Amon Amarth Debuts New Track, Announces Tour Dates

First of all, go here and listen to the new Amon Amarth track from Deceiver of the Gods. Just let it play in the background while you read this post. It's another quality song from what is continuing to look like a better and better album.

The actual album will be released on June 25th, after which the band will go on a crazy North American tour. That's right, this is shaping up to be an amazing summer with two of the best bands I've ever seen in concert (Amon Amarth and Wintersun) coming back for more. Amon Amarth will be coming to Toronto July 10th to play at the freaking Molson Amphitheatre. For those who don't know, the Amphitheatre is one of the largest concert destinations in the area and I never would have thought in my wildest dreams that I would see a band perform there. It's usually reserved for the likes of Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers but these vikings are about to tear it up. They're going on a grand tour across the continent. No other band can do it like them.

yep

I'll be adding Amon Amarth to my growing list of concerts I'll be attending this summer and buying a ticket the moment they go on sale.

-Zombie Viking

Metal on the Side Mondays: Wolfchant

It's no secret that I love me some folk metal. But sometimes I'm in the mood for something a little heavier while still keeping all the pagan themes I know and love. Sometimes I'm in the mood for an awesome band known as Wolfchant.

Wolfchant is a pagan metal band from Germany and they make great music. I don't know what happens over there, but there seems to be a constant stream of amazing bands coming from that country. Must be something in their milk. Wolfchant is also a huge band, with 7 current members. For comparison, that's as many as Eluveitie. So what's Wolfchant's deal? Do they also have someone playing the hurdy-gurdy? Well, no not really. See, Wolfchant is more focused on the pagan and black metal side of their music and slightly less on the folk. The band consists of two guitarists, a drummer, bassist, keyboardist, vocalist and.. a second vocalist?

Observant readers may remember that I hate bands with two vocalists with all of my blackened heart, but these guys are different. First of all, both vocalists are damn awesome. Lokhi takes care of the harsh vocals, snarling every word like a rabid wolf. He also previously played bass in addition to taking on vocal duties before the band got a full time bassist, so the band is already forgiven in my book. Playing an instrument as well as doing vocals immediately takes them off my list. However, the band didn't even have a second vocalist at the time. Nortwin didn't appear until the Determined Damnation album and didn't join the band until the year after it was released. He sings the deep clean vocals, giving the songs a more epic feel and allowing me to sing along when no one is around. Huge props to the band for mixing up their sound and keeping things fresh. As if that wasn't enough, Nortwin is also the lead vocalist of another great band by the name of Rebellion. Check them out, seriously, they're great. While two vocalists would be a detractor from any other band, Wolfchant rocks it like it's nobody's business.



I can't just post one song so here's another:



Wolfchant's songs are about typical paganism, being awesome, wars and drinking. Each album sounds quite different with the band trying new things each time. As I mentioned previously, both vocalists are awesome and the songs are epic and catchy. They currently have 5 albums under their belt so you have plenty to choose from. Though I suggest listening to their most recent, Embraced by Fire, and working your way backwards. The most recent two albums are their best in my opinion, but everything is worth listening to at least once if you've got the time.


Out of the bands I listen to with a wolf theme, Wolfchant seems to embrace it the least. Powerwolf centers their entire image around wolves and Varg makes sure to include a few on each album cover. What Wolfchant does have though, is that their logo sort of looks like a wolf a bit, but even that's been changed with their most recent album.

Before

After

They do have a couple songs about wolves such as Stormwolves, Under the Wolves' Banner and Die Nacht der Wölfe (I assume since I can't speak German), and the album cover for A Pagan Storm does in fact have a wolf on it, so I guess they're aware of their name at least. But wolves are awesome and this band is awesome so it's surprising that they don't embrace it more. Get it, that's a word from the album title. I'm so funny.

Normally I'd put in some criticism somewhere in a post about a band, but I can't really think of any. My only real complaint is that Determined Damnation was a bit weaker than their other albums, but to fix that situation I just listen to their other albums instead. And you should too, because Wolfchant is a great band that deserves your attention. My other complaint would be about their lack of youtube channel or label's youtube channel. Come on guys, it's like you're relying on people like me to spread your wonderful music. Oh well, I guess it's my duty then to give you the following links.

You can find Wolfchant at the following places:
metal-archives
Facebook
Myspace
http://www.wolfchant-metal.com/

-Zombie Viking

Amon Amarth vs. Parkway Drive

A friend of mine asked me a bit ago to check out Parkway Drive. Despite them being a metalcore band, and therefore unable to ever earn my full respect, I said I'd check them out. And I meant it, damn it! It just took me a bit to get around to it. But the metal gods have given me a grand opportunity to check out this almost-metal band in an environment that I feel completely comfortable in: a battle to the death.

