The Allfather Awakens is the highly anticipated 13th album by Swedish berserker veterans Amon Amarth, who, over the last three decades have well and truly cemented themselves as the band that comes to mind whenever anyone mentions Viking Metal.
There is no doubt that Amon Amarth have a tried and tested formula that just works. Their sound is so distinctive and instantly recognisable and it’s pleasing to see that they haven’t deviated from that in their latest incarnation, only heightening and refining it. The production is top notch and whilst there are still raw and thundering riffs aplenty, it feels more classic, less clinical and somehow more accessible.
Gjallarhorn is just destined for a big crowd to chant along to, and it is a fantastic opener for both an album and a live show – proper soul stirring, anthemic stuff ready to rouse an army of even the most sluggish heathens. Eight Legs of Thunder continues in much the same vein; the galloping riffs and Johan Hegg’s distinctive guttural roars all combining to provide the perfect ambience for a sea of raised drinking horns.
That feeling of momentum continues to build throughout the album. Kvasir’s Blood showcases the utter brutality of Hegg’s vocals and they have crafted such a perfectly menacing and ominous build up with this one that then gives way into a memorable and catchy melody that is just so distinctively theirs. We Rule the Waves also has that classic Amon Amarth sound and style with some excellently aggressive sweeping guitar work from Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg. If you weren’t already getting it, the chorus of “We are Vikings” definitely hammers the message home. Yes, it’s a statement of the obvious – but it’s also catchy as hell and you can almost already hear a packed-out crowd raising a venue roof shouting it.
Upphaf gives us an unexpected breather. Amon Amarth are not the band that comes to mind when you mention an acoustic number, so this was an interesting move on their part and one that I think will make some of the “all their songs sound the same” naysayers see them in a slightly different light. Upphaf beautifully showcases their versatility as musicians, and they are able to stick with their theming beautifully despite it being a very different sound to what we are used to hearing from them. Despite much of their popularity coming from sticking to what they have always done, it is refreshing to hear something a bit different.
Die With a War Cry satiates the appetite for the slower paced chuggy riffs we know and love, and they keep it interesting with some lovely tempo changes and absolutely crushing drums. Following this is Raven God, which harks back to all-seeing Oden’s ravens Huginn and Muninn. This song feels like an arena conquering saga, the twin guitar attack and aggressive drumming blending with some beautiful melodic elements, maintaining the imagery and momentum they are so adept at crafting.
The Allfather Awakes is another rousing epic full of atmosphere and contains everything you could want from an Amon Amarth song – riffs, chugs, kicks and roar that make you want to down a horn full of mead and charge into battle. You can instantly sense that this is the song that has tied the album together. The fraught fervour of Oden’s Hunt takes things up a notch with frantic drums and guitars, and is a powerful, pounding track clearly designed to be listened to at full volume.
It’s a brave choice to end an album with a six-minute epic, but it’s one that has paid off. Ascending Like An Eagle is heartening, powerful; and almost symphonic in terms of its sound and its imagery. The song is immaculately put together, the layering of all the different elements blending beautifully into a heroic saga of a song. Where so much of the theming and imagery can lean towards the darker aspects of Norse mythology, it is rather pleasing to end the album on a sweeping, soaring, uplifting note.
Overall, this is a really, really solid drop from Amon Amarth and, in my opinion, is a notable step up in terms of writing and production quality from The Great Heathen Army. I have listened to this album several times both in preparation for this review and since writing it, and have found myself enjoying it more and more with every listen. I am pleased to report that the new songs included in their setlist for their current tour translate excellently to the live setting as well.
It is both commendable and impressive to have had such enduring longevity and success from a single theme – and here they are proving all these years later that not only does their formula still work, but they are still able to elevate their offering. It is not reinventing the wheel; it is not a huge deviation or change in creative direction; it is simply Amon Amarth doing what Amon Amarth does best. The Allfather is well and truly awake. Raise your horns!
Album review by Kate Elfström
