Extreme Metal Videos

Since their humble start in 1992 as an underground band from Tumba, a suburb in southern Stockholm, AMON AMARTH have managed to establish themselves as one of Europe's top death metal acts through hard work, relentless touring, and consistently solid albums. "In the beginning it was just fun to play in our own band with our own songs, and getting a gig at the local youth recreation center was a goal big enough," recalls guitarist and main songwriter Olli Mikkonen. "Of course, goals change as you fulfill them. I always thought we had something special going on, it was just matter of time to convince everyone else."

What has set AMON AMARTH apart from the rest of the death metal scene since the very beginning, is their use of Viking mythology and imagery in lyrics and artwork, as well as a talent for writing epic, memorable melodies, which underline their solemn yet barbaric approach to heavy music. "For me the 'Viking theme' and the Norse mythology is more a philosophy of life", explains singer Johan Hegg. "It's a topic we all can stand for and that I think appeals to a lot of people, even though it also meant we had to fight a lot of prejudices. Especially here in Sweden where the stereotypical view is that people who sing about the Viking heritage are racists. I think we made the right choice though, and I think our music and our lyrics are very closely connected. They suit each other perfectly!"