Customer Reviews

With Oden on Our Side

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is definately Amon Amarth's best album to date, and that is saying a lot. I've been a fan of these guys' Viking influenced Death metal for a long time. What really sets Amon Amarth apart from typical Death metal is the fact that they have a lot of melody to their work. There's a lot of high tremolo picking and whatnot. Don't get me wrong, there's still plenty of double bass to go around, there's just an overall epic feel to their sound. So what makes this album so special? It just seems as if they pushed their song writing up a few notches. You can pretty much understand their singer and everything he's saying. The solos have gotten alot better. These guys really set it off with this record! This is definately up there for one of the bests of 2006.

I noticed that this album is in the 600's on the best selling amazon list. That's pretty good for an underground metal band i would say. I'm glad that a good band is finally getting noticed. In case anyone doesn't know, Amon Amarth is a band that plays a style of death metal dubbed "viking metal". Their lyrics, their image, their music is based upon the epic soundscapes of vikings, norse mythology, and battles of honor and glory. They are much like their death metal cousins, bolt thrower, in that respect. While bolt thrower pummels us with brutal vocals and riffs everywhere, Amon Amarth throws in deep throat vocals (that can still be understood somehow; what an amazing singer they have!) and a melodic but heavy wall of sound....much like an approaching army! Over the last few releases, AA have gotten a bit more melodic than their earlier stuff but they get their point across just as well as ever.

Their previous efffort, the fate of norns, was a good release but it was way too melodic and slow, even by AA standards. With this release, they pick up the pace quite a bit and once again find the perfect balance between heavy and melodic, epic and to the point.

Tracks 3, 5, 6, and 9 are my favorites. 3 is easily the heaviest, fastest song on the album and it pummels you until the exact second it's over. Track 9 is a slower (but still retardely heavy) track that captures perfect the epic sound of AA. On this sound, you have the melodic guitar, the slower melodic parts, the heavier guitar with the faster, more crunchy parts. The vocals, drums, and bass on this song all come togther with the others and create a very strong song, one of AA's best. The atompshere on this song is very very dark and full of despair and hoplesness. I love it.

Amon Amarth sure took a different approach when the time came to write their newest album. It was a much more serious approach, as if the band finally decided to come together, concentrate, and gather ideas to make sure they got the exact sound they wanted. They decided to use a producer for the first time ever (the respectable and experienced Jens Bogren) instead of just an engineer, and the band members also quit their day jobs in order to devote all their energy to the new album's songwriting and take their time when recording it. So did all of this hard work pay off? Oh, yeah! "With Oden On Our Side" is, without a doubt, Amon Amarth `s heaviest and most focused, refined, intense, inspired, epic, and all-around strongest effort to date. This is the release that Amon Amarth have been trying to put out ever since they first started making music well over a decade ago. Indeed, it is definitely safe to say that this Swedish fivesome have officially achieved true greatness.

"With Oden On Our Side" is filled with all the usual Amon Amarth goodies: superb melodic solos, tasty harmonic leads, and gruff yet intelligible vocals. Great riffs, too. The guitarists never lose sight of the groove, and they create a virtual symphony of guitar licks (melodic, slow and heavy, fast and aggressive, and some that border on brutal) which are utilized for maximum variety. Yes, they might be fairly simplistic, but they are superbly strong and meaty, and they build off each other and flow together really well. The album's main focus, though, is on good, mature, and powerful songwriting. The result is nine well-crafted, instantly memorable songs that are epic without being overly long, and always include plenty of irresistable hooks (which are frequently among the best you will hear in death metal), dynamics, texture, atmosphere, unexpected twists, tempo variation, and fairly intelligent, war-themed lyrics.

Frontman Johan Hegg's trademark growls do battle against strong, memorable, churning riffs and interlocking double bass thumps to create "Valhall Awaits Me," a very rhythmic and headbangable album opener, and one that should a concert favorite in the near future. "Runes To My Memory" works similarly, with hefty, powerful riffing and a stomping drum beat, and gradually gains quite a bit of speed and momentum. This song is different, though, because it also features well-placed guitar harmonies, effortlessly contagious, melodic choruses, and memorable lyrics. Later on, "Gods of War Arise" and the title track are two classic-sounding Amon Amarth tunes, as is the catchy battlefield march-vibe of the set closer, "Prediction of Warfare."

