Amon Amarth is a rare case in the metal scene for today’s standards. First of all the band has created their own unique sound and has managed something really difficult –for today’s standards once again- which is the making of eight very good records in a row. Second they have invented a formula to combine heavy, death and viking metal in a quite catchy way thus they are popular to a bigger audience. Third their live shows are unforgettable and fourth, metal ladies love them a lot.
Personally I’m impressed by “Surtur Rising”. Although the new opus is elaborated more or less in the same way with “Twilight Of The Thunder God” and “With Oden On Our Side” it proves to be their strongest effort to date structurally wise. With high quality songs like “Töck’s Taunt – Loke’s Treachery Part II”, “Live Without Regrets”, “The Last Stand Of Frej” and “A Beast I Am” I rank “Surtur Rising” in the list of the year’s top ten albums of the genre at least! Death metal riffs, heavy lead solos, brutal growls and fast/technical drumming meets melody in the best possible way I can think of. Needless to say that the epic feeling of the songwriting becomes stronger and stronger as the years go by.
Buy it in one of the many interesting editions; it worth every single cent.
