[PRESS RELEASE] Surtur Rising, the latest studio album from Swedish death metal tyrants, AMON AMARTH sold approximately 15,000 copies in the United States landing the band the #34 on the Billboard Top 200, #6 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums, #1 on the Billboard Top Hard Music Albums and #10 on the Indy/Small Chain Core Store Chart. The record entered Austria's Top 40 Chart at #12 and Switzerland's Top 100 at #20. In Germany, Surtur Rising sold over 14,000 units, entered the Top 100 Chart at #8 and is in the official Media Mark Charts at #14 in its second week. In addition, Surtur Rising came in at #19 on Canada's Top 200 Chart, #5 on the Independent Charts and #2 on Hard Charts. The record is #1 in Canada on iTunes' Top Metal albums, and also charted on the following: #16 Top 200, #3 Top Rock and #1 Top Metal. In the U.S., the record ranked in at #2 on iTunes' Rock Album chart and #20 in the Top 200 (overall album chart). Released on March 29 via Metal Blade Records, Surtur Rising is AMON AMARTH’s eighth studio offering in a winding discography that’s helped shape the very face of epic, Viking-inspired death metal. Named in tribute to Surtur, leader of the fire giants of Muspelheim ("flame land") and the oldest being in the nine worlds of Norse mythology, the record was recorded, mixed and mastered at Fascination Street Studios Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and bears the striking cover art by Tom Thiel. The mammoth long-player has been reaping incredible praise from critics nationwide. In a 9/10 review, Blabbermouth compared Surtur Rising to being, "...bludgeoned by your favorite warhammer. Definitely a contender for this year's best."Fearnet called it a, "feast of world-destroying metal on par with the band's career-defining 2008 release Twilight Of The Thunder God," while Decibel Magazine commended the band noting, "it's a pleasure to learn one of metal's most consistent bands remains as indefatigable as ever."Pop Matters called the record "...another momentous album for AMON AMARTH, leaving no doubt that they are one of the best metal bands in the world!," and Live-Metal agreed: "...one of the strongest, most massively heavy death metal bands around..."
In conjunction with Surtur Rising's release, AMON AMARTH will make their way to the U.S. for a near two-week stretch of live dates later this month. Dubbed “An Evening With AMON AMARTH,” this special trek will find the band performing two separate sets each night: one which will feature Surtur Rising in its entirety and another boasting a collection of songs from previous releases. Confirmed dates below (after the jump!):
An Evening With AMON AMARTH
4/14/2011 The Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL 4/15/2011 Station 4 - Saint Paul, MN 4/16/2011 Granada Theater - Lawrence, KS 4/17/2011 The Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO 4/19/2011 Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR 4/20/2011 Showbox Sodo - Seattle, WA 4/22/2011 The Regency - San Francisco, CA 4/23/2011 Ace Of Spades - Sacramento, CA 4/24/2011 House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA 4/25/2011 Nile Theatre - Mesa, AZ 4/27/2011 White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX 4/29/2011 Culture Room - Fort Lauderdale, FL 4/30/2011 Beacham Theatre - Orlando, FL 5/01/2011 Masquerade - Atlanta, GA 5/02/2011 Jaxx - Springfield, VA 5/03/2011 Peabody’s - Cleveland, OH 5/05/2011 Best Buy Theater - New York, NY 5/06/2011 Theatre Of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA 5/07/2011 Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
[PRESS RELEASE] Popular horror site Bloody Disgusting is currently streaming AMON AMARTH's long-anticipated full-length, Surtur Rising, in its entirety! Scheduled for North American release via Metal Blade on March 29, 2011, the record, which was voted among Decibel Magazine's most anticipated albums of 2011, marks the eighth studio offering from the melodic death metal tyrants. The stream live now! And ends at 11:59pm EST (03:59am GMT) on March 28, 2011.
Noted Decibel of the record: "it's a pleasure to learn one of metal's most consistent bands remains as indefatigable as ever." Stereokiller commended the production stating: "Johan Hegg's vocals continue to be one of the bands strongest points, captivating the listener with clearly enunciated, yet gruff and powerful vocals," while Metal Assault commended the band for "an album that has enormous aggression, entrancing melody and everything in between... the band's most well-rounded and musically richest album to date." Added L.A. Music Blog, "Surtur Rising is the epitome of what death metal should be: ferocious and crushing...possibly the band’s best work to date."
To check out Surtur Rising, point your browserHERE.
Pre-order packages for Surtur Rising are still available at the band's official landing page: http://www.SurturRising.com.
