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Amon Amarth > The Avenger > Reviews
Amon Amarth - The Avenger

This is better than Spiderman and Thor - 65%

Annable Courts, February 6th, 2024

Long before the shitty movies, 'The Avenger' meant Amon Amarth's second album. Interestingly it only took the band two albums, it seems, to find their sound. This is basically the sound of the next three or four albums, arguably closer to a 'Fate of Norns' than to the previous debut from just a year prior. In fact the title-track from the latter is like 'The Last with Pagan Blood' (Track 2 here), with that characteristic feeling of a chilly melancholy. And the intro riff on the same Track 2 on this; string skipping of grumbling lows juxtaposed with melodic tremolos higher up on the fret-board; is the prototypical windmill headbang riff, and exactly in the vein of a 'Death in Fire'.

Where this album differs from those later ones is it doesn't express the powerful emotion it means to, quite like the later ones do: 'North Sea Storm' gives an approximate notion of where the band are driving, but it's not nearly done with as much conviction or dexterity with the song-writing, rendering a fairly inaccurate hook with a predictable sequencing of chords and too linear a melody. The chorus on the title-track 'Avenger' falls under the same category, a lot of intensity for a relatively inefficient reward - and the band would learn to optimize the composition in a big way over the next few releases.

There are exceptions, but generally the album suffers from putting all the emphasis on the intensity but drawing little out of it as return. The guitars sound huge and Fredrik Andersson's drums smack hard. Johan Hegg puts in as mighty a shift as always - this guy is 100% all the time, on every album. Some of the arrangements are appreciable for a style broadly known for its straightforward methods: 'Avenger' has this grungy/chorusy type intro for a bit of atmosphere and Hegg doing some solo martial roaring in the middle, as he does on the intro to 'Metalwrath', and the solo bass intro on the final track 'Legend of a Banished Man' brings that extra tad of variation that wards off same-sounding starts to the songs - and that track is amongst the more conclusively poignant hooks on here.

So the album has lots of heart but it may not touch the heart equally. The following releases have some of the most heart-wrenching material this sub-genre has ever seen.

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes - 91%

Vincevon, December 11th, 2022

1999 was a big year for melodic death. Children of Bodom got more attention with their second album, “Hatebreeder”. Arch Enemy was making progress with “Burning Bridges”. In Flames had an amazing album in “Colony”. Dark Tranquillity was getting experimental with “Projector”. Hypocrisy was becoming melodic with their self-titled. There were a couple more albums from Darkane and Suidakra. Through all this, Amon Amarth was also there with “The Avenger”. This album is somewhat overlooked by mostly everyone who looks at their discography. I don’t see why, because it’s a spectacular album.

Here, they replicate the formula of “Once Sent from the Golden Hall”, their previous album and that’s not a bad thing. Because, remember, this is Amon Amarth before they started just blatantly repeating things and saying, “This is our brand new album with a completely different sound.” The songs here are stunning representations of what happens when you put thought and care into each part of your music. The riffs are very melodic and are catchy. The solos are great, just like on the first album.

This is the first album with longtime drummer Fredrik Andersson. He’s a much better drummer than Martin Lopez, from the first album, in my opinion. He’s utilized much better than Lopez, at least. That was one of the problems with the first album, the drumming was fine, but now the drumming is really great. The opening of “Bleed for Ancient Gods” proves my point. In fact, “Bleed for Ancient Gods” sums up the album completely. Great melody, fast drumming and some pretty good vocals from Johan Hegg.

Hegg uses that shout that he used on the first album here as well. It still sounds awkward. He uses it four times this time, instead of the three from last time (on “The Last with Pagan Blood”, “North Sea Storm”, “Avenger”, and “Metalwrath”). The shouting doesn’t fit the background music which is why it sounds weird, I guess. His vocals overall are better, though. He has the full voice, and not the higher pitched sound from the first album. The lyrics here are exquisitely done. Again, Amon Amarth, transporting me to a Norse battle. This is the problem that Amon Amarth suffers with today. They don’t write the song well enough and it doesn’t translate into a good album. The production quality is ten times better than “Once Sent from the Golden Hall”. It’s not noisy at all and it sounds more Amon Amarth-like, if that makes sense.

