The final segment of AMON AMARTH’s Forging Mjölnir mini documentary premieres today! The intimate three-part account comes in celebration of their forthcoming new studio offering,Deceiver of the Gods, set for worldwide release later this month. Directed by Luke Daley (http://makezure.com), the striking black and white film offers candid commentary with each member on a host of subjects.
Watch the concluding clip where the AMON AMARTHcollective discuss the struggles of tour life, recording and their hopes for the future via their microsite athttp://deceiver.amonamarth.com
Having blasted onto the Swedish melodic death metal scene with 1998’s Once Sent from the Golden Hall, everyAMON AMARTH album has arrived bursting at the seams with power, melody and immersive storytelling centered around the richness of Norse mythology. Deceiver of the Gods captures the quintet at the peak of their powers.
Their ninth epic was recorded at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, UK and produced, mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap, a man whose resumé includes seminal albums from the likes of Cathedral, Arch Enemy, and Cradle Of Filth. Vocalist Johan Hegg explains, „We wanted more of a live feeling to the recording and we felt that Andy’s style of producing could definitely help us with that. At the same time, knowing the records he worked on previously we felt he could probably help develop our sound so it became a little bit more angry and dangerous, without that polished sheen of our recent records.” Guitarist Olavi Mikkonen concurs, and credits Sneap with playing a pivotal role in just how aggressive the finished product is. „It’s rougher, and like a punch in the face, which is what we wanted it to be. Though adding more thrash elements into a few of the songs helps the whole album sound more hostile, it’s ultimately the production that makes them sound more aggressive. On the last few records it didn’t matter how aggressive the riffs we wrote were, whenever we went into the studio at the end they just didn’t sound as intense.” In tracking the record at Sneap’s UK studio, as much as possible the band recorded long takes rather than clinically piecing things together, determined to give the album as much life as they could. „Fredrik [Andersson] recorded all the drums live, with the guys playing guitars and bass along with him to get the groove of it, and that makes for the energy that you don’t get when everyone records separately, and I think that really comes across,” Hegg states. „I think that was a very good way to record for us, it gave everyone a better feel of each song, and it was a good time being in the studio and laying it all down.”
Deceiver of the Gods boasts another exceptional Tom Thiel-created cover depicting a mythical battle between the Norse Gods Loki and Thor. As an added bonus, Messiah Marcolin (Candlemass) makes an appearance as guest vocalist on eighth track, „Hel.”
For special Deceiver of the Gods preorder packages as well as a stream of the title track, go to this location: http://www.metalblade.com/
Deceiver of the Gods will be released in North America via Metal Blade Records June 25th, in Europe June 21st/24th and Japan on June 26th.
Following a run of European festival dates already underway,AMON AMARTH will be opening the main stage of this year’s edition of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Fest set to commence June 29 in San Bernardino. See confirmed dates below.
AMON AMARTH Summer 2013 European Festival Tour [remaining dates]:
06/11 Club Studio – Krakòw, PL
06/14 Copenhell – Copenhagen, DK
06/15 Noval Rock – Nickelsdorf, AT
06/16 Download Festival – Donington, UK
06/21 Nummirock – Nummijarvi, FI
AMON AMARTH Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Fest 2013:
06/29 San Manuel Amphitheater – San Bernardino, CA
06/30 Shoreline Amphitheatre – Mountain View, CA
07/02 Idaho Center Amphitheatre – Nampa, ID
07/03 White River Amphitheatre – Auburn, WA
07/05 Desert Sky Pavilion – Phoenix, AZ
07/06 Isleta Amphitheatre – Albuquerque, NM
07/07 Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre – Englewood, CO
07/09 The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI w/ Children of Bodom, Job for a Cowboy, Battlecross, Huntress
07/10 Molson Canadian Amphitheatre – Toronto, ON
07/12 First Niagara Pavilion – Burgettstown, PA
07/13 Toyota Pavilion – Scranton, PA
07/14 Darien Lake Performing Arts Center – Darien Center, NY
07/16 Comcast Center – Mansfield, MA
07/17 Bangor Waterfront – Bangor, ME
07/19 Susquehanna Bank Center – Camden, NJ
07/20 Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY
07/21 The Comcast Theatre – Hartford, CT
07/23 PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
07/24 Jiffy Lube Live – Bristow, VA
07/26 Klipsch Music Center – Noblesville, IN
07/27 First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre – Tinley Park, IL
07/28 DTE Energy Music Theatre – Clarkston, MI
07/29 Expo Five – Louisville, KY w/ Children of Bodom, Behemoth, Emmure, Motionless In White, Born of Osiris, Job for a Cowboy, Battlecross, Huntress
07/30 Lakewood Amphitheatre – Atlanta, GA
07/31 Live Nation Amphitheatre – Tampa, FL
08/02 Austin 360 Amphitheatre – Austin, TX
08/03 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – The Woodlands, TX
08/04 Gexa Energy Pavilion – Dallas, TX
08/05 Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre – Kansas City, MO w/ Rob Zombie, Machine Head, Children Of Bodom
08/07 Pop’s – Sauget, IL w/ Children of Bodom, Battlecross, Huntress
08/08 Marathon Music Works – Nashville, TN w/ Children of Bodom, Battlecross, Huntress
08/09 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH w/ Children of Bodom, Battlecross, Huntress
08/11 Heavy MTL Festival – Montreal, QC
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