Amon Amarth

Twilight of The Thunder God (Metal Blade)
By Martin Popoff

In their own little profitable orange and brown world, Amon Amarth are the shameless Vikings, putting up tales of travel to distant shores like X-Rays in the doctor’s office for our approval. But there aren’t too many dark spots anymore, Johan and crew writing a very sunny, melodic death at headbanging mid-paced speeds more and more with each album. In fact, Twilight of The Thunder God (doesn’t that title just blur by like nothing?) sounds like accessible Sunlight Studio death circa grinding Entombed, crossed with In Flames, Six Feet Under, and a bunch of holler-along anthems from power metal. Fine by me, given the band’s knack for catchy, grooving riffs of girth and mirth. I mean, the death is still in place via Johan’s barrel-chested roar, but man, these are creamy and bulbous production values, applied to tight, Balls To The Wall-ish pure metal playing, sweetened with, to be a little more precise, those massive melodic power chords of In Flames at their most connecting. And the drums reverberate like they’re recorded at 16 rpm, the perfect low rumble for all those mid-neck riffs and Hagar The Horrible’s growled storytelling prowess. Children of Bodom and Apocalyptica cameos, as well as limited-edition Bobbleheads perk up the tale of what, frankly, is just going to be another beloved, solid-selling Amon Amarth record, no major adjustments offered, none required.
(www.metalblade.com)