Loudwire is doing some band vs. band poll battle thing over on their website (vote here) and the current battle is Amon Amarth vs. Parkway Drive. It seems that sites like this are doing these types of things all the time. Whatever generates traffic I guess.

Here's the two songs that they posted:





By the way, if I haven't already said it, Deceiver of the Gods is an awesome song and it really sounds like the album is going to be another great from Amon Amarth. But I said this post would be about Parkway Drive.

Let's get all the good things out of the way first. Wild Eyes starts out surprisingly good. The chanting crowd at the beginning is pretty catchy... after you get past the damn 40 second sound clip. I can imagine this would be pretty sweet at a concert. Skipping ahead a bit, the band has a pretty talented vocalist. I'm proud to report that there are no whiny clean vocals or anything approaching them in the entire song. The drummer is also good, mixing up his beats a lot throughout the song and pulling off some admirable blast beats. The guitars, while much less talented, have some pretty good melodeath parts here and there.

Now for the bad. After the great beginning with the chanting, the song goes right into a damn breakdown. And then it seems every 30 seconds another breakdown comes along. They also have the terrible metalcore cliché of going from one breakdown into another. These guys don't even know how unappealing this is, having absolutely no musical integrity for an extended period of time. Breakdowns, when done right, can really help a song. I don't understand why no core band can ever do it right though. Besides that, the song just isn't very interesting (save for a few parts). It's kind of a shame, since the band shows promise at multiple points throughout the song before falling into yet another dreaded breakdown. 

Help, I'm falling into a pit of breakdowns!

And don't get me started on the damn music video. One of their guitarists has a stupid baseball cap on, the vocalist takes a stupid stage dive right before his next line and the whole stupid set is just dirty. They should have really had a shower before filming this, yeesh. Also, why are there girls in the audience? This is not like any concert I've ever been to...

It's pretty obvious that Amon Amarth is going to win this battle. At the time of writing this they have a 75% lead. All the core kids in the comments are pretty mad. It's pretty funny. You should definitely vote if you haven't already, and if you have time check out the comments section. Also be sure to check out Deceiver of the Gods when it's released June 25th.

-Zombie Viking

TV Series Review Time: Vikings

And now for something completely different. I don't normally review TV shows. Heck, I don't normally watch TV. I just started a couple months ago with some series (Breaking Bad, Arrow and The Following to name a few). And now I've started watching something that instantly caught my eye: Vikings. I mean, how can you not watch this? It's about vikings!

Vikings

I was so excited just hearing the name that I didn't initially realize it was based on a real person, Ragnar Lodbrok (who apparently had a weird haircut). That just makes the series all that more inciting, knowing that it's at least partially historically accurate. I'm thankful for movies like Thor bringing vikings into the mainstream, but vikings are badass enough that stories don't have to be made up to be awesome. Actually, Thor wasn't really even about vikings.. It was a pretty cool movie though.

One of the big themes in the show is the conflicting religions of the time. The pagan vikings and the christian English. I'm probably more happy than I should be that the show has decided to showcase this. In fact, one of my favourite characters is Athelstan, a true fish out of water. His curiosity about the pagan deities and rituals is great to watch and allows the show to explain all about vikings in an organic manner. Even though the show doesn't feature them too much, I'm glad that it doesn't shy away from talking about all the gods as they were a huge part of viking culture. I wonder how religious folk would react when they found out the only recurring christian character on the show is a slave. Oh well, questions for another time.

My favourite line from the show also relates to Athelstan. It's when young Bjorn asks "If you're a priest, then which god is your favourite?", met with a bewildered reaction. It's moments like that why I enjoy the religious theme so much. Speaking of Bjorn, poor kid. I think every single character who's interacted with him has pushed him around in one way or another. Seriously, this kid is always met with someone pushing his head aside. I can't be the only one who's noticed this. And everyone calls him Bjern.

While it's true that the show doesn't have a huge budget like something akin to Game of Thrones, they've done very well for what they do have. To be honest, I was kind of worried going into the show because a low budget can lead to some pretty boring battles. In addition, there's the whole being on History channel thing that sort of limits it from being overly gory or explicit. I'm glad to see I was wrong about both things; there's tons of epic scenes and gory fun. The scenes aren't too grand since they all feature a smaller number of actors and set pieces, but this serves to make them more personal and intimate. For example, in the second episode the vikings ransacked a temple on the outskirts of England, not an entire city. But this allowed us to get a little story behind the priests and see the temple before it was lit ablaze. Plus we got Athelstan out of it!