A problem that carries over into this album is the length of some of the songs. “Avenger” and “Legend of a Banished Man” doesn’t need to be six to seven minutes long. The album is only thirty-six minutes long with seven songs. I would much, much prefer having more songs that are shorter. The album cover is fine. Somehow not as good as the first album’s, even though that was a bit underwhelming. This one has the classic Amon Amarth fire. But then it’s got a mask, which I’m assuming is the “avenger”, and then some swords over it. It’s a bit boring and I’d like to see more action. “Metalwrath” is an oddity in the Amon Amarth catalog. It starts off with Hegg’s “Barney Greenway shouting” vocals, shouting about metal like some power metal band. The songwriting on this song isn’t as strong as the other songs, so it’s weird how it has these faults. The musicality of the song is good though.

Although it has its faults, Amon Amarth makes a great sophomore album with “The Avenger”. It carries over the ideas of “Once Sent from the Golden Hall”, whether they are good or bad. They make the good ideas better and the bad ideas worse, somehow. It’s minor problems though. It doesn’t affect the album much, unless you really want more songs. The production quality is a big step forward, Hegg’s vocals got better although he keeps the shout, the new drummer is better, songwriting creativity is at its max, and the songs are extremely catchy, as melodic death metal should be. Although there were a lot of melodic death albums in 1999, it’s clear to see who wears the crown when it comes to the best.

Highlights: “Bleed for Ancient Gods”, “The Last with Pagan Blood”, “God, His Son and Holy Whore”

Forged in Fire - 82%

OzzyApu, October 29th, 2021
Written based on this version: 1999, CD, Metal Blade Records (Limited edition, Digipak)

The often overlooked The Avenger lives in the shadow Amon Amarth’s superb debut. It doesn’t help that it was released during an incredibly stacked year for melodic death. Too late to garner the acclaim of a first outing and too early to bask in the success of the mid-era’s mainstream appeal, it needs some attention thrown in its direction. You could say they replicated the formula of Once Sent…, but this was way, way before they were rehashing stale, watered-down ideas. Back then this was the beginning of a long-lasting line-up, the consolidation of their identity, and a mentality that capitalized on spirited momentum to explode onto a burgeoning Swedish scene.

These days Johan Hegg lost that authentic rage behind his voice, so hearing him during a time when he still had fire in his throat is so refreshing. It helps that he’s not growling to feeble heavy metal riffs, but what feels like an unstoppable force of flaming hot, Nordic-themed melodic death metal. This was a time when that familiar Abyss Studio magic graced the riffs with callous, cutting distortion. It gives a nice blare to the guitars, beef to the bass, and suits Hegg’s barbaric delivery. No clean singing, no gaps in the mix, no disingenuous performances; this absolutely rips. Lyrics, as detailed as they sometimes are, tend to be fairly predictable given the content – but there’s enough heart (“Metalwrath” aside) to compel you to vibe with it.

It’s easy to get swept up in the blend of (a lighter variation of) Swedish death metal’s ferocity and the elegant melodies that made Amon Amarth so pleasing to hear. Unfortunately, no songs match the peaks of Once Sent…, but the bar remains a constant high throughout The Avengers’ short runtime. You have the blazing opener confidently showing off the fervent drumming, the catchy “North Sea Storm”, the anguished title-track, and even the devastating “Thor Arise” brought back from the bygone era of OSDM. “The Last with Pagan Blood” sounds both scornful and tunefully reminiscent of later albums (even parts of the verse sound similar to the future “Prediction of Warfare”). The proper closer, “Legend of a Banished Man”, is a total pulverizer and shows off a little more bass supplementing the leads to evoke that epic flavor.

It’s tough being the second child (third if you count …Nine Worlds), but The Avenger is a satisfying, solid second shot after a successful start. It does lack the refinement and memorability of later works, which partially explains why it gets glossed over in favor of those albums that provide instant gratification. But in the end, those later ones can’t match the primal power of this.

