┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Amon Amarth - Berserker-(SICP 6121-2) + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Jun-27-2019 Encoder......L3.100 -v0 ║ │ │║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2019 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........cd1: 12 cd2: 16 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.amonamarth.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Amon Amarth Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : Berserker-(SICP 6121-2) Label : Metal Blade ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ For the better part of 30 years, Amon Amarth has ║ │ │║ not only been a pinnacle of consistency within ║ │ │║ the broader Swedish melodic death metal scene, ║ │ │║ but also a veritable band of modern bards that ║ │ │║ have laid forth a musical retelling of ║ │ │║ Scandinavian lore and history almost as ║ │ │║ comprehensive as the Poetic Eddas themselves. ║ │ │║ Nevertheless, with each new studio offering they ║ │ │║ somehow manage to tackle new lyrical territory ║ │ │║ despite now being eleven LPs deep into their ║ │ │║ career, all the while still maintaining a ║ │ │║ steadfast loyalty to their adopted stylistic ║ │ │║ niche that sees their sound evolving in very ║ │ │║ gradual steps. But for those core fans that have ║ │ │║ followed their career since the primordial days ║ │ │║ of Once Sent From The Golden Hall to the ║ │ │║ present, there has been a progression of ideas ║ │ │║ that finds them in a fairly new territory, all ║ │ │║ the while causing all to wonder how they were at ║ │ │║ it for so long and never got around to tackling ║ │ │║ one of the most well-known phenomena in Viking ║ │ │║ Age battle tactics. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Despite putting out studio material regularly ║ │ │║ since the mid-1990s, only now at the twilight of ║ │ │║ the current decade has the iconic historical ║ │ │║ character know as Berserker found itself gracing ║ │ │║ the cover of SwedenÆs premier disseminator of ║ │ │║ all things Nordic. Along for the ride is a ║ │ │║ collection of highly memorable anthems to the ║ │ │║ exploits of the mighty Norsemen and the deeds of ║ │ │║ their pantheonÆs principle characters that is ║ │ │║ well polished and prime for the arena, be it ║ │ │║ that of the concert hall or of a gladiatorÆs ║ │ │║ ring. To the uninitiated, the latter days of ║ │ │║ this bandÆs career has seen them settle into ║ │ │║ more of a stylized, less chaotic variant of ║ │ │║ melodeath perhaps best comparable to the power ║ │ │║ thrashing character of recent Arch Enemy ║ │ │║ outings, though minus the wild technical guitar ║ │ │║ displays and with a vocalist in Johan Hegg whoÆs ║ │ │║ deep guttural barks are more reminiscent of the ║ │ │║ old school death metal vocal persona best ║ │ │║ exemplified in Chris Barnes and a number of ║ │ │║ early Swedish vocalists including fellow Viking ║ │ │║ obsessed traditional death metal pioneers ║ │ │║ Unleashed. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The name of this maddened warrior charging the ║ │ │║ enemy lines 10 paces ahead of his comradeÆs game ║ │ │║ is memorable yet nuanced songwriting, and while ║ │ │║ the approach proves to be fairly formulaic and ║ │ │║ definitely in line with the bandÆs sound since ║ │ │║ the release of With Oden By Our Side, there are ║ │ │║ a few noteworthy surprises that find little ║ │ │║ precedent in Amon AmarthÆs career. Though not ║ │ │║ known for employing acoustic guitars and overtly ║ │ │║ folksy themes in their writing, the opening song ║ │ │║ ôFafnerÆs Goldö starts off like a Viking metal ║ │ │║ reinterpretation of MetallicaÆs ôBlackenedö ║ │ │║ intro, which differs from said classic song in ║ │ │║ that the introductory material is reprised in ║ │ │║ the lead guitar during the chorus and the songÆs ║ │ │║ thrashing character has more of a deep, down- ║ │ │║ tuned demeanor. Starting off on a similarly ║ │ │║ subdued note with a folksy clean guitar intro, ║ │ │║ the chaotic crusher ôIronsideö follows a ║ │ │║ likewise straightforward structure, then out of ║ │ │║ nowhere exclusively harsh shouter Johan Hegg ║ │ │║ decides to trot out a clean sung passage in a ║ │ │║ dense, husky bass register that could almost ║ │ │║ pass for Peter Steele. