Product Description

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Media Type: CD
Artist: AMON AMARTH
Title: VERSUS THE WORLD
Street Release Date: 01/14/2003
Domestic
Genre: HEAVY METAL

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11949 in Music
• Brand: AMON AMARTH
• Released on: 2003-01-14
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .26 pounds

Customer Reviews

The Norsemen Ride Once Again
Amon Amarth takes a different approach to war metal musical creations with "Versus The World" than with previous efforts by using a slightly slower, harder yet doomier style vaguely reminiscent of Bolt Thrower. Despite the fact that their aural attack this time around is not quite as aggressive in terms of all out speed, with the exception of maybe "For The Stabwounds In Our Backs", this is by far my personal favorite of Amon Amarth's albums because everything seems to truly come together on this album. Not only is the concept great (uniting the Norse peoples for a return to power and worldwide coup while, of course, crushing all enemies in the process), but the vocals and all instruments sound as though they've reached their peak. The band's performance is flawless, and the wonderful production on this disc displays this fact beautifully.

On top of all this, the songwriting is superb containing many catchy riffs such as those in "Death in Fire" and "Bloodshed". Also, this is perhaps the most inspiring of all Amon Amarth's discs in terms of a more straightforward delivery and emotional effort. With each listen you'll want to join the fictional Norse characters on the battlefied slaying your enemies and reveling in bloody victory while being cherished by the grand Asatru deities.

This album gets my absolute highest recommendation, and the bonus disc is full of extra goodies such as unreleased tracks and demos that will make any metalhead happy. Get this war metal masterpiece and may you enjoy endless battle & warfare in the Halls of Valhalla to the end of your days!

Fear the Norsemen!
If I had to choose the greatest Viking metal band of all time, this would be it. Their newest release Fate of Norns, might make me question that claim, but we'll save that for another review. Every band reaches their peak and inevitably starts their downward spiral. This band was lucky to have an early peak (Once Sent from the Golden Hall) and managed to hover around that peak for 3 more albums. This is the last of their three crushing follow up albums to Once Sent.

This CD is absolutely amazing in every aspect. It has everything you could ask for from a Viking Death Metal band. Heavy crushing beats, unique and low growls, lyrics centered on Viking heritage and religion; nothing's left out of this classic. I've had this CD for over a year now, and decided I should let everybody else know how good it is. There are fast songs, there are slow songs, there are doom-like songs, but one thing remains the same. The Amon Amarth sound. These guys escape the "generic" tag that some have been given in their genre and they continue to experiment with style and sound to create a new and fresh sounding album every time. It's not a coincidence that most of my favorite bands happen to do this.

Death in Fire is a perfect way to kick off this album, as the drums totally get you into it to the point where you want to jump out of your seat and start growling the lyrics like a true Norseman. (I...uh... have never done that... ya...) What follows is eight more brutal and masterful tracks, and I can truly say that none of them are even close to boring or repetitive. Every song on this album is amazing, and together makes up one of the most solid CD's in my extensive collection.

If you are new to Amon Amarth, this is the place to start; I promise you won't be disappointed. As an added bonus, we are treated to a second CD full of older demos and re-mastered songs from older albums.

\m/ Recommended \m/

The Vikings Are Coming!!!
Wow, I can't fathom how much this made me love AA when I heard this explosive CD two years ago, this still remains as my favorite AA album. Boasting cruising guitar melodies, varying song structures, in-your-face drums, and Johan's deep and visceral growl topping it all, this is one of the best metal releases in the previous years, in my opinion. On "Versus the World", Amon Amarth slowdd things down a bit, leaving more room for songwriting and those majestic guitar melodies. But some songs still recall the days of the previous 3 albums, such as the blistering title track or the fiery "Down the Slopes of Death". This is definitely a good starting point for anyone new to death metal, and my personal favorite AA album.

The songwriting is impeccable. These Swedes never once fall into a dirge of redundancy or mediocrity, leaving the listener on their toes with the power of unpredictable song structures, albeit simple and straight-forward playing. They know how to keep things exciting, which is important for any DM album. Fredrik's drumming is at its best here, boasting everything from rolling double bass, to mind-boggling tom rolls, and some great strong rhythms featuring some great work on the snare. He knows what fits the songs, when simple time-keeping is needed, and when to go balls-out ballistic on his kit. The double bass sticks out quite a bit, adding a HUGE sound to the album, coupled with a slick production and soaring guitars, the high point of the album. The signature melodeath melodies, when played in unison, create a great battle-like atmosphere. You can just feel the urge within to go to battle and see your Viking brothers battling it out on the foggy plains of Sweden!! Johan's furious vocals top it all off, screaming with the utmost intensity and feeling. It's easy to see that these Swedes are NOT very happy fellows, and with good reason! Here's the track by track review.

1. Death in Fire- A classic AA song with stampeding drums, gritty guitars, and a great headbanging mid-paced tempo. Also has some great lyrics. 5/5

2. For the Stabwounds in Our Backs- Starts off a bit slower with bells tolling, only to come full-force and pummel the listener. The guitar work here is excellent, featuring some hyper-speed tremolo picking. 4/5

3. Where Silent Gods Stand Guard- A very nice slower song with some basic, but almost depressive guitar work, and a strong rhythm with rock-solid drumwork. Special mention to the lyrics, which may be gory, but tell a great story. 4.5/5

4. Versus the World- Woah!! One of the best on the album, and ultimately furious and unforgiving with its battering drumwork, catchy chorus, and awesome vocals. 5/5

5. Across the Rainbow Bridge- Much in the vein of track 3, but a bit faster. Pretty good track with nearly tranquil guitars, but nothing too special. 3/5

6. Down the Slopes of Death- Probably the fastest track on the album, a true thrasher. Pummels everything and laves nothing unscathed. 4/5

7. A Thousand Years of Oppression- My personal favorite track on the album with great melodic guitars, straight-forward lyrics, and a hateful and resentful atmosphere. 5/5

8. Bloodshed- Another catchy chorus here, but that's about it. 3/5

9. ...And Soon the World Will Cease to Be- Now THIS is Viking metal! The main guitar line is fantastic, and thw song retains a proud feel through the whole song. Ends the song on a very strong note.

I decided to take a star off because some songs can get a bit boring, and a bit redundant. I got the limited edition of this CD with an extra disc featuring some old demos, which gives the listener a perspective of how the band evolved over time, and has some great AA classics.

All in all, this CD is still on my top 10 list, and comes highly reccommended to any fans of death metal.