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 Another masterpiece from the masters of Death Metal Jun 02, 2009
Amon Amarth, is one hell of a band. In the world of Metal finding good bands seems to be as rare as seeing Jesus at Christmas. But Amon Amarth has always risen up delivering a kickass album in their wake. Fate of Norns is just one of their amazing contributions to the Metal community. I say thank you Amon Amarth, you truely are like the vikings your epic tales tell of. You have destoyed all in your path, and risen to be their masters.
THE FATE OF NORNS AWAITS US ALL... Mar 28, 2009
Amon Amarth have once again delivered us another awesomely brilliant viking/death metal masterpiece that will march out of your speakers and pummel your brains in the only way these guys can do. Fate of Norns is simply awesome and amazing to say the least, I just love listening to this album just like I enjoy all of Amon Amarth's albums that I own (I still need to get The Avenger and The Crusher). It's definately a great follow up to their 2002 effort Versus the World, and it also proves that Amon Amarth keep getting better and better with each release, they never disappoint whatsoever, and I don't even recall the last time that AA even put out a bad album, not one at all. The sound and production of this album is very nice and clean. From the opening fist pumper "An Ancient Sign of Coming Storm" to the awesome closer "Once Sealed in Blood", every song on here is very catchy and memorable with the band's signature viking atmosphere intact throughout, and the lyrics are of course what you'd expect from AA: Vikings, Norse Mythology, loss and triumph, battle and revenge. I've always found their lyrical themes to be interesting and very fascinating, it's really like you're reading an epic story. Johan Hegg leads the charge as he always does with his ferocious and commanding yet intelligle growls. He has definately become one of my favorite death metal vocalists as of late, and his growls also pack tons of heartfelt emotion as well especially on the title track. Guitarists Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Soderberg both dominate throughout the album with catchy, brutal yet melodic headbanging worthy riffs and awesome tremelo picking melodies that will really get you headbanging or in Amon Amarth's case windmilling in unison. Ted Lundstrom rides high with nice, strong basslines, while skinsman Fredrik Andersson keeps everything in line with his fantastic drumming, and he's also great at slamming on the double bass especially on "Valkyries Ride" and "An Ancient Sign of Coming Storm". His playing is just excellent throughout, no questions asked.
The opening track "An Ancient Sign of Coming Storm" is an awesome album opener that immediately marches through the open battlefields and is highlighted by hefty, marching and pounding drum beats and busy, rolling double bass kicking, crushing yet melodic riffing and awesome striking melodies, and Johan's ferocious trademark growls to boot. Track two "Where Death Seems to Dwell" is another powerful and very atmospheric song and another one of my favorites as well, while the title track "Fate of Norns" is my personal favorite song which tells a story about a viking who's 6 year old son has been murdered, and he mourns his death to the Norns who have given him this terrible fate. This is definately one of my favorite Amon Amarth songs of all time, it's very addicting and intense, yet very hearfelt and emotional at time as well, words can't even describe how much I love it. Johan's vocals are genuinely heartfelt throughout, the riffing is just excellent, and the chorus is just simply amazing and catchy especially with the epic tremelo melodies backing it up. Another favorite of mine "The Pursuit of Vikings" is an extremely catchy and powerful track that is highlighted by smooth yet savagely violent riffage, and more hefty pounding drums, and a monstrous growl-along chorus that is simply powerful: "ODEN! GUIDE OUR SHIPS, OUR AXES, SPEARS AND SWORDS. GUIDE US THROUGH STORMS THAT WHIP, AND IN BRUTAL WAR!!" I swear, you can just feel the intensity in Johan's growls during that chorus. Track Five "Valkyries Ride" is another favorite that features almost endless double bass drumming by Fredrik that is just monstrous, as well as more powerful marching riffs, and I like around 3:10 where Johan goes "RIDE, RIDE, RIDE VALKYRIES! RIDE, RIDE, VALKYRIES... Track seven "Arson" is another powerful and epic cut, as well as the longest song (6:48) on the album. The lyrics to this song are just amazing. It tells a sad story about a group of vikings fighting outnumbered, and as they're overruned, they take refuge inside a house, and their enemies taunt and laugh at them, having set the house on fire. Only five men remained, and as they're about to die in the raging flames, they swore a sacred oath that revenge would be claimed if on of their friends survived, and they sealed the oath in blood. Only one makes it out in the end. I love the horn at the beginning, and the guitar riffs are nicely slow and melodic yet perfectly executed, and there's also some nice melodic soloing around 4:55. Fredrik's steady drumming really fits the rhythm of the song, and Johan lashes out a characteristically slow but dominating and commanding vocal attack as well. I like when the song ends with the sounds of burning fire.