So go, watch Vikings. It's a good show. Plus it just got renewed for a second season! Not too shabby for the "first" scripted series on History channel. But really, all you need to say is that it involves vikings and I'm sold.

-Zombie Viking

Die For Metal

For those of you out there with Android devices, you may want to check this out. Though it's already in the "most popular new game" list so maybe you have.

Die For Metal is a new app by Sinsquid Games that has you running around and... dying for metal. Pretty self explanatory. Here's the official description:
Are you ready to die for Metal? 

It's a brutal battle to be a member of a legendary death-metal band. But if you have the balls, you could do it. 

Die For Metal is a 2D Platformer where you play as a pagan metal-viking, battling though 3 worlds, with 45 levels, from ridiculously easy, to extremely hardcore. 

I mean, is this even a question? I gave the developers money for just making a metal app my phone so desperately was missing. I'm writing this post as I download the game. So go, buy this app. It's only a dollar, what do you have to lose?

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sinsquid.dieformetal

-Zombie Viking

Go Watch This Guy

I just recently happened upon this dashing fellow under the guise Happy Viking. Actually, it was posted on the Pathfinder facebook.. However, besides the fact that we share similar (awesome) pseudonyms, I definitely think Frothy Pint of Metal is worth checking out. This guy sort of reviews and sort of gives a history lesson on a variety of bands. And he's hilarious! Check it out. Or else.

Metal Mondays: Alestorm

Yarr, there be pirate metal aboard!

YARRRR- wait, what?

Alestorm
Genre: Pirate Metal
Country: Scotland

Alestorm, the one and only True Scottish Pirate Metal band has made quite an impact in the relatively short time since their debut. They were formed in 2004 under the name Battleheart and released their first official record under the name Alestorm in 2008. After Captain Morgan's Revenge, Black Sails at Midnight and Back Through Time have followed. And already, the band is prepping for their first ever headlining festival.

Those crazy pirates.

Alestorm's music is unique in the sense that it's hilarious the first time, but as you continue to listen to it, there's a good musical backing as opposed to the music just being there for cheap laughs. Their lyrics range from grand adventures to just getting drunk. The songs do a good job of not breaking the pirate theme (besides maybe Scraping the Barrel, but that song's pretty awesome in its own right) so you always feel like a swashbuckler listening to an Alestorm album. The only thing I'd like to see more of is for the band to dive deeper into pirate lore. As countless movies and games have shown, there's a lot of pirate stuff to be explored. I did enjoy Back Through Time though, as it felt like the band responding to the current metal scene (viking metal specifically) and of course Swashbuckled served as a great call out to Swashbuckle. They have the unique spot of being one of the only pirate metal bands in existence (though there are finally some other bands catching on to the idea) so I think Alestorm should embrace it more.

Alestorm is also the only band I've seen live more than once. This Wednesday will be my third time seeing them in concert. Maybe I'll even finally get a t-shirt. The first time I saw them was one of my first concerts, so I didn't even bring enough money for merch. The second time they had completely sold out the day before. Hopefully the third time's the charm.

Speaking of seeing Alestorm live, they are a great live band. For some reason, they're the only band for which I know practically every word of every song. No matter what they play, I'll be singing along. Even driving in my car I sing along whenever I decide to play Back Through Time. The band itself is just so much fun. And I'm not the only one. The entire crowd goes crazy whenever Alestorm rolls through town. From every single person singing Nancy the Tavern Wench to a giant mosh pit erupting during Back Through Time, it's always a great time. I just wish they'd play Heavy Metal Pirates once! I think it would be an amazing live song.

Nothing needs to be said about this poster.

I definitely have a lot of Alestorm memories, as they keep coming to me as I'm writing. Chris Bowes is a great guy. He really knows how to keep a crowd entertained. He always has some joke to say in between songs or he just plays some catchy riff on his keytar. The first time I saw them, he even played for a good minute because the guitarist was having technical difficulties that the crew was fixing. Then there's Dani Evans who always always jumps off stage right when the band has finished their set and walks through the crowd to the bar. Once he has a drink in his hands, he takes the time to interact with fans, signing things or just talking to people. It's great to see a band that likes its fans so much. Chris Bowes also happens to be a part of a little band called Gloryhammer, who, as some of you may remember, linked to my blog on their Facebook page. These guys are pretty awesome.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this great band again this Wednesday. It's always a good time when Alestorm is in town!

