Amon Amarth

CHILDREN OF THE THUNDER GOD 

Amon Amarth, the first and last word in Viking metal, are again heading to our shores. Mark Hebblewhite coaxed the war-axe out of the guitarist Johan Söderberg hands long enough to find out that Vikings appreciate (among other things) a well-packaged product. 

“Heavy metal people are collectors. I know that because we are heavy metal fans and we are collectors. That’s why it’s important for heavy metal bands to take care in how they package their albums – fans care about these things.” 

 Söderberg’s voice radiates with pride as he discusses this issue. And that’s because his band, the mighty Amon Amarth went to town when they put together their latest opus Twilight of the Thunder God, which was encased by a lavish digipack, and featured a vivid reconstruction of Thor’s final battle with the Serpent Fenris. A second live disc sealed the deal and proclaimed that physical product is not quite dead and buried. 

“When I was young I loved the album covers that Metallica, and especially Iron Maiden put out,” says Söderberg. “It was an important part of some great records and made buying the albums really special. We want to give younger fans who may not be familiar with this the same experience.” 

Although the Viking loving Swedes are producing some of the best records of their career, which now is over 15 years long, the band cops flak for sticking with a tried and true formula of scything Swe-death and tales of the frozen north. But according to Söderberg this critisicism is nothing more than a weak blade striking a hidden coat of mail. 

“We are making the best albums of our career right now and I think our song writing is getting stronger and stronger,” he spits. “We changed studios for the last couple of records which has allowed us to get a much more professional sound and that’s really helped the recording process and the songs.” 

Nor is Söderberg inclined to change the lyrical themes of the band – an opinion backed up by Twilight of the Thunder God, which boasts some incredible tales including Varyags of Miklagaard a stirring battle epic dedicated to the Viking Varangian Guard of Basil II Byzantine Emperor (958-1025).  

The ourage to stick to what they know is one of Amon Amarth’s great strengths and is the basis to their very own recipe for musical success. 

“We follow a very simple pattern as a band,” explains Söderberg. “When we record an album we get out on the road and play the songs for as many people as possible, until it’s time to back into the studio and record the next one.”

“It’s simple as that – nothing fancy, but it’s what has kept us alive for so long and what’s kept our fans happy,” he continues.  

“Really you have to see Amon Amarth live to get what we’re about. The great strength of our band are our live performances and we always try to deliver 100% every night. This commitment brings the material alive like nothing else can.” 

An important part of this commitment to touring is making sure that the set list doesn’t stay too dormant. So for Amon Amarth’s upcoming Australian shows Söderberg promises to mix things up for fans. 

“We obviously focus quite heavily on the new record, which you guys won’t have had the chance to hear live before, but we’ll also try and cover the rest of the catalogue and throw in a few surprises as well. We’ve recorded seven full LPs and there are some gems on there that we don’t play very often. Hopefully we’ll dust them off for you guys. We always love coming to Australia, the fans are good to us and your country is so amazing.”