The remainder of the songs, however, find the band stepping out of the box a little, and being a little experimental. For example, on "Asator" and "Cry of the Black Birds," the Swedish quintet lets it rip with surprisingly thrashy tempos and blistering leads (and, in the case of the latter, pounding, almost blast beat-esque drumming, too.) Elsewhere, "Hermod's Ride to Hell: Loke's Treachery Part 1" is a slowly building, epic hymn with a very dark, restrained and ominous mood. It's bolstered by chunky, mid-tempo, galloping, and sometimes booming power chords and slow, insidious, spoken word-ish vocals. The song lightens up some, though, because a wealth of wonderful melodic licks are sprinkled into the mix. Finally, track eight, "Under the Northern Star," is equally as mellow, and just might be the most melodic song this band has ever recorded. It's highlighted by a gorgeous, soaring solo, chilling lyrics, and deliciously clean guitar leads that carry the song and might very well stick in the listener's head for days to come.

It is fairly hard to put one's finger on exactly what category "With Oden On Our Side" falls under for sure. It is primarily a melodic death metal album, but it could sure be argued that it falls more in line with Viking, epic, folk, and/or traditional death metal. And it also has undeniable traces of black, speed, gothic, and doom metal. But it really doesn't matter what genre you choose to say it is, just as long as you don't call it anything besides an excellent record, and Amon Amarth's masterwork. In short: all killer, no filler.

One of the best metal albums of this decade. Second only to Vs The World for this band. Production quality is the best yet, and you can tell the band worked very hard to give us a true metal tour de force. Johan proves once again why he's one of the best in the business. His delivery is brutal, but somehow clear enough to understand, which is rare for a death vocalist. The Soderberg/Mikkonen guitar duo should get a grammy for this effort. These guys keep putting out pure, crystalline metal, album after album. And the rhythm section of Andersson and Lundstrom could not be tighter, providing the band that classic Amon Amarth "wall of sound."

There are no bad tracks on this CD. Highlights are Runes to My Memory, with a great chorus riff that just sticks in your head; Gods of War, where the first 2 minutes alone are just glorious viking metal; Asator, unreal riffs; and With Oden On Our Side, which seems to raise the gods from their slumber by itself!

Amon Amarth is able to do what many bands cannot- they innovate within their genre. These guys know where their strengths are and keep hammering away at it! Yet, their true gift is that they can give us these great epic metal assaults over and over without sounding stale. Each album is unique, but all are still connected with familiar themes: vikings, norse gods, battle and adventure. Combine this with some of the best riffs ever devised and you get classic metal for the ages.

For those looking to corrupt your friends from 'normal' Heavy Metal to the darker side of Death Metal, this might be the perfect CD. My background is that I used to like all kinds of music (except Rap and Country), then started liking Queensryche a lot, then got hooked on Metal of all kinds (except Death and Black).

My friend who hooked me on Metal, likes the heavier stuff, especially Death. I listened to it a few times but it never grabbed me. I didn't MIND it, as it became basically 'white noise' which worked fine as background music, but it wasn't anything I would have put into the CD player on my own.

Then I saw this CD in a Borders'. Read a review of it on one of their various computers scattered around. Almost bought it, didn't, and asked my friend to bring it over sometime. Immediately on hearing it I knew I really liked the music. The vocals, well, they didn't grab me but the odd thing was I could understand them (the first time that's really happened).

So I picked up the CD. I still can't listen to it over and over, and usually it gets put into a mix, but I _do_ like it. The melody of the guitars and drums workes very nicely, and the voice isn't too overpowering. Plus, the lyrics, if you read them, are well done and evocative. It only gets a 4 because I'm not very experienced in the genre and it's NOT one of my top 10 Metal CDs. As a crossover (from normal to Death metal) CD though, it might just rate a 5.

