Year: 2022
Total Time: 43.50
Label: Metal Blade Records
So, here we are, we have finally reached the 12th album of the Swedish “Vikings” of Melodic Death Metal, AMON AMARTH! A story that started 30 years ago, in 1992 in Stockholm, making this band a growing force in this genre, or for some others in Melodic Heavy Metal with Death Metal vocals, always with folk and Viking elements. And this story continues to this day, uninterrupted and unstoppable, moving only forward! I have to admit that I’ve been following them since “Fate Of Norms” and I declare myself a fanatic fan since 2004, when they started to launch this style, unlike their first four albums, which were much closer to classic Death Metal with a lot of melodies.
The band, after signing a contract with Metal Blade for their first album “One Sent from the Golden Hall”, in 1998, remains with the label until today and their fame grows from release to release! “The Great Heathen Army” is a nine-song album with the band’s line-up unchanged since 2016, consisting of founding members Olavi Mikkonen: guitars, Johan Hegg: vocals, Ted Lundström: bass, joined by Johan Söderberg: guitars (since 2008) and Jocke Wallgren: drums (since 2016)! But the questions are legitimate: Is the band able to offer new things and maintain the very high standards we know?? Is it the album their fans have been waiting for?? The answer is a big “YES” and more!! The perfect combination of Johan Hegg’s impressive brutal Death voice and the melodic passages from the guitars as well as the powerful and tight playing, remain on this album and the band continues to grow to higher levels!
More specifically, “The Great Heathen Army” opens with the dynamite “Get in the Ring”, one of the hardest songs on the album, a classic AMON AMARTH composition with an incredible chorus, and with the footnote that WWE pro wrestler Eric Redbeard appears in the video clip! The album continues even harder with “The Great Heathen Army”, with its awesome leads and rhythmic guitars in classic Death Metal paths. “Heidrun” follows, a pure Folk Metal track that almost invites you to sing along with Johan on the chorus and the lead guitars are unreal. Definitely my favorite one from the record, a real epic song that you want to hear over and over again! The fast-paced “Oden Owns You All”, follows the classic Death Metal paths of the first albums. Then we have “Find A Way Or Make One”, which once again combines hard and melodic elements, being a very well crafted song. The lead guitars are on fire and the chorus is very catchy with Johan’s vocal parts being incredible! It ranks among the best of the album! We continue with “Dawn of Norsemen”, a track with passages up to classical guitar and themes in the lead guitars that will even remind you of IRON MAIDEN!
But the big surprise comes with “Saxons And Vikings”. Some might remember “Predator” by NWOBHM legends SAXON, back in 2018. Johan Hegg made a guest appearance then and four years later the guest comes from the opposite direction. Hegg shares vocals with SAXON’s Biff Byford, which gives the tune extra points. It’s interesting to hear how the two voices complement each other and fit perfectly with the “Saxons And Vikings” theme. Penultimate song, “Skagul Rides With Me», is a classic AMON AMARTH’s composition. Surely we have heard similar moments from the Swedes before, but the song never ceases to fascinate you with the melodic guitars and the awesome dynamic chorus, with the use of keyboards giving extra points to the final result. “The Serpent’s Trail” closes the album. It is the longest song and draws its power from its slow and hard rhythm. Overall, the song has a very dark atmosphere, presenting Hegg as a kind of storyteller, alternating between typical growls and almost narrative moments. The use of keyboards is evident here as well, and for the first time the band is writing a song of this style!
Lyrically speaking, as Hegg himself said, “The Great Heathen Army” is not a concept album. The inspiration was drawn from historical elements, as in previous releases of this kind. There were also some great and different ideas that Johan wanted to explore, which came from his wife Maria, who has tapped into the more intimate aspects of the Viking way of life and culture! And he will always talk about stories of bravery, brutality and determination of that era, but also about purely historical events as in the title track. As for the production, it is flawless and dynamic as always. To sum up, “The Great Heathen Army” is one of the hardest and strongest albums AMON AMARTH have released in the last years, while at the same time there is a great evolution due to the new elements and surprises they have added, without forgetting their classic compositions for which they were loved by thousands of fans all over the world. It’s clearly the best album they have released since “With Oden On Our Side” in 2008 and, to tell you the truth, I didn’t see it coming, surprising me pleasantly! Invest in buying it without fear. The Swedes have raised the bar to immense heights that only they can surpass!
Rating: 8,5/10
Editor: Dimitris Argyrakis
Related Link: AMON AMARTH – Official Page
