Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God (2008)^{Release ID: 3745}

Twilight of the Thunder God is Amon Amarth at the peak of their songwriting powers.

Looking back on their career from the brink of the 2020s, this seems to be an obvious and near-unanimous conclusion. The band's most complete and impactful album by a safe distance, it is a resounding statement of what they were truly capable of before they lost some of their inner fire for this music. The songs sound powerful and incredibly well-produced, each riff dropping with the ironclad weight of Thor's hammer ("Guardians of Asgaard"), yet also manage to be staggeringly emotive ("Free Will Sacrifice") and deliriously catchy ("Twilight of the Thunder God"). They will never be able to surpass this. 

As another reviewer said, Amon Amarth are generally like Melodeath/Viking Metal comfort food for me. They don't vary their ingredients much, but you always know they're going to come together exactly right and leave a good taste in your mouth. I have a special place for Amon Amarth in my heart as one of the first death metal bands I learned to appreciate and consider myself a big fan. Even still, I recognize that this is their only album that doesn't blur together even a little bit when taken in as a whole. Thunder God is the only Amon Amarth album that makes me truly feel as if each song is its own unique journey. There aren't any new ingredients to their well-worn recipe, yet they somehow managed to get the very best out of each one, making every bite of this thing explode with different flavors. Despite their reputation, nothing here feels formulaic or derivative in the slightest. Maybe they went to one of those fancy premium grocery stores instead of Wal-Mart this time around. Or something. 

Highly recommended as the best starting place for anyone getting into Amon Amarth. The crown jewel of a long and fine discography. 

Highlights: Twilight of the Thunder God, Free Will Sacrifice, Tattered Banners and Bloody Flags, The Hero