Coinciding with the record release, AMON AMARTH will make their way to the U.S. for a near two-week stretch of live dates. Simply dubbed “An Evening With AMON AMARTH,” this very special trek will find the band performing two separate sets each night, one which will feature Surtur Rising in its entirety while the other will boast a collection of songs from the band’s previous releases. The Viking-inspired festivities will commence on April 14 in Chicago, Illinois. Confirmed dates below:
An Evening With AMON AMARTH 4/14/2011 The Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL 4/15/2011 Station 4 - Saint Paul, MN 4/16/2011 Granada Theater - Lawrence, KS 4/17/2011 The Summit Music Hall - Denver, CO 4/19/2011 Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR 4/20/2011 Showbox Sodo - Seattle, WA 4/22/2011 The Regency - San Francisco, CA 4/23/2011 Ace Of Spades - Sacramento, CA 4/24/2011 House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA 4/25/2011 Nile Theatre - Mesa, AZ 4/27/2011 White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX 4/29/2011 Culture Room - Fort Lauderdale, FL 4/30/2011 Beacham Theatre - Orlando, FL 5/01/2011 Masquerade - Atlanta, GA 5/02/2011 Jaxx - Springfield, VA 5/03/2011 Peabody’s - Cleveland, OH 5/05/2011 Best Buy Theater - New York, NY 5/06/2011 Theatre Of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA 5/07/2011 Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
I decided that I'm going to drop out of university, build a ship, sail across the Atlantic, destroy and eventually pillage the entire world. Yes, I just finished listening to Amon Amarth's album, Surtur Rising. Yes, it was awesome. No, Johan can't really sing like Serj (Tankian)in that cover of Aerials, but it still kicked ass.
Amon Amarth's latest album, Surtur Rising, doesn't seem to be much too different than Twilight of the Thunder God, but certainly stands out with some of its tracks, and is another great release worth BUYING.[Ed note: Spiritcrusher is super serial about this!Click here to order the record via iTunes]
The album opened up with War of the Gods and it was nothing less than awesome. It feels like Amon Amarth. It sounds like Amon Amarth. It probably smells like Amon Amarth, but I have a cold so I wouldn't know. Heavy riffs, and an EXCELLENT solo. It's catchy (and in a good way)…which is strange, because I tend to be put off by "catchy" songs.
Next track, Tock's Taunt - Loke's Treachery Part II is the second part of Hermod's Ride to Hell - Lokes Treachery Part 1 from With Oden on Our Side, and it has a totally different vibe than War of the Gods. It all about the low chugged riffs in this one. This really gives off the "viking" vibe of the band. I have to say I really enjoyed this and how both songs are so different yet fit together really well.
Destroyer of the Universe is an interesting track that blends in the older more aggressive Amon Amarth (I'm thinking Army of Darkness) with the newer more melodic songs from their last few albums. It comes off as a really upbeat song that blends in heavy riffing with some sweet melodies. I can picture that song being a fan favorite!
The Last Stand of Frej is definitely a track that stands out. It's not as fast, but it's heavy and melodic regardless. It's another song with a great battle-vibe but not the typical upbeat into battle one, which is always a nice change. I always feel like writing about the struggling warrior going through a living hell is a lot more intense than about hyping up for battle…maybe it's just me.
The rest of the tracks of this album are all fantastic, and all play a special role in making this album unique, although I do admit, I would have appreciated a few risk-taking elements in ALL the songs. I feel like some of the songs were very creative and had some new ideas in there, but some of the others seemed to be the same formula. Regardless of that, I loved all the songs and can't wait to see them live in May. [Ed note: Spiritcrusher should be interviewing the band during their stop in Boston; if all goes well and he doesn't have a cold, as he unfortunately did during the Jesse Leach interview last month, we'll be offering an audio interview with the band.]
An interesting comparison of Twilight of the Thunder God to Surtur Rising would be like System of a Down's Toxicity to Steal This Album; very similar music elements, but both still are able to stand out yet complement one another.
Speaking of System of a Down, how about that Amon AmarthAerials cover? Many people were disappointed and thought Amon Amarth are on the verge of selling out. To be honest, I thought it was an enjoyable cover. I don't think Johan's singing in the chorus was that great, but Amon Amarth dropping the tuning made it all the better. The double bass viking metal build up in the end just made it all the better. This is what I love about covers; a band takes a great song and interprets it in their own way. I think it's great how they took a song from such a contrasting band. It's not only about emulating the song, but giving it a new perspective or a new identity!
Overall, Amon Amarth put out a great release worth buying. The artwork is beautiful, and so are the songs, although I do wish a few more risks were used in some of the tracks. Needless to say, however, I felt that they had a nice variety in the tracks in terms of their dynamics whether it's chugging riffs to melodic licks, from fast double bass drums to groovier rhythms. Some will like Twilight of the Thunder God a bit more, but I can't imagine anyone hating this album.
Excellent job, Amon Amarth; I raise my battle axe on behalf of Metality!
Metal Hammer Germany premiered "For Victory Or Death," the seventh track off AMON AMARTH's eagerly anticipated new full-length Surtur Rising. Scheduled for release in the U.S. via Metal Blade on March 29, 2011, the record marks the eighth studio offering from the kings of epic, melodic death metal.
To hear "For Victory Or Death" visitMetal Hammer Germany!On the same site you can find a video of Johan Hegg and Olavi Mikkonen talking about the track.
