The Great Heathen Army

I'll admit, Amon Amarth are a pretty fun band. Some of their music is really good, they have competent musicianship and songwriting skills, and some good vocals, plus they put on q fun, engaging live show. Now, I've never been on to jump on the "generic=bad" bandwagon, but when it comes to this album, Amon Amarth really have me questioning my principles in that regard.

This is by the numbers melodic death metal, in that it has become so generic that it borders on actually being bad as a result. The melodic influence is certainly there, but as with many other modern melodic death metal acts, Amon Amarth seem much happier playing anything but actual death metal influenced music.

The album opens with "Get In The Ring", which to my relief isn't a cover of the Guns N' Roses song of the same name. Instantly, my mind was drawn to Bolt Thrower, a band I adore, but not in a good way. The opening minute or so feels like a generic melodic death metal band trying to write a D tier Bolt Thrower song, because that's essentially all it is. Now the lyrics... oh boy. Let me tell you, Amon Amarth aren't a band I look to for their eloquence or lyrical prowess... in fact, the less said about their lyrics in general, the better - but in this case, the lyrics are so horrifically awful that something needs to be said. It feels almost like someone was asked to write a generic tough guy fight song akin to something Five Finger Death Punch would write. It's terrible, and it makes me cringe whenever I think about it.

Moving on, it becomes apparent that the songs aren't very aggressive this time around. It's not that I expect Amon Amarth to break new ground and write something that could compare to an actual death metal band. No, they've found success with their style, as boring and self indulgent as it has become. This once again plays into what I mentioned earlier, about Amon Amarth favouring less extreme styles in order to get their anthems out there. Good for them, I guess, but when I hear the generic, butt-rock stylings of a song like "Heidrun", I start checking my watch to see how much longer I'm going to be here. I think this might be the worst song in Amon Amarth's entire catalogue.

The production is smooth and polished, which isn't necessarily a problem in and of itself but it takes a lot of the edge away from the band's supposed "death metal" side, which as I've mentioned more than enough by now, has become but a faint whisper behind the walls of soaring mid tempo melodies and dad-rock riffs. The aggression is all but gone at this point, and the clean production is indicative of just that. Everything is perfectly quantized, nothing feeds back, nothing is ever mildly off tempo, rushing or dragging. It feels perfect, safe, and therefore dull and lifeless.

If you're looking for a generic Amon Amarth album to keep you occupied while you wait for an appointment or drive to work, then I honestly wouldn't even recommend this album. Check out their older stuff that still had at least a spark of energy in it. This is the least fun I've ever had listening to an album from this band. Don't waste your time on it. Check out something good instead.