Amon Amarth

With Oden On Our Side (Metal Blade)
by Hansel Merchor

There’s really nothing nice about Tumba’s favorite sons. Beyond all that consummated aggression, the growly yet totally discernible voice of Johan Hegg, and the utterly redundant guitars of Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Soderberg, there’s indeed plenty of substance, melody, crafty arrangement, and just another solid batch of fantastic songs. For those already familiar with Amon Amarth, With Oden On Our Side, their sixth formal full-length, offers more of the same authentic Nordic metal. By far their best asset is their ability to balance power and strength with catchy melodies. The guitar work in particular is astounding, it perfectly balances simplicity with hook-laden grandiosity, and from the first track on, one gets the feeling that this is exactly what the old Norsemen had in mind when they thought about sound accompanying a battle. Songs like “Valhall Awaits Me” and “Under The Northern Star” are the perfect anthems for a new generation of Vikings. The overall tempo of the album is typical Amon Amarth; Even at their fastest, these boys don’t get all Speed Racer on us, which allows for the melodies to come to the front. Hell, loin cloth freaks like Manowar wish they could play stuff this good.
(www.metalblade.com)