Amon Amarth's 'Berserker' - Album Review

Despite spending most of their career touring around the modest metal circuit that many European metal acts of all genres find themselves slogging around year after year, Sweden's Amon Amarth have found their stock rising quite a lot in recent years. It was not that long ago that the band would play at clubs that held around 200 people here in the UK, but recent years have seen them gravitate to much larger halls - and they even headlined the prestigious Bloodstock Open Air Festival in 2017. For a band formed back in 1992, this sudden spurt of popularity must have come as a bit of a shock. Bands often grow their popularity organically but, for a reason I cannot quite fathom, the past four or five years has seen the band's popularity increase in previously unseen ways. I would understand this rise if the band had drastically changed their sound in an attempt to attract a wider audience, but that certainly has not been the case. Amon Amarth are one of those ever-reliable bands where you always know what you are going to get when you listen to one of their albums. Much like AC/DC and Status Quo, Amon Amarth's sound has barely changed since their 1998 debut album Once Sent from the Golden Hall. Amon Amarth's tight, heavy sound has been present since the very beginning - so slick riffing, the occasional burst of NWOBHM-esque twin lead guitar, and the throaty growls of frontman Johan Hegg have filled each of the band's ten previous albums; with very little deviation from this established formula. The band's sound has become a little less raw over the years, with bigger budgets for production probably available now in comparison to their early days, but this is really the only obvious change in the band's sound - and not one that I would think would lead to a drastic rise in popularity. Whatever the reasoning for the band's current status however, I doubt there is anyone out there that really begrudges Amon Amarth their popularity. The band have certainly earned their dues over the years, and their no-nonsense approach to melodic death metal is as good an example of the genre as any. As a result, Berserker, the band's eleventh studio album, which was released last month, is likely to be viewed as one of the biggest metal releases of the year. 2016's concept album Jomsviking (which I reviewed here) was a very well-received work which felt a little grander than usual due to the story it told. Berserker has done away with the concept theme however and returned to a more song-focused structure - although the themes of Norse mythology and Viking tales are as ever-present as they have been throughout the band's career. Amon Amarth have always focused heavily on melody, but Berserker seems to be even more melodic than usual. The choruses throughout the album are some of the biggest the band have written, and as a result the album is very easy to listen to. It is also the band's first album with drummer Jocke Wallgren (Valkyrja; October Tide), and the first to be produced by Jay Ruston who has worked with many metal acts in the past including Anthrax.

The album's opening number, Fafner's Gold, opens slowly with a gentle acoustic guitar intro before exploding in a heavier version of the same melody - which then in turns leads into a fast-paced riff with Wallgren's pacey drumming driving everything forward. Those familiar with the classic Amon Amarth sound will immediately feel at home here, with lead guitarist Olavi Mikkonen laying down a tight, melodic verse riff which Hegg takes great pleasure in barking atop. I have always found Hegg's harsh vocals some of the easiest to understand, with his deep-throated growls perfect for telling the Norse-themed stories that the band concoct. Most of the songs here have big choruses, and Fafner's Gold sets this trend with a fast-paced, anthemic offering that sees Wallgren leading the charge with some fast double bass pedal work and some tremolo lead guitars. It is a powerful way to kick off the album, but arguably Crack the Sky, which follows, packs more of a punch. The pace is slowed to a more mid-paced crunch here, with melodic guitar leads filling out the verses while Ted Lundström's booming bass gives the song a meaty depth to it. In my opinion, it is songs like this where Amon Amarth really shine. They do the faster, thrashier metal well too - but it is in this powerful mid-paced mode where the band's stories and harmony guitar leads really do the most damage. It also allows for true fist-pumping choruses, and the one presented here is excellent. Hegg really barks out the vocals, and I can see the song being a real winner when played live. Mjölner, Hammer of Thor is another strong effort, despite plundering lots of the previous song's subject matter! The pace is upped a little here, but it still remains broadly within the 'mid-paced' category - although this time taking influence from the NWOBHM with a riff that could have come out of the early 1980s. It is interesting to see the influence that bands like Saxon have clearly had on Amon Amarth over the years, despite the Swedish band's much heavier pedigree. Many of the melodic tropes are taken from those famous 1980s metal bands, and this song really shows that with lots of excellent lead guitar work throughout from Mikkonen. A powerful chorus caps things off, and ensures the album opens up with a triple-assault as good as anything the genre has to offer. Shield Wall is less-impressive, but is still a fun song with some excellent tremolo lead guitars that borrow more from extreme metal than the classic bands referenced earlier. As a result the song feels much heavier, with Hegg's vocals taking on a deeper tone - especially during the busy verses. The choruses are a little more straight ahead however, which allows the anthemic vocal melodies to shine, but this is a song that seems to focus a little more on a denser musical arrangement overall. Murkier sections with clean guitars help to add some dynamics to the piece, which helps to contrast well with the tougher verses.