-Zombie Viking

Venue Hunting: 70000 Tons of Metal

That's quite a bit of metal.

70k Tons of Metal is one of the most unique metal festivals around. It features over 40 bands, is 5 days long and... is on a boat. It's a heavy metal cruise; what's more awesome than that?

I'm sure it's something like this.

The ship departs from Miami and takes a trip to the Caribbean before coming back. During that time, you get to experience bands playing almost nonstop, always open bars, metal karaoke (yes you read that right) and getting to see some of your favourite musicians just walking around on a ship. Seriously, when these guys aren't playing they're just hanging out with you! Eating supper, enjoying the dock day in the Caribbean, or just rocking out during another set, you will meet members from your favourite bands.

The real highlight of the cruise is of course the performances. There are three stages with bands playing from 10am to 4am. You just go wherever you want and there will be some great metal playing. Some bands even play twice so you won't miss anything. All of this of course leads to some shenanigans like throwing Joakim Brodén of Sabaton into the pool when he takes a stage dive.


 The next voyage is January 28, 2013. There will once again be around 40 bands and the site states there will be 2000 guests. The full list of bands hasn't been released yet, so here is everyone that was onboard the 2012 trip:

• Alestorm
• Amorphis
• Annihilator
• Atheist
• Cannibal Corpse
• Channel Zero
• Children of Bodom
• Coroner
• Dark Funeral
• Edguy
• Eluveitie
• God Dethroned
• Grave Digger
• Hammerfall
• In Extremo
• Kamelot
• Moonsorrow
• My Dying Bride
• Nightwish
• Overkill
• Pentagram
• Pestilence
• Riot
• Samael
• Stratovarius
• Suffocation
• Tankard
• Therion
• Tristania
• Venom
• Virgin Steele
• Whiplash

It goes without saying that everyone aboard this cruise is awesome. Fans, bands and crew alike, everyone is just there for some metal and a good time. I strongly urge you to look up some videos of the event, it's unlike anything else.

In fact, Sabaton liked the experience so much that they decided to make their own heavy metal cruise. The Sabaton Cruise will sail December 9th-10th. It's a much smaller deal, with only three bands playing, but I'm sure it's still pretty awesome.

-Zombie Viking

Album Review: Unsung Heroes

Dis good shit, 10/10.

Musician Spotlight: Sami Hinkka

This post is dedicated to Sami Hinkka of Ensiferum, the most badass bassist around.

Vikings and stuff.

Sami joined Ensiferum in 2004, right after the release of the Iron album. Since then, he has been slowly taking over the entire band. Sami plays the bass, but that's not all he does. Besides being the most fun to watch on stage, he also provides backing vocals (both clean and harsh) and writes the majority of the lyrics. I'm pretty convinced he's a more talented vocalist than Petri, simply because Petri seems oddly against doing any sort of clean vocals. I don't know if he's tone-deaf, but he shys away from any vocal style besides his trademark screaming. It's okay, because here comes Sami to mix up the music and save the day!

I had always known that Sami was pretty cool, but it wasn't until I saw Ensiferum in concert that it really clicked. I had listened to Ahti a few times on CD and was wondering who did the growling vocals. To my surprise, when they started playing it live, Sami piped up and showed an unexpected vocal range for someone I only thought did chanting backing vocals. My surprise, and later admiration, only compounded when he came out again during Finntroll's set. Carrying beers for every member of the band, he sang the yolking part of Jaktens Tid. A part originally done by Jonne Järvelä of Korpiklaani.

Even in Ensiferum's latest music video for In My Sword I Trust, Sami gets more screen time than the only remaining founding member of the band, Markus Toivonen (rhythm guitarist). I thought it was customary to at least give the non-frontman guitarist the solos.. Well Ensiferum spits in the face of common courtesy and only showcases the most badass of everyone. I am okay with this.



So here's honouring Sami Hinkka, bassist and local badass of Ensiferum. May he continue to make great music.

-Zombie Viking

Vikings vs Zombies

So I was recently Googling the pseudonym I use here, Zombie Viking, when I came across something interesting. Turns out Vikings vs. Zombies is (sort of) an actual movie. Now, the thing is in pre-production and currently has no investors so I doubt it'll end up getting made any time soon. The thing that caught my attention though was the inclusion of Dragonheads by Ensiferum in the trailer. These guys know how to make a viking movie! If the movie does get made, and keeps the viking metal, I'd see it on soundtrack alone. Here's the official movie site: http://www.vikingsvszombies.com/ . It's not much, but it does have the trailer which I have also embedded below.

-Zombie Viking