AMON AMARTH: Jomsviking

KingsGene

God of Thunder
Apr 1, 2005
14,931
707
113
near KC
www.kingsofthenight.com
AMON AMARTH - JOMSVIKING ALBUM DETAILS REVEALED; “FIRST KILL” MUSIC VIDEO STREAMING; EUROPEAN MINI-TOUR AND NORTH AMERICAN DATES CONFIRMED

"...On March 25th, Swedish metal kings Amon Amarth will release their 10th studio album, Jomsviking, via Sony Music (International) and Metal Blade Records (North America). Jomsviking - the band's first concept record in their storied career - tells a tragic tale of love and revenge, backed by the Swedes' trademark anthemic metal. The record was produced and mixed by Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Testament, Accept) and also features special guest session drummer Tobias Gustafsson (Vomitory)....

...German rock legend Doro Pesch adds guest vocals to the song "A Dream That Cannot Be". Johan Hegg comments on the collaboration, saying, "It was a great pleasure to work with Doro. She's a very nice person and did a great job! She was actually the only one we could picture singing this song."

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...Jomsviking is available for pre-order in various formats at this location. Fans can view the video for the album's first single, "First Kill”, below...."



Following Jomsviking's release, Amon Amarth will tour North America with Entombed A.D. and Exmortus. Pre-sale tickets are available now at amonamarth.com. Tickets go on-sale on Friday, January 29th at 10 AM, local time at amonamarth.com.

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April
7 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
8 - Phoenix, AZ - The Pressroom
9 - El Paso, TX - Tricky Falls
10 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
12 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
13 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theater
15 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
16 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
17 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
18 - Tampa, FL - The Ritz
20 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
21 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
22 - New York, NY - Best Buy Theatre
23 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
25 - Rochester, NY - Water Street Music Hall
26 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
28 - Quebec City, QC - Imperial
29 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis
30 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth

May
1 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
2 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews
4 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
5 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre
6 - Lawrence, KS - The Granada Theater
7 - Denver, CO - The Ogden Theater
9 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium
10 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
12 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick
13 - Saskatoon, SK - O'Brian's Event Centre
14 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Ballroom
16 - Vancouver, BC - The Commodore
17 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Market
18 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
20 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
21 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern Theater
 
This album is really good. I never gave the last one too many spins, it was serviceable but just seemed like super cookie cutter. While nobody would mistake this for anything other than Amon Amarth, they are trying enough new things here to make it interesting for long time fans hoping they could spread their wings a little.
 
They're an amazingly consistent band. So consistent in fact, that "consistency" may be their only shortcoming. They so reliably stick to their formula that it's easy to pass on any one of their releases and feel like you've missed nothing. I'll continue to see them live whenever they come around, but I just don't feel compelled to buy their new material any more.
 
Pretty good summary. I have this album in the car right now, and it's played through a few times. I'm compelled to say I really like it. I'm also compelled to say that any or all of it could have been on With Oden on Our Side. So to that end, saying that they are a relentlessly consistent band is very valid at this point. I still really enjoy them for what it's worth. But consistency perhaps has given way to stagnancy...
 
But consistency perhaps has given way to stagnancy...
I think this is accurate. I do believe they're trying to stretch their creative wings, but their style just isn't one that's given to a great deal of deviation. I also feel like the aggression has taken a back seat to accessibility. For me "Versus the World" is Amon Amarth's standard-bearer and the last few records fall short in terms of quality and aggression.

Again, as PdD states above, it's a fine record. If I hadn't heard Amon Amarth for five years I'd probably be all over it. But it's hard to get past feeling that all the songs from the last four records are largely interchangeable.
 
They're an amazingly consistent band. So consistent in fact, that "consistency" may be their only shortcoming. They so reliably stick to their formula that it's easy to pass on any one of their releases and feel like you've missed nothing. I'll continue to see them live whenever they come around, but I just don't feel compelled to buy their new material any more.

Yet, if you aren't consistent or try something new, then you're crucified for it, as demonstrated in the Circus Maximus "Havoc" thread.
 
Yet, if you aren't consistent or try something new, then you're crucified for it, as demonstrated in the Circus Maximus "Havoc" thread.
There's a difference between trying something new and shitting the bed. You could say CM did both, but only one of them is a problem in my eyes. Also, not every band is judged by the same criteria. Amon Amarth falls much more in line with a band like Manowar, where fans know exactly what they're getting (stylistically, if not qualitatively). Prog metal bands are expected to vary their sound more, rather than release iteration after iteration of the same thing.

As far as Amon Amarth, I wouldn't expect them to try much new. I think the new album has enough minor variance to not quite be stagnant, but I can also see why people would look at it differently. Ultimately, it scratches the itch of what I want out of an Amon Amarth album - catchy as hell melodeath with memorable songs and a heavy dose of Viking thematics.