Valkyria focuses a lot more on the band's guitarists, with both Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg laying down tough riffs and melodic leads throughout, which helps to give the song an overall more progressive feeling. Wallgren's drumming also plays into this feeling too, with some beats that are a little different to the norm. His performance throughout the album is solid but he rarely pulls off anything out of the ordinary. This is one of the songs here that shows him letting his hair down a little and showcasing his talents a little more openly. The anthemic sound the band goes for leaves little room for showboating, and it is perhaps telling the vocals here take a little more of a backseat to the instrumental tricks and performance. Raven's Flight, the album's lead single, is a catchy number that helped the fans prepare for the overall sound of the album. While not the most spectacular song here, it certainly does a good job of establishing the core sound of the band. The chorus here is a pretty memorable and lengthy one - and it is a moment that is sure to stick in the mind after only a couple of listens. The twin lead guitars that have often been such a big part of the band's sound of the years are showcased a lot here too. The chunky riffing that makes up the bulk of the album mostly takes a bit of a backseat here while allows the two guitarists to peel off lick after lick throughout. It is that that perhaps is the true hallmark of the song - and is probably why it was chosen as a single. Ironside is heavier, and opens with a flurry of double bass drumming a tremolo guitar leads that showcase the more 'extreme' side of the band. While being extremely melodic, especially throughout this album, Amon Amarth do fall into the world of extreme metal. Their success is almost-unprecedented for a band of that ilk, and it is songs like this that remind the listener of their more 'underground' pedigree. That being said, the song still comes packaged with a killer chorus that is another that is sure to stay long in the memory. There is even a short section which sees Hegg singing clean, which is certainly very rare indeed! It has a slightly folky feel to it and fits well within the structure of the song and helps to provide a little respite from the heaviness around it. Hegg is not a great clean singer, but he gets away with it for this extremely short but interesting segment. The Berserker at Stamford Bridge (something I cannot wait to see on Match of the Day!) slows the pace down a lot, and introduces a slightly doomy feel to the album. While not slow enough to be true doom, the mid-paced crunch that tends to dominate the album drops away somewhat here and is replaced by something slower and more menacing. Hegg adapts his singing style accordingly, and during the the song's slower sections he adopts a much rougher growl that adds to the doomy feeling. The band certainly excel at something a bit pacier, with a more anthemic feel, but this heavier style also works well for them.

When Once Again We Can Set Our Sails opens with some Iron Maiden-esque twin lead guitar harmonies, before settling into a strong mid-paced groove that echoes many of the album's best moments. Despite the overall attitude of the piece, in my opinion the song lacks the powerful melodies found elsewhere. Amon Amarth songs of this nature need a powerful chorus to hang from, and this song lacks an anthemic rallying cry. There are however lots of strong guitar melodies, but these do not quite make up for the lack of the big chorus. It is an enjoyable song, especially from a guitarist's view point, but not one of the album's overall standouts. Skoll and Hati is a pacier number, and showcases the influence that thrash has had on the band's sound. The riffing here is much faster, and Wallgren's drumming keeps up with the pace with a punchy rhythm. The faster pace allows the two guitarists to sink their teeth into some impressive guitar riffs, with some extremely tight rhythm playing from Söderberg in particular setting the tone for the song. A lot of focus is often given to the lead guitar work in the band's songs, but the tight and consistent rhythms are a big part of what makes the band easy to listen to. Söderberg lays the foundation for the more melodic elements of the Amon Amarth sound, and this song showcases his contributions to the band perfectly. Wings of Eagles ups the pace with some excellent riffing from the off, and soon moves into a powerful verse which builds on the riffing from the intro and displays some of Hegg's trademark barks. The band's faster songs are usually less anthemic than their mid-paced offerings, but this one manages to still excel from a melodic perspective as well as a heaviness one. The chorus here is a memorable one, and is still pretty catchy despite the faster pace. The tremolo picking adds to the overall feel of the choruses, and helps the vocal melodies to stand out against the fast drumming and tight rhythms. Into the Dark, the album's closing number, opens with a piano line - but this soon moves into a fairly slow-paced song that contains some of the doomy elements experimented with earlier. While it is not slow throughout, as the choruses pick up the pace somewhat to add some power where needed, it is clear that the band were going for something a little more epic with this piece. I think this works well and the band have managed to come up with something that fits into their established sound while upping the cinematic elements needed for a fitting closing number. At times it seems as if there is a little bit of a black metal influence here, especially during the choruses which see Hegg's vocals taking on more of a black metal-esque tone. This fits within the slower pace of the piece, and helps the song to stand out against the anthemic feeling that many of the rest of the songs here pursue. Overall, Berserker is another strong entry into Amon Amarth's already-vast discography. It does not really offer anything new that we have not heard before, but it is a great representation of their craft and sees the band, more than even, focusing on melody.

The album was released on 3rd May 2019 via Metal Blade Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Crack the Sky.