Amon Amarth – “Fate of Norns”

Released: 2004, Metalblade Records (http://www.metalblade.de/)

Amon Amarth’s latest album, titled “Fate of Norns” is already the fifth full-length album in the Amon Amarth discography. These Swedish viking metallers know what metal is and have reached one of the top positions in the metal world. With a handful of viking sagas as lyrics, and a load of melodic guitar riffs this album proves to be another great CD to add to your collection.

The album starts off with a song that has a very appropriate title; “An ancient sign of coming storm”, and it’s a great choice to start off the album with. Starting with a great melodic guitar riff which is well put together, followed by a bunch of tremolo picking notes, as more songs have, “An ancient sign of coming storm” begins the album at full speed. “Where death seems to dwell” follows, and this is probably the most extraordinary song on the album, as during the first two minutes, Johan Hegg (vocalist) describes the scene as part of the lyrics. Though the song speeds up a little after that, it still continues to have this special something to it. The titlesong “Fate of Norns” is different from the other songs lyric wise as this song describes the parting of father and son on the battlefield due to the death of the son. Though this does feature the typical battle scene, I can’t remember a song that described feelings like this from the other albums. And what I like most about this song, is that the tempo is kept at a very high level, as the guitar riffs keep up the speed, without using only one actual riff throughout the whole song.

The winter lets go and time has come to sail away, that is what the next song “Pursuit of Vikings” describes. In my opinion this song has the best lyrics of all, maybe evened by “The beheading of a King”. The lyrics haven’t changed much since the last album, though throughout the years they have changed from anti Christian to little more mellow, as he describes in an interview with the Dutch magazine “Aardschok”. 

What I did miss throughout the album was a less speed variation than as heard on the previous album, though it is very hard trying to beat the high standard they put down with “Versus the World”. Also some more solo guitars and a little variation from the tremolo picking would have been nice. But all in all, I think that Amon Amarth has done a very good job in putting down another great album in viking metal history, and an honourable CD to their discography.
Recommendable songs are: “Pursuit of Vikings” & “Beheading of a King”

Rating: 9/10                                                                                                Review by Rhoutna

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