Amon Amarth - With Oden On Our Side [Metal Blade - 2006]Viking Metal is thematically confined to lyrics which relate to Vikings and Norse mythology. Suspension of disbelief is required for the listener to take seriously songs about sword battles, written as if they are still being fought today. That said, With Oden on Our Side is a top notch death metal album, which is musically diverse, and surprisingly fairly melodic. Amon Amarth have been slugging out Viking death metal for 15 years or so, and have progressed into a tight band. With Oden on Our Side leans heavily on war anthems, and bone crunching imagery, which is matched by the music. The production is crisp and up front, giving this album a professional sheen. The gruff, guttural vocals by Johan Hegg, which are sung in english, (the band is from Sweden) are surprisingly clear and easy to understand, which is not usually the case with death metal. The twin guitar attack by Olavi Mikkonen and Johan Söderberg is heavy and melodic at the same time, and Fredrick Andersson's drums are powerful, giving these songs some real drive. The first two songs are first person accounts of death, and though the subject is morbid (this is death metal) , the subject matter is treated a little bit more sensitively than expected. "Here I lie on the sand/ I will not make it home/ I clinch my sword in my hand/ say farewell to those I love", from Runes to my Memory are not typical death metal lyrics. Any display of sentimentality is rare for the genre. Of course, there is more than enough blood soaked war imagery to go around throughout the remainder of the album, which helps to make up for this momentary lapse in brutality. The music, while usually rooted in mid to fast paced death metal, has enough variation to keep things interesting from start to finish. There's an old school thrash influenced tune (Asator), and a couple songs that verge on an Iron Maiden sound, because of their tuneful riffs (the title track being the prime example). The songwriting is consistently intelligent, and the band sounds like they've developed over their years of touring and recording, because everything comes together seamlessly. With Oden on Our Side is a heavy, accomplished album which should be played at a lease breaking volume.    Erwin Michelfelder
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