Amon Amarth Take 'The Allfather Awakens' To No. 1
(as) Swedish metal legends Amon Amarth's highly acclaimed album The Allfather Awakens has swept the charts across the globe. Released at the top of October via Metal Blade Records, The Allfather Awakens currently sits at #1 Hard Rock in the U.S., Canada, Sweden, #1 Rock/Metal in Germany, plus #8 Top Digital Albums and #13 Indie Store Albums in the U.S.
Additional highlights include #2 Rock & Metal Albums and #6 Independent Albums in the U.K., #5 Top 100 Charts in Switzerland, #2 Top 40 Charts in Austria, #8 Top Digital Albums in Australia and more.
From Amon Amarth's 1992 formation in Tumba, Sweden, to the worldwide fame they've found in the ensuing years, their lyrical, live and recorded musical legacy speaks for itself. Three decades in and Amon Amarth are larger and more vital than ever. The Allfather Awakens stands as another essential entry in the metal titans' discography. It's another step up, introducing previously untried efforts, an impressive and conscious musical and lyrical feat.
Amon Amarth are currently performing The Allfather Awakens with an entirely new production inspired by Oden's legendary Golden Hall, transforming their iconic concert experience into a living extension of the new album.
As with previous records, Oden, the Norse "all father" who is a deity of war, wisdom, death, magic, and poetry, is the through-line in Amon Amarth's lyrics and artwork. Once again, Oden is the band's inspiration, but The Allfather Awakens is not a concept album, rather a collection of historically inspired epic tales of conflict and sacrifice for a greater good.
The Allfather Awakens includes Amon Amarth's first-ever acoustic excursion "Upphaf" which carries the solemnity of an oral history whispered under the shadow of the Allfather. The album's following singles "Gjallarhorn" and "Eight Legs of Thunder" arrived as furious Amon Amarth classics. Today's focus track "The Allfather Awakes" encompasses the album's overall theme - "wisdom, knowledge and facts need to become the guide for the future," cautions frontman and lyricist Johan Hegg.
To gain wisdom beyond mortal comprehension, Oden made the ultimate sacrifice - gouging out his own eye and casting it into the Well of Wisdom, Mímisbrunnr, in exchange for cosmic insight and foresight that would shape the fate of gods and men alike. Now, Amon Amarth bring that ancient reckoning to life and they are extending Oden's offer to you. Those who received the eye know what must be done. Those who did not: seek it out. Sacrifice your sight. Gain your foresight.
Amon Amarth took a new songwriting approach for The Allfather Awakens. The album came to life across two recording sessions, months apart, at producer Jacob Hansen's studio in Denmark. Amon Amarth began writing songs while touring, rather than waiting until they were off the road. The writing and recording process allowed the musicians to intensely focus on each track, resulting in an album where each song was treated as a single. Guitar-wise, Amon Amarth opted for a slightly less modern approach sonically, moving away from 5150 amps and back to Marshalls. The music was written before the lyrics, setting the tone for the words.
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