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Throughout this grand epic excursion a number of ║ │ │║ other fairly surprising peripheral devices rear ║ │ │║ their heads, such as a piano and orchestrated ║ │ │║ prelude to the more coasting and slow-paced epic ║ │ │║ closing song ôInto The Darkö and the almost ║ │ │║ melodic power metal-like character of the guitar ║ │ │║ work and driving feel of ôMjolner, Hammer Of ║ │ │║ Thorö, but overall this album seals the deal ║ │ │║ with a series of predictable bangers that ║ │ │║ reminisce on the glorious character of their ║ │ │║ turn of the decade albums Twilight Of The ║ │ │║ Thunder God and Surtur Rising. This is perhaps ║ │ │║ best exemplified in the rich guitar harmonies ║ │ │║ and generally simple riff assault of mid-paced ║ │ │║ songs like ôWhen Once Again We Can Set Our ║ │ │║ Sailsö and the driving up tempo cruiser ôRavenÆs ║ │ │║ Flightö, though the high octane thrashing of ║ │ │║ ôSkoll And Hatiö proves to be no slouch in the ║ │ │║ nostalgia department and will likely take any ║ │ │║ fan of this bandÆs previous efforts back to the ║ │ │║ glory of ôTwilight Of The Thunder Godö, which ║ │ │║ many view as the greatest musical accomplishment ║ │ │║ of their current stylistic incarnation. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ In the grand scheme of this outfitÆs career, ║ │ │║ Amon Amarth has had few lulls to speak of, but ║ │ │║ this is among the stronger albums theyÆve put ║ │ │║ out since the mid-2000s. Bare minimum, it stands ║ │ │║ toe to toe with the widely lauded Twilight Of ║ │ │║ The Thunder God and Surtur Rising, the latter of ║ │ │║ which still remains the author of this reviewÆs ║ │ │║ personal favorite of the lot by an axeÆs tip. ║ │ │║ ItÆs difficult to say definitively where the ║ │ │║ apex of this album rests, as the whole thing ║ │ │║ listens like a straight succession of glorious ║ │ │║ battles along the lines of the most recent Game ║ │ │║ Of Thrones episodes. With a moderate amount of ║ │ │║ surprises that open their formula to further ║ │ │║ possibilities down the line, itÆs pretty safe to ║ │ │║ say that unlike the lyrical topics that they ║ │ │║ cover, Amon Amarth is not relegated to the past. ║ │ │║ The dragon boats may no longer be terrorizing ║ │ │║ the coasts of Europe and Ragnarok may well have ║ │ │║ come and gone, but these stalwart storytellers ║ │ │║ are sure to find plenty more ways to retell the ║ │ │║ same grand tales. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Originally written for Sonic Perspectives ║ │ │║ (www.sonicperspectives.com) ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ - CD1 [ ] │ │ - [ ] │ │ 01 - Fafner┤s Gold [05:00] │ │ 02 - Crack The Sky [03:49] │ │ 03 - Mjolner, Hammer Of Thor [04:43] │ │ 04 - Shield Wall [03:46] │ │ 05 - Valkyria [04:43] │ │ 06 - Raven┤s Flight [05:20] │ │ 07 - Ironside [04:30] │ │ 08 - The Berserker At Stamford Bridge [05:13] │ │ 09 - When Once Again We Can Set Our Sails [04:25] │ │ 10 - Skoll And Hati [04:27] │ │ 11 - Wings Of Eagles [04:03] │ │ 12 - Into The Dark [06:48] │ │ - [ ] │ │ - CD2 [ ] │ │ - [ ] │ │ 01 - The Pursuit Of Vikings [06:19] │ │ 02 - As Loke Falls [04:24] │ │ 03 - First Kill [04:28] │ │ 04 - The Way Of Vikings [05:18] │ │ 05 - Ar Dawn┤s First Light [03:44] │ │ 06 - Cry Of The Black Birds [04:42] │ │ 07 - Deceiver Of The Gods [04:14] │ │ 08 - Destroyer Of The Universe [03:42] │ │ 09 - Death In Fire [05:03] │ │ 10 - Father Of The Wolf [05:36] │ │ 11 - Runes To My Memory [04:45] │ │ 12 - War Of The Gods [04:46] │ │ 13 - Raise Your Horns [04:35] │ │ 14 - A Dream That Cannot Be [04:32] │ │ 15 - Guardians Of Asgaard [04:43] │ │ 16 - Twilight Of The Thunder God [06:51] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [134:2] min │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