Fate of Norns

Upon hearing this album for the first time, my thoughts were "This is a waste of my time!" After another couple listens, I've decided it wasn't a total waste, but I still can't completely warm up to this melodic-death snoozefest. Every song on here makes me think of how bands like Carcass and At the Gates did slick, well-produced melodic death metal so much better over a decade ago. The music on here is standard, mid-paced Gothenburg "death" metal with no surprises, and dispite my general dislike of the genre, I liked what I heard coming from Amon Amarth. However, they may have changed my opinion with this disc. The album pretty much runs together like one long track, except for a few standouts - namely the title track and album closer "Once Sealed In Blood". However, two good songs does not an excellent record make, and as a result, "Fate Of Norns" will not be in constant rotation in my stereo. I know this band is capable of more(what I've heard off of "Sorrow Throughout The Nine Worlds" blows this away), but another album like this may cause me to totally lose interest in their output. If the Norns' fate was death by boredom, perhaps Amon Amarth is to blame.