Now We Return to Odin's Hall - 88%

DMhead777, May 21st, 2020
Written based on this version: 1999, CD, Metal Blade Records

A year after "Once Sent from the Golden Hall" comes "The Avenger". It seems Amon Amarth had a boat load of ideas before their first album. This and 'Once Sent' could have been combined into one album and no one would bat an eye. "The Avenger" has extremely powerful lyrics and backs them all up by intense instrumentals that make you feel like you're in the song. Amon Amarth can paint one hell of a picture.

The best part about early Amon Amarth is their ability to write these interesting songs. The songs themselves can be pretty long, but the story will have you sitting there in anticipation. The title track, "The Avenger" is seven minutes long and about revenge. It tells of a man who creates a sword and inserts a magical rune for it to glow blue. A year later, he finds the person he is tracking to kill and decapitates him. The sword loses its glow and the rune. He then turns the sword around and stabs himself in the stomach. It's a kick ass song that shows the impeccable song writing skills of this band. Another great example is "North Sea Storm". It paints a grisly picture of a man drowning in the ocean due to his harness being too heavy. He describes what he sees as he drowns and explains how his brothers are fighting. It's these kinds of details that not only engages you with the music, but has you sitting down reading the lyric sheet as well. It's brilliant.

The first album had Amon Amarth telling these long stories and had lyrics rarely repeat themselves. Amon Amarth took a bit more of a musical approach here and added some choruses to certain songs. Not all songs have choruses, but I like this decision by the band. We know Amon Amarth can write a great story, but having some sections to go back to and head bang is always an added plus. Hearing,

"War to us is holy
We sacrifice our blood
War to us is holy
We bleed for ancient Gods"

makes the song stand out and get stuck in my head. As much as I love the title track, I won't be going back to it regularly or if I'm not in the mood to pay attention. Those are both my favorite songs on this record, but the addition to choruses on certain tunes was very much needed.

The instrumentals are about the same as their debut album, except the bass is a little more present. Everything is still very much raw and under produced. It adds to the gruesome lyrics and gives the album a very dark tone. Johan Hegg's vocals are either disgustingly high, where you feel like he's really straining himself, or very low and in tune to where modern day Amon Amarth is. He performs both styles of vocals well. The lead guitars still make this band pop and has some of the most gorgeous riffs I have ever heard in a band. The album starts out with "Bleed for Ancient Gods" and the leads are insane. It's easily a 10/10 song because of that. Amon Amarth are also not afraid to speed things up. "God, His Son, and Holy Whore" shows off the band's intensity and goes into the equally quick, "Metalwrath". There is a little bit of a Manowar tone to the song lyrically where they talk about false metal, but talking about actual metal instead of the genre.

There aren't too many negatives to this album. I gave the same score to "Once Sent from the Golden Hall", but I think that's a better overall album. As much as I praised the lyrics above, "North Sea Storm" is otherwise a pretty weak song musically. I was also a bit disappointed with the last track as it doesn't add anything to the album. They can't all be perfect and even though there are two weak tracks, you have five others that will put you in the mood for pillaging.

Overall, it's another home run for Amon Amarth. For the band to create a fantastic debut album and then follow it up with "The Avenger" is very impressive. The song writing is absolutely incredible. Amon Amarth can paint a picture in your head with their detail and then make a great death metal song out of it. This album is both gorgeous and raw sounding. I look forward to listening to more of their catalogue.

