• Voto:
Sarebbe sbagliato dire che con questo album gli Amon Amarth, abbiano dato esempio di vero Viking metal.
Certo, sono rimasti come al solito grotteschi e pesanti, ma siamo più su un Heavy metal molto epico e selvaggio, denominato da alcuni "Death" metal, forse per la voce cavernosa di Johan Hegg.
I riff e gli arrangiamenti dell'intero album, sono le classiche soluzioni del genere, che non danno alcuna personalità espressiva al gruppo; diciamo che, di sicuro non sono più ai livelli di "Once Sent From The Golden Hall" del '98, oppure "Sorrow Throughout The Nine Worlds" del '96. I cinque svedesi ce la mettono tutta: tanta energia, buon livello tecnico, ma poca fantasia.
"Fate Of Norns", riesce a stento ad arrivare alla fine, con idee sempre più scarne ed approssimative. Pezzo da segnalare è la bellissima (l'unica) "An Ancient Sign Of Storm", colpisce il martellante riff di chitarra, e la fantastica doppia cassa di Frederik Andersson, d'impatto. Si salva anche la title track, ma solo perchè lascia molto spazio alla melodia. Il resto è di una noiosità e ridondanza da dimenticare.
Da consigliare solo ai fan più stretti, per il resto, girate al largo.
Elenco tracce testi e video
01 An Ancient Sign of Coming Storm (04:38)
Yeahrrgh!!!
Blood red bows plough the waves
The dragon heads grin
Twenty ships with Norsemen braves
Riding the northern wind
They left their shores at early dawn
As a red sun was rising in the east
An ancient sign of coming storm
Thunder of sword and shield
Sails appear in the south
Now every man prepare
The sea will be colored by blood
Battle is drawing near
A mighty fleet of forty ships
Two kings bring lethal steel
No words spoken between enemies
Just thunder of sword and shield
A rain of arrows darkens the sun
A cloud of wood and steel
Through shields and flesh the arrows run
Bringing warriors to their knees
A war-cry loud as heimdal's horn
Fills the vibrating air
This is the place where heroes are born
And where death is always near
Here it comes, the mighty storm
Every man attacks
Now is when heroes are born
There is no turning back
03 The Fate of Norns (05:57)
I feel a chill in my heart
Like lingering winter cold
I and my son are torn apart
He was just six winters old
My first-born was he
And the last of my kin
The last one to carry my name
Death smiled at him its deadly grin
There is no one for me to blame
The fate of Norns await us all
There is no way to escape
The day to answer Oden's call
Or walk through hel's gate
I carry him to my ship
He seems to be asleep
But the deep blue colour of his lips
Is enough to make me weep
No man should have to bury his child
Yet this has been my share
The tears I shed run bitter and wild
It's a heavy burden to bear
His body feels so light in my arms
His skin is pale as snow
Yet his weight feels heavy in my heart
As my sadness continues to grow
Allfather!
What fate has been given me?
Why must I suffer?
Why must I feel this pain?
Allfather!
LIfe has lost it's meaning to me
I think I'm going insane!
I lay him down on a pyre
A burial worthy a king
And as I lie down by his side
I hear the weaving norns sing
The fate of Norns await us all
There is no way to escape
The day to answer Oden's call
Or walk through hel's gate
The fate of Norns await us all
I know this to be true
It's time to answer Oden's call
My son, he calls for me and you
04 The Pursuit of Vikings (04:30)
The warming sun returns again
And melts away the snow
The sea is freed from icy chains
Winter is letting go
Standing on the ocean side
We can hear the waves
Calling us out with tide
To sail into our fate
Oden! Guide our ships
Our axes, spears and swords
Guide us through storms that whip
And in brutal war
Our ships await us by the shore
Time has come to leave
Our country, family and homes
For riches in the east
Some of us won't return
But that won't bring us down
Our fate is written in the web
Woven by the Norns
A ram is sacrificed
Across the longship's bow
And as we set our sails
A strong breeze starts to blow
It carries us out to sea
With hope of fame and pride
And glorious all will be
That with sword in hand will die
Oden! Guide our ships
Our Axes, spears and swords
Guide us through storms that whip
And in brutal war
Oden! Guide our ships
Our axes, spears and swords
Guide us through storms that whip
And in brutal war
06 The Beheading of a King (03:23)
A mighty fleet came across the strait
But Erik was prepared
Five hundred Germans had come to his aid
On horseback with their spears
The fleet was carrying two thousand men
Eager to draw blood
But as they were about to land
Erik released his heards
One thousand men and five hundred horsemen
Came charging down the beach
When the sea-king saw this force
He gave order to retreat
All obeyed except one ship
It held the king's own son
He despised the thought of flight
And attacked on his own
The Danish fleet had to turn around
They charged King Erik's men
But it was too late to save his son
His life was already spent
The fighting continued bloody and fierce
And the bloodshed was immense
Two thousand warriors died that day
Most of them were Danes
The Danish king was captured
Most of his guards were dead
For a ransom he was released
Then his people took his head
07 Arson (06:48)
They came riding at first light
Fifty men armed to the teeth
The sounding horn called us out to fight
We went to meet them in the fields
Outnumbered yet we fought
But soon we were overrun
We took refuge in our home
Our downfall had just begun
They attacked our home, we kept them out
Defending ourselves with spear and bow
We took them out one by one
As the rising autumn sun glowed
There was twenty dead on each side
When we first smelled something burn
We heard them laughing from outside
Taunting us with spiteful words
They set the house on fire
In order to smoke us out
Only five of us were still alive
And our time was running out
Raging flames surrounded us all
Our home was under siege
Crumbling roof and burning walls
There was no way to break free
As we were all about to die
We swore a sacred oath
Revenge would be claimed if someone survived
And we sealed the oath in blood
The roof caved in and cleared a path
A way out of the flames
It was decided that I'd go first
As we made for our escaped
Suddenly the walls came down
And trapped the rest inside
My closest friends died that day
Only I made it out alive
lead by Mikkonen
lead by Soderberg
Carico i commenti... con calma