Check out the Surtur Rising landing page, where you can find pre-order options, videos and a stream of "War Of The Gods," the record's opening track. Check it outHERE.
As previously announced, U.S. fans will have ten Surtur Rising pre-order options:
The shirt is a Metal Blade U.S. pre-order exclusive and will be unavailable for purchase after street date.
CD/DVD Digipak includes: 10 tracks of brand new music Multi-panel digipak 28-page full-color booklet DVD includes over four hours of live concert footage filmed during the Bloodshed Over Bochum concert series in 2008.
Deluxe CD/DVD Package w/ Surtur Action Figurine Includes: Limited collectible Surtur figure (approx 5.5” tall) 10 tracks of new music 2 Bonus Tracks: Kiss’ “War Machine” and Accept’s “Balls To The Wall” 28-page full-color booklet Multi-panel digipak DVD includes over four hours of live concert footage filmed during the Bloodshed Over Bochum concert series in 2008.
Surtur Rising is AMON AMARTH’s eighth studio offering in a winding discography that’s helped shape the very face of epic, Viking-inspired death metal. Named in tribute to Surtur, leader of the fire giants of Muspelheim ("flame land") and the oldest being in the nine worlds of Norse mythology, the record was recorded, mixed and mastered at Fascination Street Studios Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and bears the striking cover art by Tom Thiel.
Swedish viking beasts,AMON AMARTHpremiered a new song "War of The Gods,"a couple of days ago on Full Metal Jackie. We received a press-release last night notifying us that it's streaming on theofficial Metal Blade Records Youtube page.And that killer pre-order packages are available.
The song is taken from the band's upcoming album "Surtur Rising;" out March 25th (Europe) and March 29th (U.S.) via Metal Blade Records. And will instantly grab you by the head and dive you into concrete face crushing!
Sweden's AMON AMARTH are currently gearing up to unleash, Surtur Rising, the eighth studio offering in their critically revered pantheon of Viking-inspired death metal.
Named in tribute to Surtur, leader of the fire giants of Muspelheim (“flame land”) and the oldest being in the nine worlds of Norse mythology, the record, which was listed among Decibel Magazine's most anticipated albums of 2011, features 10 tracks of sword-wielding, fist-pumping, hyper climactic battle anthems. The followup to 2008's monolithic Twilight Of The Thunder God full-length, was recorded, mixed and mastered at Fascination Street Studios (Örebro, Sweden) with Jens Bogren and features strikingly brutal cover art by Tom Thiel. (Which can be seen above) "Surtur Rising" Track Listing:
War of the Gods"
Töck's Taunt - Loke's Treachery Part II
Destroyer of the Universe
Slaves of Fear
Live Without Regrets
The Last Stand of Frej
For Victory or Death
Wrath of the Norsemen
A Beast Am I
Doom Over Dead Man
As an unofficial kick off to its release, AMON AMARTH will make a live appearance on the long anticipated 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, scheduled to take place from January 24th - 28th. The voyage will begin in Miami, Florida, make its way to Cozumel, Mexico and play host to 40 bands including Voivod, Sodom, Iced Earth, Fear Factory and Obituary. For more info, visit:http://www.70000tons.com.
Surtur Rising will be released in North America on March 29, 2011 via Metal Blade Records.
[PRESS RELEASE] Kings of Swedish death metal AMON AMARTH have just announced the title of the their forthcoming album as Surtur Rising. Due out in the spring of 2011, Surtur Rising marks the group’s eighth full-length studio release and undoubtedly one of 2011’s most anticipated albums by fans and critics alike.
Surtur Rising is the follow-up to the highly acclaimed 2008 release, Twilight Of The Thunder God, which landed the #7 spot in Revolver Magazine’s Top 20 Albums of 2008 and what MetalSucks called "[a] bottomless gauntlet of riffs that the band endlessly takes gargantuan swigs from, sounding both lush and emotive as well as skull crushingly heavy… every goddamn one is a chest-beating anthem." Outburn declared how Twilight Of The Thunder God “will render you nothing short of ecstatic" and Time Out New York noted that "AMON AMARTH plays some of the most unabashedly epic metal you’re likely to find these days." Be sure to stay tuned to MetalBlade.com for more details on Surtur Rising.
Metal Injectioncorrespondent Rob recently spoke with Johan Hegg, vocalist of Amon Amarth at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.
Johan talks about some of the drinking the band has been doing, their epic music videos, when they are headed back into the studio, his lyrical inspiration and how Vikings would react if they were to have heard the band and more.
Surtur Rising, the latest studio album from Swedish death metal tyrants, AMON AMARTH sold approximately 15,000 copies in the United States landing the band the #34 on the Billboard Top 200, #6 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums, #1 on the Billboard Top Hard Music Albums and #10 on the Indy/Small Chain Core Store Chart. The record entered Austria's Top 40 Chart at #12 and Switzerland's Top 100 at #20. In Germany, Surtur Rising sold over 14,000 units, entered the Top 100 Chart at #8 and is in the official Media Mark Charts at #14 in its second week.
