ALBUM REVIEW: The Great Heathen Army – Amon Amarth

With the wind fiercely blowing in their sails and their ferocious sights set on an island full of anxious Saxons, the Great Heathen Army bear down seeking to decimate and conquer the four ancient kingdoms of England. The latest chapter in the saga of AMON AMARTH, the undisputed kings of Viking themed melodic death metal, the Swedes channel the might of Halfdan Ragnarsson, Ivar the Boneless and Ubba (three out of five sons of the iconic and legendary Ragnar Lodbrok) and raise the raven banners of the Great Heathen Army of 865AD and unleash battle-fury and chaos on the world. The 12th studio album and latest addition to an illustrious back catalogue sees the band’s heavier side come to the fore. With a more death metal focus, The Great Heathen Army is a darker and heavier album than its predecessor Berserker, however the jarls of Stockholm definitely sneak in a few delightful surprises along the way.

AMON AMARTH have always been a band with high standards when entering the studio, constantly seeking to improve their sound with new innovations whilst staying true to themselves. Employing the services of Andy Sneap again, The Great Heathen Army captures the purest essence of AMON AMARTH whilst still allowing plenty of space for new ideas. Over the album’s nine snarling tracks, the Swedes tackle a turbulent period of history in the North Sea area, where the Saxon kingdoms (with the exemplary exception of King Ælfred’s mighty Wessex) were dominated by a coalition force of Danes, Norsemen and Swedes alongside a few Norse–Gaels. The Great Heathen Army’s tense atmospheres and pounding rhythms definitely give you the impression that doom is on its way, carrying with it a host of merciless and rapacious warriors. As a result, this new interpretation of the period feels much more brutal than anything the band have created before.

Musically, the album unsurprisingly bears the more modern signature of AMON AMARTH’s sound, however the are moments where the band hark back to their early history and incorporate the darkness, speed and heaviness of their earlier albums. The most notable influences come from Versus The World and Fate Of The Norns. With the focus on a powerful and in-your-face approach to songwriting combined with the signature AMON AMARTH sound, The Great Heathen Army is certainly a punchier affair than Berserker. Heidrun however, is this album’s Raise Your Horns, which offers a light relief from the sonic pudding you receive. A catchy folk melody has you jumping out of your seat in triumph, mead in hand singing the praises of Heiðrún, the goat that chews the foliage of the tree of Lærað as mead comes from her teat.

Some of the more surprising elements come on the album’s later tracks such as Saxons And Vikings which tells the story of the Vikings invasion of Wessex with a stunning dual vocal from Johan Hegg and, at the time of writing, an unannounced feature from a stunning classic metal voice. We also see the band incorporate more symphonic style melodies and vocals, especially on Skagul Rides With Me and The Serpent’s Trail. The latter finishes the album with a triumphant, cinematic and epic flourish as a warrior descends into darkness.

With the exemption of the aforementioned songs, the rest of the album is pretty standard AMON AMARTH fare: fast, brutal and heavy melodic death metal. That being said, the band’s sound has become increasingly expansive over the last years, and as a result the melodies that transcend the album have real space to breathe, which has become one of the band’s strengths as their songwriting becomes more anthemic. Find A Way Or Make One and Dawn Of The Norsemen are cinematic and rousing anthems that fire up your inner Norseman; the latter contains soaring melodies and tells the tale of the first voyages west that the Vikings took across the North Sea. Get In The Ring is most notably used by Erick Redbeard of AEW fame for his entrance music, yet the subject matter suits both wrestling and Vikings perfectly, with the vibe of a flighting battle ultimately ending in violence.

Overall, AMON AMARTH have added another solid album to their epic saga of solid albums. With their darker side prevailing it is definitely the heaviest album the band have done in recent years, but despite its epic nature it doesn’t venture too far out of their comfort zone. Whilst there are significant and awesome surprises throughout the album it feels more like a continuation of an established narrative that started way back on Twilight Of The Thunder God, rather than a bold step in a new direction. Don’t be fooled though, it still kicks ass and will not hesitate to bury an axe in your skull at the first time of asking.

Rating: 8/10

The Great Heathen Army is set for release on August 5th via Metal Blade Records.

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