Review: Berserker by Amon Amarth

“We stare at death with crimson grins, with Odin's help we cannot fail”

Amon Amarth, the Viking Death Metal legends hailing from Sweden, will have fans and critics smiling after they listen to their latest album, Berserker. Songs filled with blistering guitars lead us into the fray of an epic battle, accompanied by the usual chugs and brutality that we have come to expect and love from Amon Amarth. Johan Hegg's growls are as crisp and strong as ever before- not something that can be said for most death metal vocalists after almost 30 years.

You can hear Jocke Wallgren’s contribution as the new drummer. He does an excellent job keeping the pace while adding his own flair in various solos and fills (most notably on the single Raven’s Flight). Amon Amarth doesn’t normally have songs featuring prominent drums, and I find the new sound refreshing. I look forward to hearing more of Wallgren’s contributions to the band.

One of the additions that I really enjoyed was the inclusion of piano on some songs, especially featured in Valkyrie. It adds a sonic texture to the album that helps break up the repetitiveness that can sometimes plague Amon Amarth. The overall composition of Berserker feels more organized and put together than previous works, and is a big improvement from Jomsviking. Where Jomsviking was musically unimpressive and each song felt disconnected, Berserker shines with what appears to be a renewed focus on melody and flow.

That isn’t to say that it's a perfect album.

While drums took a major step forward, I thought that the bass left much to be desired. While normally a forgotten part of many bands (sorry, Murderface), it is still a vital part of the overall sound. Without a bass to balance the flow of the guitars and the blasts of the drums, a song is left sounding empty. This is most apparent in the song The Berserker at Stamford Bridge. The song starts off with guitar riffs that show off a more complicated harmony than the usual fifths common in melodeath/NWOBHM. Unfortunately, throughout the song they rely on what sounds exclusively like guitars without any (or at least a heavily muted) bass part. This leaves the song feeling shallow, which is a shame since the intro is so well done.

I have seen some on the web criticize the group for sounding formulaic. While a valid criticism for most bands, if Amon Amarth is known for one thing, it’s that they produce solid, albeit similar sounding, albums. This is a challenge for most bands: if they change too much the fans are upset that they don’t sound like they used to. If they sound similar then they complain that it is too “formulaic." Personally, I am thrilled to have Amon Amarth do what Amon Amarth does best: create fun Viking Metal that rarely disappoints.

Odin is certainly pleased. I rate this 3.5/5 horns of Viking ale!