Amon Amarth - Raven's Flight and Crack The Sky

Key Facts

Country: 🇸🇪

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Release Date: Raven's Flight - 19th March 2019, 

Crack The Sky - 17th April 2019

Record Label(s): Metal Blade, Sony Music

Album Release Date: 3rd May 2019

Band Members:

Olavi Mikkonen − lead guitar

Johan Hegg − vocals

Ted Lundström − bass

Johan Söderberg − rhythm guitar

Jocke Wallgren − drums

Raven's Flight Music Video

Crack The Sky Music Video

Review

Rating (Out of 5🤘):🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

Now, for me, I can't call my blog Fjordhammer without mentioning Swedish melodic death metal heavyweights Amon Amarth, considering I'm also heavily inspired by Norse mythology. The worlds favourite Vikings are back with two new singles, off of upcoming album Berserker, due to be released on the 3rd May. 

Amon Amarth have been a band now for nearly 25 years, so we've become accustomed to their musical style and epic story telling of the mythology, history, villains and heroes of their native homeland of Sweden. However, this doesn't stop every release being better than the last! I think out of the two singles my favourite is Raven's Flight, which tells the story of the war between Ragnar Lothbrok's sons and Northumbrian King Aelle. In which Ragnar's sons marched on Aelle for executing their father in a snake pit. Ragnar's sons avenged him quite convincingly too. As Crack The Sky was only released today, I can only assume by the lyrics that it's another Thor inspired song, as he rides across the Nine Worlds in his chariot and goes to war as Champion of Midgard. 

Musically, Amon Amarth have always brought the riffs with a strong melody weaving itself through the fabric of the song. These two are no different and you can easily feel your beard growing and battle rage growing as you listen to them. I love the into riff in Raven's Flight as it sets you up for the thunder that is about to come from the drums and it feels like a song you could run into battle screaming "For Odin and Hail Vallhalla" to. I think I'm more attached to that one knowing that it's based on a battle that happened in England, I shall stop before I digress, it is very easy for me to do given my love for Norse history and mythology! 

Both songs are mixed in a smilier way to 2016's Jomsviking, to my ears anyway, everything seems to have more space to breath than previously mixed albums as a result making it sound huge. Possibly due to differences in production styles and techniques between 2011 and 2019, as I'm assuming Jomsviking's producer Andy Sneap worked on Berserker as well. Definitely think the songs will fit the setting of King John's Castle in Limerick. If you can't tell I'm insanely bitter that I can't join the Irish Celtic warriors across the sea and see Amon Amarth headline a castle accompanied by Behemoth. 

Berserker is easily one of my most anticipated albums this year, having seen the track list I'm especially eager to hear The Berserker Of Stamford Bridge, as that is one of my favourite accounts of the battle of Stamford Bridge between Saxon king Harold Godwinson and Norwegian king Harald Hardrada on 25th September 1066. As you can tell I am absolutely buzzing for this release and it can't come soon enough! In the meantime, I'm going to jump in my Drakkar, raise my horn and Hail Odin!