Be warned North America: Swedish death metal Music Gods Amon Amarth is planning to raid and pillage for The Great Heathens Tour! Sure to impress even Odin, the God of War, these Norsemen are bringing along veteran warriors of the heavy metal scene Carcass, Obituary, and Cattle Decapitation for what promises to be one hell of a Viking invasion.
This melodic death metal band was formed in 1992 and is known for their extreme use of pyrotechnics and elaborate set designs that are mirrored only by the greats of the genre, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Rammstein. If 30 years ago someone said that Amon Amarth would be playing arenas and headlining festivals, you would have probably laughed, but that’s exactly what’s happening.
Considered one of the most respected and consistent forces in the genre, these sonic heroes have been shredding alongside other great metal legends like Slayer, Deicide, Six Feet Under, Dimmu Borgir, Opeth, Lamb of God, and Children of Bodom.
You can’t be a kick-ass Swedish metal band without a great origin story. The band’s name comes from “The Lord of the Rings.” Amon Amarth, also known as Orodruin and Mount Doom, was a volcano in Mordor where the ring was forged. Although their name is Tolkien-related, their lyrics are inspired by warfare and Norse mythology, which thematically comprise a heavy metal style known as Viking metal. The band features Johan Hegg on vocals, lead guitarist Olavi Mikkonen, bassist Ted Lundström, rhythm guitarist Johan Söderberg, and drummer Jocke Wallgren.
Debuting their new music video, “Get in the Ring,” featuring Erick Redbeard, a pro wrestler for AEW, Amon Amarth released their 12th full-length album, “The Great Heathen Army” in August. Going more in the direction of traditional heavy metal in the last few albums, “The Great Heathen Army” is a step back in towards their more melodic death metal origins.
Also on the tour is Carcass, they are an English band who is considered pioneers of the deathgrind / goregrind genre. NuclearBlast said that they are “Ferocious and uncompromising in their execution.”
They went on to say, “Carcass’ ability to intricately dissect the innards of death metal, and display them for us to sonically understand has been their point of excellence for over three decades.”
Gearing up for the January release of their 11th album, “Dying of Everything,” is one of the most successful death metal bands of all time, Obituary. Hailing from Florida, Obituary has been one of the most influential death metal bands of the genre.
Cattle Decapitation is a deathgrind band from San Diego. They formed in 1996 and their music is a protest to the consumption and mistreatment of animals, the exploitation of this planet, and the genocide of the human race.
The Great Heathens Tour is the must-see metal event of December and SoCal residents can experience it December 16th in San Diego at Soma, or December 17th in Los Angeles at The Forum.
With so many death metal juggernauts on the bill and the theatrical showmanship of Amon Amarth, even Thor, the God of Thunder himself, will be in there to raise his horn.
