Avenger - Amon Amarth

Amon Amarth's second album revives the fierce intensity that was sadly lacking on their previous effort. With the death metal foundation back in full force, and epic Viking concepts still as strong as ever, 'The Avenger' is Amon Amarth's finest full-length release, even if that length is a little lacking at only thirty-seven minutes. My issues with the preceding album all seem to have been remedied, with only the title track feeling overlong and repetitive in its focus on narrative over music, as it's the only song in which Johan Hegg's increasingly confrontational vocal style seems truly out of place, his yells of "Die! Die!" only serving to ...  Read the complete review