Recs: "Bleed for Ancient Gods", "The Avenger", "The Last with Pagan Blood", "God, His Son, and Holy Whore", and "Metalwrath"

Pride and glory in their hearts. - 90%

Diamhea, January 31st, 2014

Rock-solid might seem like a redundant expression regarding Amon Amarth, but the term holds special meaning in The Avenger's case. Being only the group's second full-length release, the cohesion present here is astounding on multiple levels. While these compositions are more expansive and epic than the band's more recent output, that isn't to say there is a lack of murderous compulsion. The stranglehold of the overdriven, murky passages of "God, His Son and Holy Whore" drops the listener right into the furnace as the lugubrious inclination of the incendiary death metal surges give way to slicing tremolos that burn like a buzzsaw blade. The guttural bellows that counterpoint the melodic underpinnings of "Metalwrath" make the listener feel as if he has been swept up by Hegg for a crash course in gladiatorial combat. The stop-start open note detonations that alternate between the measured surge of Söderberg near the end of the song help it stand high and mighty over nearly anything the band has released since.

"Bleed for the Ancient Gods" is a great opener, featuring a melody during the chorus that reminds me of "Runes to My Memory" along with a decent solo section. For some reason Amon Amarth's earlier albums feature more involved, traditional leadwork that was later dropped as the band streamlined their approach. The subtle lack of control present on The Avenger ends up being half of the appeal, as these compositions feature an air of controlled chaos that keeps the listener on his toes. "The Last with Pagan Blood" is my favorite here, though. The churning lower-register riffs meld with the potent bass presence, forming a gut-wrenchingly heavy disposition that plods along unwaveringly. So inordinate is it's approach that it very nearly damages the melodic inclination of some of the leads. Leads that have great potential and evoke more of that dark atmosphere that the band so effortlessly injected into these earlier albums. While they may lack the triumphant undertones of "Gods of War Arise", they certainly make up for it in zeal and tenacity. The closing moments of "North Sea Storm" is a great example of this approach, that lead is just infectious.

There are naturally more experimental elements as well, like the overly-distorted bass intro to "Legend of a Banished Man". Lundström's officious tone is upfront like on Fate of Norns, but the difference is that the rest of the band shares the spotlight this time around. Hegg also experiments with some half-shout vocal passages that remind me of Turisas and summon a similar anachronistic atmosphere. This is all just icing on the cake at the end of the day, as The Avenger can carry it's weight even without their inclusion.

You end up wishing it was longer, as seven tracks just aren't enough to rein in the primal delivery espoused by Amon Amarth in The Avenger's case. The elephantine riffs the band has become so famous for are only part of the appeal here, as a sonic balance is achieved that wasn't even present on The Crusher. It is that good.

Mighty Avenger. - 90%

Andromeda_Unchained, November 28th, 2011

Hot on the heels of their debut, Amon Amarth unleashed upon us the furious slab of melodically inclined death metal that is the almighty THE AVENGERRRR produced to devastating affect, this album is like Once Sent From the Golden Hall's meaner, older brother.

As I hinted on, the production here gives the album a tenfold heavier feel. Whilst on their debut I was happy to pump my fist and head-bang, The Avenger has me wanting to rampage. I swear this album could turn me into "The Incredible Hulk". Amon Amarth waste no time getting things raging, a short drum roll signals a furious riff and before I know it I'm involuntarily flailing around like a wild man, "Bleed for the Ancient Gods" packs so much in the way of bad-ass riffage, and that riff around the 2:34 mark is ridiculously heavy.

From here onwards ensues just over 35 minutes of balls out, riff mastery, Johan Hegg sounds great and his warriors are on top form. Even across the 7 minutes plus of the title track Amon Amarth keep it up, with glorious riffs and themes. Special mention goes to live staple "God, His Son and Holy Whore", which is Amon Amarth at their frenetic best.

Overall The Avenger is a furious installment in Amon Amarth's saga, and up there with some of their best material. Whilst I prefer their debut due to it offering a little more in terms of depth, if ever I'm looking for a good old fashioned bang of the head I normally look towards The Avenger.

Vengeance Shall Be Theirs - 87%

JamesIII, February 9th, 2010

In the world of heavy metal music, in all its various shapes and sizes, few things get me more pumped than Amon Amarth. While many listeners have caught onto this band's mighty warship through more recent releases such as "With Oden on Our Side" and "Twilight of the Thunder God" I will always see this band's glory days etched in their early existence. "The Avenger" is the band's second proper album, and a devastating array of talent that this band continues to put forth even to this day.

