Review Summary: Amon Amarth's most vicious and brutal record also works as one of their most meaningful crafts of their career. A must have.
This early 2002 release is often regarded as one of the heaviest - and most meaningful -
Amon Amarth record to date, and for damn good reasons; that's exactly what it is.
Before I get into the highlights of the album, a few main things stand out to me. The first is that there's a real focus on the drumming. It's generally steady, but fast enough to carry a 'barely on the rails' type feeling for the main body of most of the songs. Regardless of the pace, though, the drum definitely serves as a proper framework for the tracks. Well-written and executed riffs comprise the majority of the instrumental listen, though, and the solos are polished and awe-inspiring.
Johan Hegg's vocals are at some of their finest points in this record (no surprise there), and the lyrical themes are dark, but interesting. As always, a lyrical focus of Norse mythology is paramount, but this record's feel is particularly dreadful and foreshadowing. From the passage in thrashy album opener "Death in Fire", which is incredibly addictive to listen to, to the album closer "...And Soon the World will Cease to Be", the end-of-the-world scenarios of Bifrost's arrival and Ragnarök aren't just present - they're literally screamed at you.
Wait, what's that? With all this crazy off-the-rails thrashiness, you say, how would one find a slower groove of a song? Listeners need not look any further than the second track, "For the Stabwounds in Our Backs", the fifth track, "Across the Rainbow Bridge, and the ninth and final track, which I've mentioned before. While "Death in Fire" is an excellent song, the second track really hits home with meaning without being too monotonously slow, and as such prevents any one track from being disinteresting. "Stabwounds" is an excellent track unto itself, showing pain in the betrayal orchestrated by the "civilised" Christian folks (a theme that's repeated in "Thousand Years of Oppression", which I'll discuss later). While lyrical themes are repeated within certain tracks, each song is distinct in its differences. The mastery Amon shows in this record is like no other, and really sets them above the rank and file.
While all the tracks are quite exceptional, my personal favourite is "Thousand Years of Oppression". It combines the pure thrashiness and brutality of death metal with severe and genuine, heartfelt emotion into what I honestly believe to be the pure embodiment of Amon Amarth. This track is an amazing listen from start to finish, from the exceptional riffage to the grinding vocals. Album closer "...And Soon the World will Cease to Be" is another very good track, showing a little soft side in the beginning before closing the book on
Versus the World in an extremely satisfying way. It's one of those songs you'd hold a lighter to if they played it live, before throwing yourself into the circle pit, and it's done really well.
All in all? I think this album deserves the five stars I'm giving it. I know it's an old release, but I promised this review a long while ago. Have a look at the recommended tracks if you don't already have this album.
Recommended Tracks
1.) Death in Fire
2.) For the Stabwounds in Our Backs
3.) Across the Rainbow Bridge
4.) Thousand Years of Oppression
5.) ...And Soon the World will Cease to Be
