![]() ![]() As the old idiom goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Surtur Rising certainly isn’t broken, quite the opposite actually. The compositions are, relatively speaking, rather simplistic in structure by following the traditional verse/chorus pattern, but grossly effective at what they do. The melodies that flood the album aren’t weaving but rather benign doing their job well as a compliment to the harsher and more punishing chords that make up the backbone of the record while not trying to create an illusion of technicality that has no bearing in fruition. Amon Amarth don’t try to do anything they shouldn’t be, instead they stay the course and continue to woo us with epic atmospheres and shredding guitar solos that are cliché but still oh so satisfying. The opener “War Of The Gods” is a classic Amon Amarth track, with ferocious riffs and Johan Hegg’s alternation between guttural lows and raspy, high trails that are among the most enjoyable in the genre because of their range, articulation and bite. ![]() The entire album is spattered with tempo changes that range from breakneck to plodding, adding a much-needed sense of variety and change to the atmosphere that would otherwise be cracked by lack of modification. AMON AMARTH WAR OF THE GODS DRUM COVER CRACKED Unfortunately, the album is the most fragmented of any Amon Amarth release to date, with a handful of tracks that have the desire but not the means to stand out from the rest, instead sending them back into the shadows of the more robust tracks such as “War Of The Gods”, “Destroyer Of The Universe” or “Doom Over Dead Man”. Surtur Rising does reveal the rust in Amon Amarth’s unwavering style, but that certainly doesn’t steal the thunder from the album. Despite a rather forgettable bass guitar performance that consists of simple rhythmic plucking buried somewhere in the distance of its low mix and some very familiar-sounding melodies that bring to mind Amon Amarth's prior works, the instrumental output is strong and unfaltering both the rhythm and lead guitars consistent in their roles and their formation of well-placed harmonies. The drums in particular demand attention for several excellent fills and a fantastic mix that brings them right to the forefront without making them swallow the other instruments as highly mixed drums have the potential to do. The album is drenched in the Viking aura that Amon Amarth have built their careers around, and everything from the brilliant cover art to the epic lyrics inspire the proverbial insatiable pillaging, drinking, and slaughtering appetite of the Viking lifestyle.
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