing: News @ metalstorm.ee
  5. ^ Amon Amarth Headline Deccan Rock 09.
  6. ^ Interview with Johan Hegg Nov 19 2008
  7. ^ "Veckolista DVD Album - Vecka 24". Sverigetopplistan (in Swedish). Grammofon Leverantörernas Förening. June 15, 2006. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
  8. ^ "Chartverfolgung / Amon Amarth / longplay" (in German). musicline.de. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  9. ^ "Gold and Platinum - Searchable database". RIAA. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  10. ^ "Music Video | The Pursuit of Vikings". MTV. MTV Networks. 2005-03-24. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  11. ^ "Music Video | Runes to My Memory". MTV. MTV Networks. 2006-10-06. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  12. ^ "Music Video | Cry of the Black Birds". MTV. MTV Networks. 2007-03-23. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  13. ^ "Music Video | Twilight of the Thunder God". MTV. MTV Networks. 2008-10-02. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  14. ^ "Music Video | Guardians of Asgaard". MTV. MTV Networks. 2009-05-14. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
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