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| Buy this album |
Well here goes. I've debated again and again over whether I'm really ready to write this review or not, because in the past week give or take a few days, I've felt some uncertainty as to how I feel about this album. The first day I got it, I couldn't stop listening to it, and decided that it was by far their greatest release to date. Then a few days later I realized that I was a little unhappy with the repetition to be found in the song structure and riffage. But now after giving sufficient time and thought, I feel like I've come to a conclusion that is ultimately reasonable and justifiable. The conclusion is that indeed, this album is kick ass from start to finish. I've heard some critics say that the lack of variation is a good thing because the formula Amon Amarth already has is nearly perfect. For me however, I can't get over the fact that this album sounds exactly like Versus and The Crusher. Everything down to the melodic progressions and even the overall feel of the songs has remained steady throughout. I can't deny that it's awesome or that it's so awesome that it's really carved its own niche into the death metal genre (Viking Metal). There is no way that I could deny any of this, but what I can deny is that its perfectly fine and dandy that they sound exactly the same in Fate of Norns as in their previous releases. Thus my main criticism with this release is a lack of innovation, and perhaps a lack of speed. It may just be a product of my imagination, but this record seems to be, overall, a little more sluggish than either Versus or The Crusher. Now that I've stated my main criticism, I'd like to make it clear that for every one thing that goes wrong in this album, at least 100 go right. The guitar riffs are still top notch death metal material, and the band's coordination is still impeccable. I really wish that I could see them live in support of this album, (well, to be honest I wish I could see them live period) because I'm curious to know what kind of atmosphere this album would create. Judging by the updates from the band on tour in Europe, the reaction has been pretty intense! I realize that I spent the majority of this review criticizing the album, but I wanna make it clear that I only do so because I could rant on and on about why this albums great, but there are only a few select things that I can find to complain about. Overall this album is an amazing release and I highly recommend it to both fans and newcomers!
| Tracklist |
| 1. An Ancient Sign Of Coming Storm |
| 2. Where Death Seems To Dwell |
| 3. Fate Of Norns |
| 4. The Pursuit Of Vikings |
| 5. Valkyries Ride |
| 6. The Beheading Of A King |
| 7. Arson |
| 8. Once Sealed In Blood |
: 40.03
| Buy other Amon Amarth albums |
