Amon Amarth

Amon Amarth is a Viking-themed melodic death metal band from Tumba, Sweden founded in 1992. It is named after a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The name means "Mount Doom" in Sindarin, one of Tolkien's Elvish languages. The band was originally known as Scum, and released a single demo under that name in 1988 before changing their name to Amon Amarth in 1992.

History

Formed under the name Scum in 1988, the band was originally a grindcore group formed by Themgoroth (Dark Funeral), Olavi (guitar) and Ted (bass guitar). When Johan joined the band, it resulted in a musical change towards death metal. After a 1991 demo, they changed the band's name to Amon Amarth in 1992. After they became Amon Amarth, they released a demo recording, The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter, in 1994, selling all 1000 demo discs in less than 12 hours.^{[citation needed]} This demo brought them to sign at Pulverised Records, on which they released in 1996 their first MCD Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds, from which they sold 6000 copies (spread throughout four different versions). This release brought them to sign with Metal Blade Records. With the release of the album Once Sent from the Golden Hall in 1998, their popularity rose internationally and since has meant multiple Canadian tours, US tours, festival appearances, five music videos, and appearances in over 100 metal magazines. In early January 2008, their first tour of Australia and New Zealand took place, along with supporting Dimmu Borgir on tour in Europe. They finished a US and Canadian tour with Sonic Syndicate and Himsa beforehand. Decapitated was scheduled to appear on tour with Amon Amarth but cancelled when their drummer, Witold "Vitek" Kieltyka, passed away on November 2nd in a Russian hospital due to injuries he sustained from a recent road collision. The group has gradually gained further exposure including Richard Christy on The Howard Stern Show mentioning his attendance at one of their concerts.

The February 2008 edition of Terrorizer magazine confirmed that the band is working on a new album due for a late summer release. Amon Amarth also extended their record deal with Metal Blade Records for three more albums.

The title of the new album by Amon Amarth is Twilight of the Thunder God, to be released on September 17, 2008 for Finland and Sweden. It will feature guest appearances by Lars Göran Petrov of Entombed, Roope Latvala of Children of Bodom, and the cello metal band Apocalyptica. Along with the release of the album will be an eight-page comic strip based on Norse mythology which will be released by magazines from all over Europe.

Amon Amarth will go on a North American headlining tour in October 2008, with support from Ensiferum, Belphegor, and a melodic death metal band from Tampa named The Absence.^[6]

Musical style and lyrical themes

The four Swedish and one Finnish musician, who are known for their synchronised headbanging in music videos and at live performances, base most of their songs on Norse mythology, the Viking Age, and the pre-christian world. This mythology is an element that originally emerged as an ideological off-shoot of black metal known as Viking metal in the early 1990s, made popular by such bands as Bathory and Enslaved, although the band's sound is more in the vein of early Amorphis and mid-period Bolt Thrower. Lead singer Johan Hegg's sister sometimes contributes lyrics for the band.

When commenting on the name of the band, vocalist Johan Hegg has remarked:

“	...it was Ted who found the name. Don't ask me how cause none of us were ever really Lord of the Ring fans but it sounded cool and the meaning of it is killer! It's the name of "Mount Doom" in Sindarin, whatever that is, ask a Tolkien fan. But I think it's cool and really symbolizes what Amon Amarth stands for.	„
—The Metal Web's interview with Johan Hegg

When asked to comment on the band's genre, vocalist Johan Hegg also remarked:

“	We play death metal. We write about vikings so therefore some refer us to viking metal, but I have no idea what that is. I can't imagine the viking’s veer into metal at all except on the swords and stuff. And musically, I guess they only played these strange lip instruments and some bongos or whatever.	„
—The Metal Web's interview with Johan Hegg

Discography

Albums

Released	Title	Label
1991	Demo 1	Self-released as Scum
1993	Thor Arise	Never released
1994	The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter	Self-released, see below
1996	Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds	Pulverised
1998	Once Sent from the Golden Hall	Metal Blade
1999	The Avenger	Metal Blade
2001	The Crusher	Metal Blade
2002	Versus the World	Metal Blade
2004	Fate of Norns	Metal Blade
2006	With Oden on Our Side	Metal Blade
2008	Twilight of the Thunder God (September 17, 2008)	Metal Blade

Thor Arise

Thor Arise is a demo by the Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth, recorded in 1993. The album was never initially released due to its low production standards. The album features "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" a cover song after Black Sabbath. The song, "Thor Arise" was re-recorded as a bonus track on the digipak version of The Avenger. "Risen from the Sea" was re-recorded on The Crusher. The entire album was re-released with the "Viking Edition" of Versus the World.

Track listing

1. "Risen from the Sea" − 5:43
2. "Atrocious Humanity" − 5:54
3. "Army of Darkness" − 5:26
4. "Thor Arise" − 6:30
5. "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" − 4:22 (Black Sabbath cover)

Credits

• Nico Kaukinen − drums
• Olavi Mikkonen − guitar
• Johan Hegg − death vocals
• Anders Hansson − guitar
• Ted Lundström − bass

The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter

The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter is a demo self-released in 1994. Its original release was limited and consisted of 1000 copies. The demo was released on three different colour tapes with different styles. The "labels" for the demo aren't professionally-made, and were created by the band for the release of the demo.

Track listing

1. "Burning Creation" − 4:48
2. "The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter" − 4:38
3. "Without Fear" − 4:42

Credits

• Nico Mehra − drums
• Olavi Mikkonen − guitars
• Johan Hegg − vocals
• Anders Hannson − guitars
• Ted Lundström − bass

Videography

Aestheticom, a music video production company, was chosen to produce videos for "Runes to My Memory" and "Cry of the Black Birds", both directed by Bill Schacht.

Released	Title	Producer
2003	Death in Fire
2004	The Pursuit of Vikings
2006	Wrath of the Norsemen
2006	Runes to My Memory
2007	Cry of the Black Birds

Members

Amon Amarth on Metalmania Festival 2005 in Poland

Current members

• Johan Hegg − vocals
• Johan Söderberg − guitars
• Olavi Mikkonen − guitars
• Ted Lundström − bass guitar
• Fredrik Andersson − drums

Former Members

As Amon Amarth:

• Anders Hansson − guitars (Thor Arise - Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds - Once Sent from the Golden Hall)
• Nico Kaukinen − drums (Thor Arise - Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds)
• Martin Lopez − drums

As Scum:

• Paul "Themgoroth" Mäkitalo − vocals (left the band before the demo was released, when it was named Scum)