Melodic death metal has truly garnered several noteworthy bands within the last few decades, but none have come even close to the legends that are Amon Amarth. Ever since the 90’s they have been kicking all of our asses with their very potent and special blend of melodic death mixed with a theme of viking mythology that’ll make you instantly grow a beard and make you feel like you’re a vicious plunderer of old yourself. Anyone who is any sort of fan of this band have been anxiously awaiting their upcoming album “Jomsviking” as there are now two singles that have wet everyone’s pallet and makes us all want to jump into the midst of the legendary mercenaries for which the album is named after. And let me tell you that you’ve no idea what you’re in for with “Jomsviking” I mean that until you hear this record you’ve no f**king idea how ridiculously and monstrously huge this album is. As an effective concept album in it of itself, this record follows the tale of a man and his titular comrades killing their enemies, honoring the fallen, fighting alongside their comrades, spilling rivers of blood, and experiencing the monumental moment of a warrior’s first kill that acted as his transition from a mere boy to eventually a vicious warrior. This is also the most diverse Amon Amarth record to date as the whole album is still 100% melodic death, but just the way it’s performed, the story telling, and overall feel of “Jomsviking” is on a whole ‘nother level than compared to their previous works which are of course fantastic but they just pale in comparison to this fantastic tale. Not much has changed in terms of the style that is performed by the band which makes this record very interesting to me because it shows that they can still use the same basic formula that they’ve been using for so long and they can still somehow create something that sounds fresh and super exciting upon listening to it, and with eleven tracks spread out over 52 minutes there’s an absolute f**k ton of that sweetness to go around for everyone to enjoy over and over again. Bring all of that awesomeness together you have what is in my opinion Amon Amarth’s best album to have ever been put out as it’s got all the essentials of both a good melodic death album, a great Amon Amarth album, and elements that are must haves for any sort of concept album rolled into one epic, seamless experience. “Jomsviking” will without a doubt be one of (and arguably the) best album to have come out this year when it drops, and I know that’s saying a lot but when you jam out to this album and feel like a viking like never before then you will know exactly what I’m talking about.
“Jomsviking” releases on March 25th. You can purchase the album via iTunes here, and watch the music video for the single “At Dawn’s First Light” via YouTube below.
