Amon Amarth - "Surtur Rising" CD

The most likely template for Dethklok (the fictitious animated band from Adult Swim's "Metalocalypse"), these Swedish warriors unleash their 8th studio album, and it leaps out of the starting gate with the potent and galloping metal of "War Of The Gods". A harbinger of good things? In this case, yes.

Amon Amarth's respected Viking metal is produced magnificently, with every bass, lead, and rhythm guitar riff being clear and intense. The seething, gurgled vocals of Johan Hegg are scalding, and the drumming? Couldn't sound better. Crisp highs, deep lows. It all adds up to a seriously world-class metal album.

The band's Tolkien-inspired song-tales of Norse mythology and epic battles are melodic and proficient, all the while remaining as complex as Meshuggah or as brutal as any death metal. It's like death metal with melody, thrash metal with songwriting, or black metal with muscles. This is the music of Odin, of Thor and the gods of Asgard. "Surtur Rising" is, from start to finish, one of the best metal albums I've heard this year. (Metal Blade)

Amon Amarthspace

Amon Amarth site

Lair Of The Minotaur - "Evil Power" CD

Chicago's LOTM are a monstrously heavy and thick clot of brutish metal aggression, tailormade for fans bands like Slayer or Mastodon. I'm particularly impressed by this trio's unrelenting bludgeon, which ranges from amped-up classic Viking-style metal to thrashy speed to almost stoner-death metal. And it's all played with a reckless and intimidating precision that pummels the head and churns the guts. The opener, "Attack The Gods", is a piledriver of intense riffage and gutteral vocals. The formidably-titled "Let's Kill These Motherfuckers" is a freight-train of raging wartime testosterone and a bold anthem indeed. Ditto for the mighty "Evil Power", and "We Are Hades", which would make an ideal soundtrack for the entrance of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Now that would make a killer video for these guys. One can only hope. But I digress.
Despite the fact that there are 11 tracks here of bowel-loosening aggro-metal, the attack never ceases to be mesmerizing or adrenaline-soaked. Perhaps because it's a short blast at only 30 minutes? Regardless, Lair Of The Minotaur are among modern metal's finest hopes, remaining faithful to classic metal themes and content, yet synthesizing them into a unique hybrid of ultra-heavy styles. Classic. (The Grind-House Records/Southern Lord)

Be sure to check the amazing new video for "Evil Power" on their own site (it's been banned by youtube and myspace):
Lair Of The Minotaur site

LOTMspace

Burzum - "Belus" CD

Easily among the most influential and controversial bands in the Norwegian black metal circuit (look it up, I won't go into the gory and sensational details here), Burzum's first album in 11 years doesn't disappoint. Opening with the atmospheric "Leukes Renkespill", Varg Vikernes (who seems to be the sole member) descends into atmospheric (and surprisingly melodic) black metal on "Belus' Doed". But his palette isn't as monochromatic as or stifling as that genre has become. "Glamselens Elv" is an epic 11+ minute Viking-style romp that is as much classical in style as it is metallic. "Kaimadalthas' Nedstigning" is just under 7 minutes, but manages to range from dark Norse chant to more traditional black metal wailing - effective and unusual. "Keliohesten" is an unwavering blitzkrieg of rolling drums and thunderous, almost industrial-style riff, while the closing, "Belus Tibakekomst (Konklusjon)" is an almost SWANS-like mantra, with building guitar textures and drones. With "Belus", Vikernes and Burzum proves that he is moving beyond the traditional black metal sound that he helped to instigate, and (shady) politics aside, this is a powerful and triumphant return. (Byelobog Productions)

Varg's personal Burzum site

Unofficial but relevant Burzum site

Burzumspacel