All are words that could easily be used to describe the latest offering from Amon Amarth. WITH ODEN ON OUR SIDE (Metal Blade, 2006) is nearly forty-three minutes of monumental melodic death metal. Moving into a new studio and utilizing the talents of a fine producer (Jens Bogren - Opeth, Soilwork) proved worthwhile for the Viking warriors. This record has a much more consistent feel than 2004's FATE OF NORNS or 2002's VERSUS THE WORLD. Bogren's knob twisting adds a certain sheen to this record that makes it a must for headphone listening.

The album opens with the driving crusher "Valhall Awaits Me". Johan Hegg's gravelly bellow is amazingly easy to understand and draws the listener into the unfolding battle. The thunderous drums and amazing guitar tones had me reaching to up the volume before getting to the first chorus.

Other up-tempo highlights on this gem are "Asator", a straight up speedster that tips the horned-helmet to the band's Swedish death metal lineage, and "Runes to My Memory" a swift galloping ride into the next world.


"Hermod's Ride to Hel", "Cry of the Blackbirds", and the title track fall squarely into the AA hymns of majesty category. Proud chants, all. My favorite track, however, is "Gods of War Arise". The storytelling is so articulate, so well done, that I actually catch myself hoping that the poor villagers about to be torn asunder die with dignity.

The ability to continually create meaningful, relevant music from the same set of overriding themes is one element that sets AA apart from pack. Do yourself a favor and pick up one of the best sounding metal albums of 2006.

Amon Amarth, everyone's favorite Viking warriors, have crafted what may be their best album ever. Of course, many purists will gasp at this statement and frantically search for their copies of "Once Sent From the Golden Hall," but the fact is that this album surpasses even that monumental achievement in almost every way. Combining the thick production and mid-paced epic glory of recent efforts with their more aggressive early days, "With Oden on our Side" is a varied album that shows Amon Amarth at their best. The lyrics are typical Amon Amarth - Vikings, death, Ragnarok, war, etc, and the style has not really changed much, but this album still rocks like no other. The vocals are now more understandable than ever, a definate plus, and the faster pieces (i.e. Asator) show AA can still shred with the best of them. Once again, however, it is the slower numbers (Runes to My Memory, Cry of the Blackbirds) where Amon Amarth really stand out, taking the listener to times long past of courage and glory. Easily one of the best albums of 2006.

Length:: 3:51 Mins

Oden is a superb album, much like the rest of Amon Amarth's work. The one thing that makes this album stand apart is imply the production value has increased. The tracks sound clearer and crisper and the editing is superb.

I advise anyone whom has heard and liked any older Amon Amarth albums to pick this up immediately. Fans of Death, Viking, Power, Thrash and even Black Metal styles can enjoy this. Don't get me wrong nothing on this album signifies Amon Amarth as the most talented band around but I can safely say they are and possible will always be one of the most faithful to their style.

Releasing solid album one after the next its no wonder they have garnered so much fame and they deserve every ounce as they have yet to use that new found power to sell out. They continue to stick true to their roots and I am one to commend them for that so for the love of metal go buy this album! Support a band that supports your scene!

Included is the music video for the single 'Cry of the Black Birds' off of Amon Amarth's hit Viking/Death Metal album With Oden on our Side. Enjoy!

Amon Amarth continues to improve their song writing without sacrificing any of their ferocity.Johann has become my favorite Death/Black metal vocalist.If you are new to Amon Amarth this is as good a place to start as any. Once sent from the Golden Hall is a fantastic album, but I think if you prefer more variety this is the album for you.

I had never heard Amon Amarth until one song came on the tv (Cry of the Blackbirds). I bought the album and was blown away!! I did some research and found their music is based on Norse mythology and other religious beliefs. The lyrics are a bit strange because of that, but that does not take away from the awesome death metal riffs and smooth beat. It's totally deep sounding, dark, evil, and intimidating, yet intense and attractive at the same time. I listen to it and find myself head banging or moving with the rhythm. For a band I had never heard of before now, I am totally blown away by their sound, look, and total devotion to their beliefs. Awesome Band, Awesome Album.