Amon Amarth's 'The Great Heathen Army' - Album Review

Given the ambivalence and sometimes contempt in which metal is held by certain portions of the UK population, it is always good when a band rises above this and becomes big enough to play in the arenas which the more mainstream acts occupy on a regular basis. Metal is certainly not demonised in the UK, but it is certainly less understood or accepted by the mainstream than it is in many other European countries - which I have always found strange considering how important the UK has been over the years to the genre's development. I think it comes down a closed-minded approach that many residents of the UK have, which covers everything - not just music. I feel that people in the UK are generally less willing to try new things than people from other countries - which leads to metal being out of reach for many. Of course, though, this affects the metal community, too. The amount of squabbling that accompanies every line-up announcement that the Bloodstock Open Air festival makes is testament to this. Things that are not 'true' metal or 'metal enough' are often dismissed out of hand, whereas it is not uncommon to see Def Leppard following Behemoth at big European metal festivals. Such a bill would cause a meltdown here in the UK, from fans of both, so I do think as a country the UK does hold itself back when it comes to musical acceptance - from both sides. That being said, though, I do feel that metal's reach has expanded somewhat during the years which I have been regularly attending gigs - and one band that showcases this in the UK is Sweden's Amon Amarth. The band were formed in 1992, which makes them 30 this year, and have been releasing albums pretty regularly since putting out their debut album Once Sent from the Golden Hall in 1998. In many ways, the band's success is one of old-fashioned graft. They established their sound early on (despite getting more anthemic over time), released many albums of a similar quality, and toured relentlessly. There is nothing fancy about Amon Amarth, and they have more than earned their success at this point. Despite this, though, their popularity really seems to have shot up in the last few years. It was not that long ago that they played at the now-demolished The Hub in Plymouth, which was a very small club, whereas a couple of weeks ago I saw the band entertaining a large crowd in Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena - as part of a co-headline bill with Machine Head. It is great to see a band as heavy as Amon Amarth getting such a level of support here - but it should not really be a surprise given their discography. Despite generating some criticism for their samey sound, for me Amon Amarth have just been consistent - as their newly-released twelfth studio album The Great Heathen Army shows. It is the band's first album in three years, following 2019's Berserker (which I reviewed here), and it picks up where that album left off - with plenty of hard-hitting melodic death metal anthems showcasing the band's fists-in-the-air style perfectly. The band's last few albums have all been on the longer side, but The Great Heathen Army is shorter - giving it a conciseness which has perhaps been missing of late, which allows the album to sink in quickly.

The album opens with its first single Get in the Ring. It opens fairly slowly with a menacing riff which gradually builds up until Jocke Wallgren's drums kick in - and the riff is reprised in a harmonised manner, with both Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg coming together to lay down the melody. This riff later forms the basis of the chorus, which is somewhat stop-start as a result, but the verses are much more fluid. Wallgren's double bass drumming keeps the verses moving, although the overall pace is not that fast - with the song feeling mid-paced and punchy despite his fairly fast footwork. In truth, Amon Amarth generally operate in a mid-paced realm. This allows the deep barks of frontman Johan Hegg to really jump out of the speakers - and it also allows the band's riffs to have a slight doomy edge. Despite being melodic, the band have always included plenty of old school death metal in their sound, and songs like Get in the Ring showcase this. The melodies are quite mournful, even though they are hooky, whilst the overall riffing and the deep bass tones of Ted Lundström only add to the overall heaviness. The song is a great representation of the rest of the album, too, as it has a strong, anthemic chorus - which is very much the focus here - as well as plenty of big guitar leads, including a brief solo. The title track follows, which slows the overall pace somewhat and ups the heaviness. The riffing here is much doomier this time, despite the pace being faster than is typical for doom, whilst Lundström's bass playing really cuts through the mix. His playing throughout the album adds plenty of depth, whilst the ringing chords of Söderberg allow Mikkonen the occasional lead flourish. In general, though, this song is one that is more focused on riffing and atmosphere. The occasional leads are welcome, but the rhythmic song is more served by its riffing. Wallgren's drum accents really help, too, and his occasional bass drum fills inject some excitement into the doomy throng - shaking the song up in a manner that would not happen if he stuck to a traditional beat throughout. Hegg sounds at his most evil here, too, and his deep growls perfectly suit the doomy track - with the closing chorus section in particular standing out thanks to his anthemic chants. Heidrun turns the tables somewhat, and goes for a more upbeat sound that injects some folk-inspired melodies into the band's formula. The band have written folkier songs before, but this one really stands out for me and it is one of the album's catchiest tracks. There is more of a focus on guitar leads throughout, with these melodies pretty much persisting throughout the whole song. A hooky guitar lead is never too far away, and Hegg's vocal melodies this time are much more accessible. His growls are somewhat less deep here, and the chorus is one of the album's hookiest moments - thanks to his vocal lines and an overall bouncy vibe. A strident guitar solo, which focuses on the song's main melodies rather than shredding, only boosts the song's hooky nature - and I can see it becoming a real live favourite over the years thanks to its anthemic qualities.

