Amon Amarth

Once Sent From The Golden Hall (Metal Blade)
by Paul Lee

The bloodthirsty spirit of Viking warriors is alive and well in the music of Sweden’s Amon Amarth. This quartet of Nordic rockers creates tremendous metal with plenty of melodicism integrated into their unruly sound on their Metal Blade debut, Once Sent From The Golden Hall. This has to be one of the best Swedish metal albums unleashed this year. Amon Amarth manage to stake a claim in their own Viking Metal territory without sounding quite like any of their peers. Peter Tägtgren’s production makes AA’s thunderous sounds and entrancing melodies stand out. And, if you dig tales about Viking hordes, every song on Once Sent From The Golden Hall is about Viking warriors and warfare. You can even whistle along to many of the melodies as you bang your head furiously. I raise my cup to Amon Amarth.