Everything about Amon Amarth totally explained
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
The five
Swedish musicians, who are known for their synchronised
headbanging in music videos and at live performances, base most of their songs on
Norse mythology. 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.
Formed under the name
Scum in 1988, the band was originally a
grindcore group formed by Themgoroth (
Dark Funeral), Olavi and Ted. 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. 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 will take place, along with supporting
Dimmu Borgir on tour in
Europe. They have recently finished a US and Canadian tour with
Sonic Syndicate and
Himsa.
Decapitated was scheduled to appear on tour with Amon Amarth but canceled 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.
When commenting on the name of the band, vocalist Johan Hegg has remarked:
When asked to comment on the band's genre, vocalist Johan Hegg also remarked:
Discography
Albums
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
- "Burning Creation" − 4:48
- "The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter" − 4:38
- "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
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:
Themgoroth − vocals (left the band before the demo was released, when it was named Scum)Further Information
Get more info on 'Amon Amarth'.
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