Oden Owns You All then gets back to heavier territories, and the pace is upped quite significantly. I mentioned earlier how Amon Amarth generally operate in mid-paced realms, which is true, but occasionally they do let rip - and Oden Owns You All is once such example. Amon Amarth's older albums were closer to true death metal than their more recent albums are, so Oden Owns You All generally feels like a bit of a throwback to the band's first few albums. A few mid-paced sections with guitar leads are thrown in, but generally this is a faster song with some ferocious Wallgren drumming and some of Hegg's most unhinged vocals. His death growls during the song are possibly the deepest that he has sounded for a while, and he also unleashes a few higher screams - adding an accent to his performance here and there. The occasional guitar break is a welcome respite from the oppressive riffing, but they never overpower the death metal vibes conjured up here. This is a song that very much showcases the band at their heaviest, and those who have been disappointed with the band's more anthemic sound of late are likely to find plenty to enjoy throughout - even if there are still hooks to be found. Find a Way or Make One returns to the album's core sound, though. It is another mid-paced melodic death metal anthem similar in nature to the album's opening couple of numbers. Wallgren's drumming this time is quite groove-based, and almost Phil Rudd-esque in its simplicity, whilst the riffing of Mikkonen and Söderberg is crunchy and uncomplicated. Following the folky guitar workout of Heidrun and the crushing Oden Owns You All, Find a Way or Make One revels in its simplicity. It is a great headbanging track that showcases the modern Amon Amarth sound perfectly - whilst Hegg delivers another powerful vocal performance that easily rises above the din of the rest of the band. There is a melodic guitar solo section, too, which is welcome as the rest of the song does not exactly focus on guitar leads. Dawn of Norsemen follows a similar path, too, but this time the groove-based elements of the band's sound are pushed to the fore. Wallgren's drumming is faster this time, but the overall riffing is much slower. This creates a great contrast between the two instruments, and contributes to the song's grooves - especially during the intro. There is also a bit more of a focus on lead guitar playing here, too. There are quite a few lead breaks here, and the chorus is underpinned by a hooky melody - which Hegg's vocals very much then borrow from. There is a lot of memorable guitar playing throughout the track, and there are a few more folky moments, too - although they are not as overt as they were throughout Heidrun. All of this together ensures that the song is another memorable cut, and it is another track here that is very hooky - particularly during the guitar-heavy chorus. A low key instrumental section towards the end of the song lowers the tone a little, though, and adds a brief moment of atmosphere in what is otherwise a rather full on album.

Up next is Saxons and Vikings, which is probably my favourite song here. It features three members of Saxon: frontman Biff Byford alongside guitarists Paul Quinn and Doug Scarratt; and they add a NWOBHM heft to the Amon Amarth's typical sound. Hegg added his vocals to Saxon's Predator on their 2018 album Thunderbolt, so Saxons and Vikings sees the British band repaying the favour. It opens with Wallgren's drums, before a big riff kicks in - which has some great staccato groove to it. This groove is retained throughout the verse, which Hegg sings in his usual deep manner. The song builds as it moves along, getting faster and heavier, before a driving chorus kicks in. The second verse features Byford's vocals, who's gritty clean delivery still sounds powerful in the context of Amon Amarth's sound. Byford always sounds great and he then lays waste to the same fast-paced chorus. My favourite part of the song, though, is the bridge following the second chorus which see Hegg and Byford trading vocal lines. This is creates a very powerful sound, and their two voices perfectly compliment each other despite their different styles. Both Quinn and Scarratt add some guitar solos, too, which are quite different from Amon Amarth's usual style as they sound more old-school in tone. Skagul Rides With Me then returns to the album's typical sound, with a strong mid-paced rhythm and plenty more guitar leads. This is another song which places a strong emphasis on guitar leads and there is less of a focus on traditional riffing here. The rest of the band generally create a backing rhythm for the leads and vocals to sit atop, which allows the hooks to stand out. As such, the overall arrangement feels pretty simple - and the song is very much one which allows Hegg to do what he does best. Even the ever-present guitar leads cannot dominate his deep growls, and the song's chorus has an epic, even power metal-esque, edge thanks to the combination of the melodic leads and Hegg's bellowing. The album then comes to a close with The Serpent's Trail, a mid-paced track which opens with a powerful riff that really jumps out of the speakers. It is one of the best riffs here in my opinion, and it really lumbers along, but it soon drops away to leave Hegg delivering a spoken word part against a fairly low key backdrop. This transition is a bit jarring, but it works better than it should - and once the song gets going again the band's traditional sound is very much on display. The opening riff is later repurposed for the chorus, which is another memorable moment thanks to its stomping rhythm and the vocals which perfectly lock into this groove. There are better songs here, but The Serpent's Trail works well as an album closer due to its overall heaviness and expansive sound. I have enjoyed all of Amon Amarth's albums really, but I think that The Great Heathen Army is already one of my favourites. I like how it is has trimmed some of the fat of their other recent albums to present a much more compact listening experience, and there also seems to have been more of a focus on melody this time, too. It does not change things significantly, but it shows why Amon Amarth are so popular here in the UK, and fans of the band will certainly get plenty of mileage from it.

The album was released on 5th August 2022 via Metal Blade Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Great Heathen Army.