Amon Amarth

Emerging from Sweden in the early 1990s, Amon Amarth earned a reputation as one of melodic death metal’s most reliable and respected acts through a style that merged traditional scorched-earth Scandinavian death metal with themes rooted in Viking history and lore. Their breakthrough arrived in 2008 via the landmark seventh album Twilight of the Thunder God, which charted both domestically and internationally and opened doors for later successes including Deceiver of the Gods (2013) and Berserker (2019). The Great Heathen Army arrived in 2022.

The band’s origins trace to 1988, when the group formed under the name Scum with vocalist Paul Mäkitalo (Dark Funeral), lead guitarist Olavi Mikkonen, bassist Petri Tarvainen, and rhythm guitarist Vesa Meriläinen. A reconfigured lineup featuring vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Mikkonen and Anders Hansson, bassist Ted Lundstrom, and drummer Niko Kaukinen adopted the name Amon Amarth in 1992, drawn from the Sindarin term for Mount Doom in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The quintet tracked their first demo, Thor Arise, in 1993, though sound issues prevented its release; a follow-up demo, Arrival of the Fimbul Winter, appeared in 1994 and quickly sold out its entire pressing of 1,000 copies. The Singapore-based Pulverised label issued the EP Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds in mid-1996; Kaukinen soon departed, with Martin Lopez stepping in for the 1998 full-length Once Sent from the Golden Hall. Released on Metal Blade, the album solidified the band’s standing in the death metal world. Hansson exited after its release, clearing the path for guitarist Johan Söderberg and drummer Fredrik Andersson, whose first studio work appeared on 1999’s Avenger—the lineup that would prove the longest-lasting and most productive, remaining intact well into the 2010s.

The aptly titled and punishing Crusher surfaced in 2001, followed in 2002 by the dark and melancholic Versus the World, which introduced a more measured and bottom-heavy approach. Fate of Norns continued that direction in 2004 and preceded 2006’s With Oden on Our Side, the first Amon Amarth album to register on the Billboard charts. Twilight of the Thunder God (2008) became the band’s most widely praised and commercially successful release to date, appearing on numerous year-end Top Ten lists. Their eighth studio album, Surtur Rising, emerged in 2011 and was supported by a world tour that included metal luminaries Children of Bodom and Ensiferum. Deceiver of the Gods arrived in 2013 and included a guest vocal appearance by former Candlemass singer Messiah Marcolin. Longtime drummer Fredrik Andersson left in 2015; session drummer Tobias Gustafsson handled duties on 2016’s Jomsviking before Jocke Wallgren was installed as the permanent replacement. Wallgren’s studio debut came with the 11th album, Berserker, in 2019. In May 2021 the group issued a re-recorded version of the 2001 track “Masters of War” to mark the 20th anniversary of The Crusher. June 2022 brought the announcement of The Great Heathen Army, slated for August release and accompanied by the music video “Get in the Ring,” written for AEW pro-wrestler Erick Redbeard, who also appeared in it. The nine-track set was produced by Andy Sneap and placed renewed focus on crushing death metal.