As described before, Amon Amarth's consistent plan of attack includes gracious melodies, simple (yet killer) riffs, energetic structure, thunderous drums, and Johan Hegg's mighty yet intelligent vocals. In the world of melodic death metal, and sometimes obvious trappings of repetitiveness of the Gothenburg groups, Amon Amarth are a gemstone that few can ignore. "The Avenger" delivers this and more, just not with the clear sound quality of "Fate of Norns" and beyond that newer listeners have gotten used to.

The album's higher points stick to their comfortable formula, though some upgrades have occured since "Once Sent from the Golden Hall." For one, the production is better, though it still pertains a sense of raw charm. Johan Hegg now sounds up front, rather than his yelling from a mountain of the last album. He has cashed in most of that gruff yelling style he used on the album prior, instead focusing more on his unmistakable growls as he charges forth with thunderous rhythms and straight-for-the-jugular riffing. This is seen in "Bleed for Ancient Gods," the incredible "The Last with Pagan Blood," and "North Sea Storm." All three of these songs are definite stand-outs, and some of the best this band has put forth.

Unfortunately, you only get seven songs on this release (though my version has a re-recorded "Thor Arise.") Naturally, since "The Avenger" isn't as strong as the album before or after, this is a bit of a snag. The title track, while building something epic with its seven minute length is just too long. Its not bad and definitely not anything near a throwaway, but the shorter songs still reign supreme here. "Metalwrath," aside from its backstory, isn't as noteworthy, either. Considering the stronger tracks like "North Sea Storm" and "The Last with Pagan Blood" are outright incredible, its hard for everything else here to stand-up to it. That being said, none of these seven songs are throwaways and all have merit of worth. This also includes the bonus track in "Thor Arise," a re-recorded song that originally appeared on the demo of the same name. I've never heard the original demo version, though this version is good, though being tacked on at the end makes it stick out a little bit. It isn't necessarily great, though still worthy. Its just that throwing it on at the end seems a bit out of place, kind of like the "Eyes of Horror" cover that appears on "The Crusher" album.

Though its not as consistent as "With Oden on Our Side" nor has as many good songs as "The Crusher," "The Avenger" is by no means a bad album. Any Amon Amarth fan is still required by the Viking gods to check it out, its just that in the grand picture of things, it doesn't stick out very much. The consistency of this band's formula that exists to this day is on this album, and the songwriting has improved over "Once Sent from the Golden Hall," even if I prefer that album to this one. For those new to this mighty band, I'd suggest looking towards "Versus the World" or "The Crusher" before this one, as both are better than this one but also because they are easier to get into and put forth more quality for your buck. Yet if you're more familiar with Amon Amarth's music and your collection is lacking this album, its like a Viking going to battle without his shield: you just don't do it.

Evoking seven storms - 85%

autothrall, November 20th, 2009

Contrary to popular belief, Amon Amarth was not the first of the Swedish Viking death metal bands, as Unleashed predated them for some years; however, they have certainly been the most successful, in recent years their albums like With Oden On Our Side and Twilight of the Thunder Gods have been huge, with an appeal that has spread even beyond the core metal crowd. Granted, many of these noobs would likely have enjoyed metal all along, if they only sat down to listen, but Amon Amarth has become a gateway band, or a 'return' for so many that have veered away to their placid hipster lives and listening rotations.

Come 1999, they were a rising force, but not yet at their peak level of popularity (which we still may not have experienced). The Avenger was their 2nd full-length offering, and the material written was a bit catchier than that found on their debut, Once Sent from the Golden Hall. It was also the first album to feature the huge line-up that the band has maintained to this day, with Johan Söderberg joining on guitar and Fredrik Andersson behind the drums. This is a seasoned, powerful album, with only 1-2 tracks slacking behind the rest, and it's honestly better than most they have released since (at least until the past few efforts, which have been stunning).

