### Amon Amarth: Fate of norns

#### 22/07/11 || Daemonomania

Many feel that this is the dullest axe in AA’s armory. Where’s the speed of earlier albums? Where’s the anthemic quality of “Versus the world”? Where’s the modern spiffy production? Daemo, lover of all death that is mid-paced, is here to tell you to forget about all that. “Fate” isn’t an axe at all. It’s a mighty skullsplitting warhammer covered with runes, runes that tell the tales of heroic battles fought at sea… and of hairy butts raided on shore.

“Fate” certainly has a drier production job and a noticeable lack of faster tracks, with “The beheading of a king” providing the only sustained uptempo number. But you know what? The songs on here aren’t meant to be a quick attack. They’re meant to dwell in the memory of the discerning metalhead. And dwell they do. I’ve popped this disc on front to back so many times that the magnificent false ending of “An ancient sign…” no longer produces surprise. “Valkyries…” doesn’t make me want to ride out on a black steed and impale my enemies upon ze suncross/manspear anymore. That horn in “Arson” doesn’t cause a reflective craving for Ricola products. What, because you’ve read “At the Mountains of Madness” a few times you never want to peruse it again? Since you’ve seen The Big Lebowski 29 times you won’t venture a 30th go-round? No way. Quality is quality. You got a date Wednesday, baby!

At this point in the review I’m gonna do something totally fukken crazy. Something so goddamn bonkers you’d think they’d removed my brainstem and replaced it with anal beads. I’m going ahead and agree with ex-staffer_Smalley_. His stunning observation (provided that he didn’t look it up on Wikipedophelia) about each song being a self-contained mini-story is dead on. That’s apparent in the one-two combo of “Arson” and “Once sealed…”, but for my money is best embodied in the truly epic title track. The uberdepressive lyrics are mirrored perfectly in the songwriting. When Heggster thinks he’s going… insaaaaannnnneee! and the guitarists go into that steady chug of a father preparing to burn himself alive with his dead son… YOWSA. While the rest of the albums fireworks may not engender the same level of awe now, “Fate of Bjørns” dredges up some natural moisture for my contact lenses time after time.

Feel free to disagree with me. And be a shithead. “FoN” doesn’t offer the instant gratification of other ‘Marth albums, but that’s what makes it even more rewarding. Plus it is the perfect length to savor without interruption. If you can stomach another somewhat slow and melodic set of songs about Viking exploits and don’t have this already, make it happen. Strike a blow for dragonheaded longship asskickery worldwide.

- Information
- Released: 2004
- Label: Metal Blades
- Website: www.amonamarth.com
- Band
- Johan Hegg: vocals
- Olavi Mikkonen: guitars
- Johan Söderberg: guitars
- Ted Lundström: bass
- Fredrik Andersson: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. An Ancient Sign of Coming Storm
- 02. Where Death Seems to Dwell
- 03. The Fate of Norns
- 04. The Pursuit of Vikings
- 05. Valkyries Ride
- 06. The Beheading of a King
- 07. Arson
- 08. Once Sealed in Blood