Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds

I have yet to hear the original master version of this EP, but from what I hear on the re-master provided on the “Versus the World” special edition bonus CD, Amon Amarth was a good deal ahead of their time. Although the music contained within possesses most of the repetitive ideas common to the melodic death style, as opposed to the thrash inspired technical acts of a few years before, it listens very much like a technical release in its structural complexity. The general flow of the album is quite fast, despite the mellow sense of woeful glory that the riffs and atmosphere illustrate, and listens quite differently from much of their studio works from start to finish.

Johan Hegg’s vocals are well realized, avoiding the flat and redundant monotone sound that has plagued some singers in the genre such as In Flames. He switches between a shrill shriek and a ballistic grunt quite well, giving the impression of a dialogue between an army of berserkers and a skilled commander reminding them of their purpose on the battle field. The music around him mostly submits to his superior presence, providing a background melody and accompaniment to his toneless words of Nordic myths and epic battles.

The songs listen well, each having a somewhat similar character, as tends to be the case with all of their studio releases. “Burning Creation” takes the lead in the guitar department, showcasing a wide range of varying sections, each dominated by a crushingly catchy yet repetitive pair of contrapuntal riffs. The leads on here are gloomy yet regal, impressing the ears with a dual sense of simplicity and skill. “The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter” is the most simple in harmonic structure, yet contains a wide range of changes in tempo and atmosphere. “The Mighty Doors of the Spear God’s Hall” has as its principle riff probably the most memorable guitar line I’ve heard in the melodic death sub-genre, this alone makes picking up this EP essential as it is not found on any of the LPs that followed.

Consistent from start to finish, Amon Amarth’s “Sorrow through the Nine Worlds” is a must have for any fan of the band who has yet to hear it. Although I have yet to attain much of their earlier work between this release and “Versus the World”, thus far it is the best thing I’ve heard out of them. If you can find the special edition of the ‘Versus the World” album, you’ll save a good deal of money and get what is likely the best version of these songs. The dragon boats are upon the horizon, and the crater of Mount Doom is at the verge of another grand eruption.