Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods (2013)

Amon Amarth, the bearer of melodic death metal with a twist of Viking mythology has just released their ninth studio album. Nonetheless, Deceiver of the Gods is still going to maximize your understanding about Loke and his gang with another bombastic music. Amon Amarth is a proud quintet from Stockholm Sweden. Most proud point in their CV, the band is solid in the line up, staying together as one pieces for more than ten years now. This usually lead the band into experimental 'period', but Amon Amarth seems far from getting such trend injection. Instead, Deceiver of the Gods still lay in the foundation of melodic death where Amon Amarth being in for almost two decades.

Deceiver Of The Gods, come without too many decorations for the intro. This is straightforward power metal with a death vocal in perform. Familiar fast drum beat, attacking guitar riffs and in the middle, a Metallica-like one word choruses all give a damn good promising opener. The story continue, As Loke Falls not differed much. Still with a wave of guitar licks attack, the song smoothly run on traditional death metal foundation. Amon Amarth is actually sounds very much power metal, it's just the vocal that falls them into death metal category, listen to the intro in Father Of The Wolf and the song in a whole to get a more 'power' elements. But then the other side, the more brutal, 'death' feel can be found in Blood Eagle. Which is actually lead the latter part of the album into darker nuances. In track Hel, there come a guest singer from Candlemass, Messiah Marcolin. Received the last fastest track on Coming Of The Tide to be followed by ending epic Warriors of the North, then we done.

Sounds pretty tight, without too many variation of each songs, but Deceiver of the Gods is consistent on its heaviness. The album gradually faster and darker from early songs till the last one. Compare to the previous release Surfer Rising, this is still a strong continuation on music and theme. The style of Amon Amarth is a compromise in between death and power metal. So if you like both, then probably this is the band to follow. Singer Johan Hegg's voices is 'death' enough to pleased the fans on hardcore side, while the instrumentations with twin guitars attack sounds more 'power metal'. If you following, Amon Amarth also labelled as Viking Metal , or something like that. Make sure to read some of Nordic mythology before listen to Deceiver of the Gods!

Metal Harem class: ******** eight stars out of ten

Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods (2013)
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1. Deceiver Of The Gods
2. As Loke Falls
3. Father Of The Wolf
4. Shape Shifter
5. Under Siege
6. Blood Eagle
7. We Shall Destroy
8. Hel - featuring Messiah Marcolin (Candlemass)
9. Coming Of The Tide
10. Warriors of the North

Deluxe Released
CD2

01.Burning Anvil of Steel 04:27
02.Satan Rising 04:20
03.Snake Eyes 03:12
04.Stand Up to Go Down 03:28

Lineup:
Johan Hegg - Vocals
Ted Lundström - Bass
Johan Söderberg - Guitar
Olavi Mikkonen - Guitar
Fredrik Andersson - Drums
Record Label: Metal Blade Records

Amon Amarth Deceiver of the Gods album review