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Amon Amarth

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For the Middle-Earth location commonly known as "Mount Doom", see Orodruin.
Amon Amarth

Amon Amarth is a viking-themed melodic death metal band from Tumba, Sweden founded in 1992[1]. It is named after a location in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The name means "Mount Doom" in Sindarin, one of Tolkien's Elvish languages. The band was originally known as Scum, and released a single demo under that name in 1988 before changing their name to Amon Amarth in 1992.

History

The five Swedish musicians are known for their synchronised headbanging in music videos and at live performances, and their songs based on Norse mythology. This mythology is an element that originally emerged as an ideological off-shoot of black metal known as Viking metal in the early 1990s, made popular by such bands as Bathory and Enslaved, although the band's sound is more in the vein of early Amorphis and mid-period Bolt Thrower.

Formed under the name Scum in 1988, the band was originally a grindcore band formed by Themgoroth (Dark Funeral), Olavi and Ted. When Johan joined the band, it resulted in a musical change towards death metal. After a 1991 demo, they changed the band's name to Amon Amarth in 1992. After they became Amon Amarth, they released a demo recording, The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter, in 1994, selling all 1000 demo discs in less than 12 hours[2]. This demo brought them to sign at Pulverised Records, on which they released in 1996 their first MCD Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds, from which they sold 6000 copies (spread throughout four different versions)[3]. This release brought them to sign with Metal Blade Records. With the release of the album Once Sent from the Golden Hall in 1998, their popularity rose on an international level and since has brought forth multiple U.S. tours, five music videos, and appearances in over 100 metal magazines.[4] In early January, 2008, their first tour of Australia and New Zealand will take place, along with supporting Dimmu Borgir on tour in Europe, and will tour along with Decapitated, Himsa and Sonic Syndicate in the USA.

When commenting on the name of the band, vocalist Johan Hegg remarked:

...it was Ted who found the name. Don't ask me how cause none of us were ever really Lord of the Ring fans but it sounded cool and the meaning of it is killer! It's the name of "Mount Doom" in Sindarin, whatever that is, ask a Tolkien fan. But I think it's cool and really symbolizes what Amon Amarth stands for.

— The Metal Web's interview with Johan Hegg

When asked to comment on the band's genre, vocalist Johan Hegg remarked:

We play death metal. We write about Vikings so therefore some refer us to Viking metal, but I have no idea what that is. I can't imagine the Viking’s [sic] veer into metal at all except on the swords and stuff. And musically, I guess they only played these strange lip instruments and some bongos or whatever.

— The Metal Web's interview with Johan Hegg

Discography

Albums

Released Title Label
1991 Demo 1 Self-released as Scum
1993 Thor Arise Never released
1994 The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter Self-released, see below
1996 Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds Pulverised
1998 Once Sent from the Golden Hall Metal Blade
1999 The Avenger Metal Blade
2001 The Crusher Metal Blade
2002 Versus the World Metal Blade
2004 Fate of Norns Metal Blade
2006 With Oden on Our Side Metal Blade

The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter

The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter is a demo by the Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth, self-released in 1994. Its original release was limited and consisted of 1000 copies.[5] The demo was released on three different colour tapes with different styles. The "labels" for the demo aren't professionally-made, and were created by the band for the release of the demo.

Track listing

  1. "Burning Creation" − 4:48
  2. "The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter" − 4:38
  3. "Without Fear" − 4:42

Credits

Videography

Aestheticom, a music video production company, was chosen to produce videos for "Runes to My Memory" and "Cry of the Black Birds", both directed by Bill Schacht.

Released Title Producer
2003 Death in Fire
2004 The Pursuit of Vikings
2006 Wrath of the Norsemen
2006 Runes to My Memory
2007 Cry of the Black Birds

Members

Amon Amarth on Metalmania Festival 2005 in Poland

Current members

Former Members

As Amon Amarth:

  • Anders Hansson − guitars (Thor Arise - Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds)
  • Nico Kaukinen − drums (Thor Arise - Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds)
  • Martin Lopez − drums

As Scum:

  • Themgoroth − vocals (left the band before the demo was released, when it was named Scum)

References

  1. ^ "Biography at amonamarth.com". Retrieved 2007-02-27.
  2. ^ "Amon Amarth Biography at Metal--Head". Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  3. ^ "Amon Amarth Biography". Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  4. ^ "Amon Amarth Biography". Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  5. ^ "Original release copies". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2007-07-15. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Text "date" ignored (help)
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