Iconic Swedish heavy metallers Amon Amarth approach a new way of songwriting on their first-ever acoustic excursion “Upphaf”. The song strips away the fury of modern melodic heavy metal to reveal the ancient, skeletal frame of a Norse epic. Reimagined for the gathering space of a longhouse hearth, the song features hypnotic melodies and mesmerising quires.
The stripped-back composition carries the solemnity of an oral history whispered under the shadow of the Allfather, proving the band’s interest in Oden cuts just as deep by firelight as it does on epic global stages. The single serves as the quiet moment to what lies ahead, before the fury of their next studio album.
“Upphaf” was produced by Jacob Hansen and is available via Metal Blade Records across all digital retail alongside its video directed by Pavel Trebukhin.
From Amon Amarth‘s 1992 formation in Tumba, Sweden, to the worldwide fame they’ve found in the ensuing years, their lyrical, live and recorded musical legacy speaks for itself. Over the past few years the band have performed globally and alongside legendary acts such as Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, Pantera in addition to monumental sold out takeovers of Los Angeles’ The Forum and Denver’s historic Red Rocks Amphitheatre to name a few. Across seas, Amon Amarth have headlined multiple major rock and metal fests including an epic performance at Germany’s Wacken in 2024 for 85,000 rabid fans which was deemed “a 19-song masterclass in unbeatable, indefatigable force…a repertoire of songs that can conquer the biggest crowds on the planet,” by Louder. Elsewhere on UK/European soil, the Viking lords have twice headlined the UK’s storied Bloodstock festival, made four appearances at Download (2008 – 2019), and performed at Summer Breeze eight times (2003 – 2024) – six of them as headliner.
Their rapidly increasing sales and touring numbers, plus pre-release buzz to Amon Amarth‘s 2026 North American tour with Dethklok and Castle Rat, has managed to garner mainstream success without sacrificing either of their constantly evolving creativity or heaviness. Audience demographics run the gamut from pre-teens to 60-somethings, an inclusive metal experience for those who appreciate epic positivity and powerfully inspirational lyrics.
Amon Amarth continues to garner universal musical respect and reverence from fans and critics, and an ever-growing popularity in North America. In Europe, Amon Amarth reached #1 on German album charts with Jomsviking, Berserker, and 2022’s The Great Heathen Army also topped the US Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart, the Canadian Billboard Top Current Albums chart, and earned a Swedish Grammy nomination for hard rock/metal album of the year.
