Two weeks after putting out shocking acoustic single Upphaf, Amon Amarth have returned to the Viking death metal ways of yore with Gjallarhorn.
The new track comes with a cinematic music video, which you can watch below, and precedes the release of the Swedish five-piece’s newly announced 13th album, The Allfather Awakens. Pre-orders and merch bundles are available now via the Amon Amarth site.
The Allfather Awakens is a 10-song onslaught set to come out on October 2 via Metal Blade. As well as Gjallarhorn and Upphaf, it will feature last year’s single We Rule The Waves. See the full tracklisting and artwork below.
The Allfather Awakens’ lyrics are loosely themed around Oden, the ‘allfather’ and king of the gods in Norse mythology.
“For Amon Amarth, a new album marks the beginning of a new world,” says a new press release. “As with previous records, Oden – the Norse ‘allfather’ who is a deity of war, wisdom, death, magic and poetry – is the through-line in Amon Amarth’s lyrics and artwork. Once again, Oden is the band’s inspiration, but The Allfather Awakens is not a concept album, rather a collection of historically inspired epic tales of conflict and sacrifice for a greater good.”
Amon Amarth made the new album in a different way to the 12 previous, recording it over two studio sessions at producer Jacob Hansen’s Denmark studio in spring 2025 and March 2026. Songs were written while the band were touring.
“We worked on one song at a time and made each song as good as possible,” says guitarist Olavi Mikkonen. “Then we recorded one song at a time until each track was totally finished: drums, guitars and vocals. Only then did we start on the next one.”
Talking to Hammer in February, singer Johann Hegg said that The Allfather Awakens will be “a very diverse album”.
“We always try to balance new, interesting takes on our music with trying to keep the format of the band,” he added. “It’s like what Iron Maiden do: you will always hear that it’s an Iron Maiden song, but they always add some new, interesting things to their albums.”
After The Allfather Awakens’ release, Amon Amarth will headline a tour of the UK and Europe, supported by fellow Swedes Orbit Culture and Soilwork. The shows will start at the O2 Apollo in Manchester on October 9 and conclude at Sala Tejo in Lisbon on November 15. See dates and get tickets via the Amon Amarth site.
Hegg told Hammer that fans can expect a “more elaborate stage” setup on this tour than previous ones.
“[It] gives us the possibility to keep things moving throughout the show,” he said. “The idea is to do an extended set for the headline tour with a bigger and better production. We are definitely working on making the stage production… I’m not sure I would say more interesting, but at least more eventful.”
Amon Amarth – The Allfather Awakens tracklisting:
GjallarhornEight Legs Of ThunderKvasir’s BloodWe Rule The WavesUpphafDie With A War CryRaven GodThe Allfather AwakesOden’s HuntAscending Like An Eagle
(Image credit: Metal Blade)