Amon Amarth take the term 'melodic death metal' to an entirely different medium, for while the band is making almost constant use of melodies over the bludgeoning death metal base, they aren't the kind of jumpy and spotty riffs used by In Flames or Dark Tranquillity. These are woven right into the foundation of the band's crushing force. Hegg is a true jarl of the north, easily shifting from his distinctive death metal growls to a blacker rasp without losing any of the thrust; Andersson is a beast; and while Mikkonen and Söderberg do not often indulge in complex riffing, they know how to level you with straightforward, hammering rhythms that best fit the band's Norse lyrical theme. Speaking of the lyrics, they've never been this band's strength, instead a pastiche of rather simplified Viking/Norse mythology which is presented to be accessible. But The Avenger is far from the worst of them.

'Making way through blades and spears
We attack at dawn
The glory scene is near
From northern gods we're spawned'

The album wastes no time in kicking your ass with the thundering "Bleed for Ancient Gods", a song they are still making today, a decade later. Gorgeous, glorious rhythm riffs and an unending barrage of crashing drums will send you this straight to your memory. "The Last With Pagan Blood" has one of the most inspiring song titles I've ever seen, and the song itself is one of my favorites from the album, with its spear formation walls of biting sorrow. The following track "North Sea Storm" is not only the best of the album, but my favorite Amon Amarth song to date, a warlike rhythm collapsing into an eternal and distinct verse rhythm which heralds both an emotion of loss and wonderment, and a futile, atavistic clarion to battle. The band even manages to pull off a chug-down without me becoming restless, that is how good this song is, and the standard by which I just much of their other material. "Avenger" is fashioned from more subtle textures, surely the driving power of the band continues, but it thrives off its cascade of golden, fading sunlight and the plodding of its bridge rhythm.

"God, His Son and Holy Whore" was not one of my favorites here, but it maintains the thundering largesse of the album and I did enjoy the first riff. "Metalwrath" is a rather notorious track, as the band makes a jab at countrymen Hammerfall, who they supposedly had some minor feud with. The song itself is decent, but not one of the stronger on the album. "Legend of a Banished Man" thankfully bings back the glory of the first half of the record, with some great bass work by Ted Lundstrom, and a heavy as hell chugging ballast which transforms into dynamic, march-like drumming. My version of the CD also includes the bonus track "Thor Arise", which is faster than much of the other material, and not quite so memorable.

The Avenger really rides off its stronger material, but it's not an entirely kickass album. "Bleed for Ancient Gods", "The Last With Pagan Blood" and "North Sea Storm" should belong to any compilation of Amon Amarth's greatest hits, and I still listen to these today, but on the whole, the band has released superior work since (especially Twilight of the Thunder God). Viking death metal is surely not as commonplace as Viking black metal, so a band like Amon Amarth has always been welcome, and reaped the niche that Unleashed (and, to an extent, Bathory) had first carved out.

Highlights: Bleed for Ancient Gods, The Last With Pagan Blood, North Sea Storm, Avenger

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

WAR TO US IS HOLY!! - 82%

Pyrus, September 30th, 2003

In today's death metal scene, consistency is an attribute sadly lacking - the only consistent bands, by and large, are those that start shitty and continue to be shitty for a long while after. It seems that most bands simply run out of ideas and disintegrate into a mass of pussified "melodic" riffs, mediocre vocals, and synthesized retardation. But there are still gems for the discerning death metal listenter - such as Amon Amarth.

The thing that makes this band great is that they took one over-arching idea blending Stockholm brutality and Gothenburg melody with an unhealthy dose of vicious Viking attitude - and then, get this, plugged a bunch of different riffs into it. This album, their second, runs a bit more melodic than their first full-length effort, but maintains a firm dedication to all that is loud, drunken, violent, and Norse.

The opening track, "Bleed For Ancient Gods," is one of Amon Amarth's best songs, dynamic and up-tempo with skilled drumming and a high riff-count. The second chorus at 2:46 is perhaps the defining moment of this album - kicked off with a snarling "War to us is holy!" and then leading into the throat-ripping "Sacrifice! Sacrifice! Sacrifice our blood for ancient gods!" vocal tradeoff. The final "Waaaaaaaaaarrrr! And then we kill!" growl is quite fun too.