Favorite songs: "Fate of Norns", "The Pursuit of Vikings", "Arson", "An Ancient Sign of Coming Storm", and "Valkyries Ride".
The bottom line is that Fate of Norns is simply an awesomely brilliant and epic viking/death metal classic, and it proves that Amon Amarth just continue to get beter and better with each release. If you're already a fan of Amon Amarth like I'am right now, then seriously by all means, buy this album now, play it loud, and let out the viking inside you. Trust me, this is an album that SHOULD NOT be ignored by any means neccessary. Highly Recommended!! LONG LIVE AMON AMARTH!!
 Melodic Viking Metal Apr 15, 2007
I saw Amon Amarth open up for Children of bodom a few months ago. I had heard of them but never listened. Walking into the concert hall and seeing this long haired, long bearded, scandinavian motherf*cker with a horn/flagon full of beer strapped around his waist proved quite an entertaining image. Then my ears perked as I noticed the guitars spewing forth a wall of melodic and layered riffing that made the inner warrior in me yearn to pick up a sword and traverse 1000 miles of salty, stormy sea water only to besiege a village of christian settlers, beheading them all. And thats not a bad start. :)
Long story short if you like the melodic, no keyboards side of scandinavian viking inspired metal, this is about as good as it gets. If Unleashed were playing melodic swedish death/black metal, this is what it would sound like.
Amon Amarth put on a really good live show, which is rare for metal bands in my opinion.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Spare me the down talk. Aug 12, 2006
This is an awesome band, and they've realeased an awesome CD. So it's not the most technical stuff. It has atmospehere. But ok, let's bash a band because their music has higher meaning than just cool sounds and constant head bangning. While there are some headbanging tracks on here, a lot of it is about the atmosphere. Somehow this music can sound very depressing but with in the same song gives you a sense of hope. It's a very different sound. Probably an aquired sound.
2 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Amon Amarth - Fate of Norns Jul 31, 2006
Amon Amarth have been around for quite sometime releasing death metal with viking metal elements, complete with tales of epic viking adventures. A lot of my friends had been long time fans of Amon Armath and enjoyed albums such as 'The Crusher' and 'Versus the World.' I had always wanted to purchase an album by this band, but I never really checked them out. That time came when I saw Children of Bodom tour the U.S. in late 2005. They brought Amon Armath with them and they had a lot of fun on stage and played a wonderful set.
Fate of Norns opens with a thriller, 'An Ancient Sign of Coming Storm.' The riffs here are killer and Johan Hegg's vocals are very good. This song is one of the best on the album. The title track (Fate of Norns) sounds similar with the riffs and is a good listen. The song 'Arson' has a viking horn present in the introduction. This adds a little to the viking theme. The albums ends with 'Once sealed in Blood' the conclusion to a rather short album.
It has taken awhile for this album to grow on me, and it has a little. I was blown away by these guys with their live set. They play with a lot of passion and they look like vikings up on stage. I purchased this album, their latest release (Fate of Norns) because Hegg was hanging out at the merchandise table, and I shook his hand and told him, "Great show, man...it was a pleasure seeing you guys play in Southern Cal." This album is slower than I anticipated as a whole. It sort of stays in 'cruise control' for the entire album. New fans should start with 'Verses the World' or 'The Crusher.' This album is good, but not the best material written by this amazing band from Sweden.
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