Individual thought patterns V.024: ITP V.011 REVIEW: AMON AMARTH: SURTUR RISING

Friday, September 30, 2011

ITP V.011 REVIEW: AMON AMARTH: SURTUR RISING

BAND-AMON AMARTH (STOCKHOLM,SWEDEN) GENRE-DEATH/VIKING METAL LABEL-METAL BLADE RECORDS RELEASE DATE: 3/23/2011

PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG): TWILIGHT OF THE THUNDER GOD (2008-METAL BLADE RECORDS),
WITH ODEN ON OUR SIDE (2006-METAL BLADE RECORDS), FATE OF NORNS (2004-METAL BLADE RECORDS), VERSUS THE WORLD (2002-METAL BLADE RECORDS), THE CRUSHER (2001-METAL BLADE RECORDS), THE AVENGER (1999-METAL BLADE RECORDS), ONE SENT FROM THE GOLDEN HALL (1998-METAL BLADE RECORDS), SORROW THROUGHOUT THE NINE WORLDS (EP-1996-PULVERIZED RECORDS), THE ARRIVAL OF FIMBAL WINTER (1994-DEMO), THOR ARISE (1993-DEMO)

DVD's and COMPILATIONS: GREATEST HITS: HYMNS TO THE RISING SUN (2010-METAL BLADE RECORDS), WRATH OF NORSEMAN (DVD-2006-METAL BLADE), FATE OF NORMS RELEASE SHOWS (COMPILATION-SPLIT-2004-METAL BLADE RECORDS)

BEST RELEASE(S): WITH ODEN ON OUR SIDE (2006), THE AVENGER (1999), TWILIGHT OF THE THUNDER GOD (2008), ONCE SENT FROM THE GOLDEN HALL (1998)

TRACK-LISTING: AMON AMARTH: SURTUR RISING:
01. War of the Gods
02. Töck’s Taunt – Loke’s Treachery Part II
03. Destroyer of the Universe
04. Slaves of Fear
05. Live Without Regrets
06. The Last Stand of Frej
07. For Victory or Death
08. Wrath of the Norsemen
09. A Beast Am I
10. Doom Over Dead Man
11. Aerials (*BONUS TRACK: SYSTEM OF A DOWN COVER)

ITP RATING: ****
PRODUCTION: ****
SONGWRITING: ****
PERFORMANCE: ****

Formed in 1992, AMON AMARTH are a Swedish death metal band featuring Viking and Nordic myth related lyrical themes.

AMON AMARTH took the bands name from (Sindarin) "mount doom” in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium.

AMON AMARTH merge brutal, melodic riffing with harmonies and vocalist Hegg's intense blackened/death roar as perhaps every Norse battle is documented lyrically.

Here we have AMON AMARTH's eighth studio release entitled "SURTUR RISING" on deck for review.

AMON AMARTH's "Surtur Rising" kicks off with the track "War of the Gods" an interesting fable about the (Norse) Vanir and Aesir Gods. "War of the Gods" features awesome guitar riffing (2:43) and brutal vocals via Johan Hegg.

AMON AMARTH's "Töck’s Taunt – Loke’s Treachery Part II" evokes a mid pace with, unconventional prog rock riffing and death vox. "Töck’s Taunt – Loke’s Treachery Part II" features quality songwriting and vocal variety as Hegg switches to black metal rasps (at 1:24) as the song extends into an acoustic interlude and back into the main riff. Quality songwriting.

AMON AMARTH's "Destroyer of the Universe" evokes a faster, thrash oriented pace combining melody and good quality vocals.

AMON AMARTH's "Slaves of Fear" toys with a typical prog rock riff before a back and forth interplay of quality melodic death metal intertwined with good song structure.

AMON AMARTH's "Live Without Regrets" is quality melodic death metal tune, "Don't despair, show no fear, live your life with no regrets", featuring quality death metal vox via Hegg.

Get out your viking history books and swords, AMON AMARTH's "The Last Stand of Frej" is slower tune, melodic and damn awesome.

AMON AMARTH's "For Victory or Death" is a mid paced quality Viking battle/fight song,
perfect for rowing you viking battle ship and a confident battle hymn for conquering your enemy.

AMON AMARTH's "Wrath of the Norsemen" evokes a mid paced, slow sludgy riff for starters before merging into a victim plea from a Vikings brutality.

AMON AMARTH's "A Beast Am I", evokes good and simple riffing a Midgard conceptual tune, as the tune closes with a beautiful acoustic guitar melody.

AMON AMARTH's "SURTUR RISING" closes with the tune "Doom Over Dead Man" evoking a slow mid pace with orchestral leanings, with an epic melodic chorus.

AMON AMARTH's "SURTUR RISING" also features a bonus track, a good EXTREME METAL cover of SYSTEM OF THE DOWN's "Aerials" (1:59 converted thrash riff) featuring quality death vox.

AMON AMARTH are one the most epic and conceptually interesting bands in extreme metal. Over the years, AMON AMARTH has stripped down the bands more brutal metal musical leanings for a slightly more melodic approach with prog rock influences.

AMON AMARTH's "Surtur Rising" is not "Surtur's" story nor about the war torn battles of Aesir and Vanir. AMON AMARTH's "Surtur Rising" is a more varied release both musically and lyrically as not every tune is a historical footnote of Viking battles.

While AMON AMARTH are not progressing musically, the riffs feel somewhat recycled offering no distinction from previous releases, the band does play tight evoking a near epic musical journey.

AMON AMARTH's "Surtur Rising" features a good consolidation of melody and mid paced heaviness as the epic battle tales weave a wondrous narration of Viking adventures. AMON AMARTH enriches and enlightens to a historical perspective, a Norse/Scandanavian pride of sorts, for a generation in an identity crisis.

As AMON AMARTH awaken the Norse Gods, thunder rolls from the sky as indeed the Vikings are victorious.

ITP RATING: ****
PRODUCTION: ****
SONGWRITING: ****
PERFORMANCE: ****

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-

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Individual thought patterns V.024

Friday, September 30, 2011

ITP V.011 REVIEW: AMON AMARTH: SURTUR RISING

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