Another high point is closer "Legend of A Banished Man," with a grim bass intro that conveys the image of waves swelling in the ocean - and then the main riff comes up, the "dragon ship even more feared than the nail-ship Naglfar." "Legend" is a vicious mid-tempo bruiser featuring another of the most memorable lines in Amon Amarth's catalog - "Run for your lives! Death has arrived!" The epic, march-drum instrumental bit at 4:30 puts not just a cap on the album, but a steel helmet spotted with blood and dented from a mighty axe-blow.

In between these two highlights are five solid, solid tunes. "God, His Son And Holy Whore" is particularly worthy of notice, a churning bit of anti-Christian rage that easily qualifies for the "KVLT-as-fuck" category. And the title track is an epic of revenge, which drags a bit in the beginning but begins to really fucking SLAY around the four-minute mark. The closing solo is great, Johan Hegg's screams of "DIE!" around 4:30 show some of his full potential as one of the best growlers in death; he really starts to shine on The Crusher.

But that's another review. For now, here is a short, hard-hitting, death metal opus that works well as drinking music, moshing music, raping music, pillaging music, slaying-cowardly-men-of-Christ music, or really just about anything that invokes the spirit of drunken, hairy Norse pirates. You provide the beer and weaponry, and The Avenger will provide the favor of Odin.

Flawless - 100%

vonDread, August 25th, 2002

Amon Amarth does one thing: melodic yet brutal Viking death metal. And they do it better than anyone else. I had only heard one song by them before this album, the epic "Victorious March." After that I was hooked, eagerly jumping into this album blindfolded. I wasn't disappointed.

The Avenger is an album that inspires one to grow a beard and take up arms against the Christian oppressors like no other. The twin guitar assault is the spear of Odin thrust into your heart, Johan Hegg's growling vocals are the battlecry of a thousand frenzied berserkers, the relentless doublekick echoes with the thunderclap of Mjolnir.

There is not a single weak point over the course of the album's duration. It opens with "Bleed for Ancient Gods," a thrashing, pounding, furious sweeping battle anthem that stomps on your throat and establishes the defining credo of Amon Amarth with the chorus line, "war to us is holy." The second track, "The Last with Pagan Blood," twists the boot pressing on your jugular and doesn't let you think for one second the battle is over. This is definitely the stand out track among an entire album of stand out tracks. "...Pagan Blood" also conjures up some of the album's most vibrant imagery, an element Amon Amarth is most definitely not in short supply of.

"North Sea Storm," takes the battle to sea, again inspiring glorious imagery of Norsemen struggling against formidable enemies. This song also features the album's best solo. The title track is next, imparting a somber tale of brutal Viking retribution highlighted by another brilliant solo. In "God, His Son, and Holy Whore," probably the fastest song, the band's unconditional hatred of the Christian faith manifests more clearly than anywhere else. "Metalwrath" is a fun metal anthem, cleverly working the band's previous song titles into the lyrics. "Legend of a Banished Man" caps off the album with the story of an invincible Viking warlord's return. "Run for your lives, death has arrived..." By now, any non-metalheads you have subjected to Amon Amarth's special brand of warlike malice should be whinging in protest and praying for your soul.

All in all, The Avenger is the best Viking metal album ever put out. Each song is a well-constructed epic tale of Nordic folklore, accompanied most approriately by the all best elements of the melodic death metal genre. This is the album that should inspire artists to paint vast murals depicting proud Viking warriors dying gloriously on the field of battle, slaughtering the Christian dogs till their swords fall from their grasp, cursing their enemies with their last gasping breath. There is no other band that sounds like Amon Amarth, no other band that so clearly brings to mind such striking imagery.

The album’s one fault would be only this: it's too short. The Avenger clocks in at just over 36 minutes with only seven songs. It's a brief listen, though an intense one from start to finish. But considering how often these masterful architects pump out consistently great material, it’s an easily forgivable fault.