Album Review: Amon Amarth – The Allfather Awakens (Metal Blade Records)

Amon Amarth are back with their 13th studio album, The Allfather Awakens, due out on 2nd October via Metal Blade Records.

Formed in Tumba, Sweden in 1992, Amon Amarth have spent more than three decades building a reputation as one of the biggest and most recognisable names in melodic death metal. Their combination of powerful riffs, memorable melodies and Norse mythology-inspired lyrics has taken them from their early days through major festival headline slots and huge tours around the world, with albums such as Jomsviking and The Great Heathen Army further cementing their place in the scene. Their memorable and involving live performances then further cement their place as one of the most iconic bands in heavy metal today.

The Allfather Awakens sees the band taking a slightly different approach to the song writing and recording process. Written while touring and recorded across two sessions with producer Jacob Hansen in Denmark, the band worked on each song individually until it was considered complete. The result is a 10-track album that continues the band’s established sound while introducing some new elements, including their first acoustic offering as stated by guitarist Olavi Mikkonen.

“We worked on one song at a time and made each song as good as possible. Then we recorded one song at a time until each track was totally finished–drums, guitars, and vocals. Only then did we start on the next one.”

For a band with more than 3 decades of experience, it is always impressive how much hunger and desire they still have. Amon Amarth see The Allfather Awakens as the door opening on another chapter for the band. A band clearly still hungry and driven. For fans of the band, this will even lead into a whole new stage production for this cycle as the band unveils an entirely new production inspired by Oden’s legendary Golden Hall, transforming the concert experience into a living extension of The Allfather Awakens.

Amon Amarth is Johan Hegg on vocals, Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg on guitars, Ted Lundström on bass and Jocke Wallgren on drums.

The Allfather Awakens gets off to a very typical Amon Amarth start with Gjallarhorn and Eight Legs of Thunder, both bringing plenty of power, heaviness and catchy riffs. Gjallarhorn is particularly built for the live environment, while Eight Legs of Thunder stands out for its driving galloping riff, darker vocals and a guitar solo with a bit of a NWOBHM vibe.

Kvasir’s Blood is where things get more interesting, slowing the pace and bringing a chunky groove, dark vocals and plenty of depth. It feels like Amon Amarth pushing themselves creatively without losing what makes them recognisable, bringing some of their older and newer ideas together into a song that is both unexpected and very impressive. We Rule the Waves then returns to a more familiar sound, with a catchy riff and singalong chorus that should work well live. It’s another good Amon Amarth song, although one that doesn’t exactly inspire or surprise.

Upphaf is the biggest change of pace so far, with Amon Amarth delivering their first full acoustic track. The harmonising guitars and Johan’s more spoken/growled vocal approach work really well, while the translated stanza from Völuspá adds plenty of atmosphere. It’s a refreshing addition that shows the band still have the drive to try something different rather than simply sticking to what they know works.

Die With a War Cry keeps things heavy but slows the pace to a dark and moody stomp, with menacing vocals, catchy beats and melodic guitars that still carry plenty of threat. It feels less polished than some of their recent work and leans further towards the death metal side of their sound.

Raven God brings some energy back through driving melodies, strong riffs, a hefty rhythm section and a very catchy chorus. It’s another example of the more tried and tested Amon Amarth sound, but it works well within an album that has a nice balance between the familiar and the new. The Allfather Awakes continues that balance, combining familiar elements with some fresher ideas, particularly through its excellent driving lead guitar melodies.

Oden’s Hunt then picks the pace back up with a fiery and furious track built for circle pits and crowd participation. Fast drums and bass, layers of melody and aggressive vocals give it plenty of adrenaline, while the chant section and darker closing vocals add some extra character.

Ascending Like an Eagle closes the album with an epic, nearly seven-minute track that pulls together a bit of everything Amon Amarth do. It moves between a darker, heavier sound that recalls their earlier work and a more modern, catchy approach, with strong melodies, an exciting instrumental section and plenty of changes in pace and mood. It’s a well-written and perfectly executed closer that brings their different styles together and reinforces the feeling that The Allfather Awakens is an evolution rather than a revolution.

The Allfather Awakens is a very strong album. I wasn’t expecting any real change from Amon Amarth here, but I was very pleasantly surprised and really like the fact that they’ve mixed things up a little. There are plenty of familiar sounds, riffs and ideas that you would expect from the band, but there are also some different approaches that keep things fresh, with Upphaf being the obvious example. It’s evolution rather than revolution, but that’s no bad thing. After more than 30 years, Amon Amarth don’t need to completely reinvent themselves and instead they’ve found ways to add something new while still sounding like the Amon Amarth we know and love.

Track List:

1 – Gjallarhorn Preview
2 – Eight Legs of Thunder Preview
3 – Kvasir’s Blood Preview
4 – We Rule the Waves Preview
5 – Upphaf Preview
6 – Die with a War Cry Preview
7 – Raven God Preview
8 – The Allfather Awakes Preview
9 – Oden’s Hunt Preview
10 – Ascending Like an Eagle

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