I think "Versus the World" is your best album by now. Do you agree?

Of course! As a matter of fact I think its the best album ever made by anyone!

HEY!!! Be honest fucker, hahaha! And if you still agree, why is it the best?

Well, it has it all. It has cool lyrics and it's powerful, melancholic, melodic and aggressive all in one. What else reasons do you need?

So lets come to "Versus the World" first. Do you see any musical differences compared with your old stuff?

I would say that "Versus the World" is a kind of combination of all our previous albums, but if you compare it with "The Crusher", this album is more diverse, more melodic and epic. The main difference, as I see it, is in the sound. This time we managed to get a much cleaner sound. Heavier, yet clearer.

I it's the first time, that you didn't enter the Abyss studio, because Peter Tägtgren does only record his own projects now. What made you choose the Berno Studio?

Well, we heard a lot of productions coming out Berno Studios that sounded great, for instance Vomitory, The Crown, The Haunted and Soilwork, so the choice was fairly easy.

I think the choice you took was the best you could take. In the end I would even say Peter has done much better recordings than albums like "The Crusher" or "The Avenger".

Considering the options we had this was a great choice. Peter has always done great work for us, but changing studios gave us the opportunity to work up a sound from the beginning again, with people who were not colored by our previous releases. New surroundings and working with new people really gave us a creative boost, but I can't help missing recording at the Abyss. It's been like a second home for us, and Peter and Lars have always been great to work with.

The lyrics on "Versus ..." didn't change at all. The first superficial look onto your lyrics always opens a world of death, war, northern mythology and battles. Where does the interest come from?

Well, the themes on this album actually changed a bit. Not so much in the way they're told, but more in what the lyrics is a bout. My main inspiration for the lyrics of this album is the story or Ragnarök - the end of the world in Northern Mythology. That is the main concept of the album. On the previous albums I didn't really deal with any mythological stories, I used it more as a source of inspiration, but for this album the Mythology itself is the story being told. All this is of course very obvious to me, but not really obvious to anyone else.
I get my main inspiration from books about Northern Mythology and old Viking Legends, but also from Movies and music. I've been interested in this part of the Scandinavian history since I was nine or ten years old, when we first read about it in school..

If I go deeper into your lyrics, I would say, a red line through it (especially on "Vesus...") is revenge. Do you agree or did I misunderstand you?

In a way you're right. Not so much on this new album as on "The Crusher" and "The Avenger". On this album it's more "demanding respect" if you understand. Almost the complete music comes from Olavi, the lyrics are coming from Johan. Why is the rest of the band just rarely involved into the songwriting? That's not entirely true. Sure Olavi creates most of the riffs, and I write most of the lyrics, but we are all responsible for putting everything together. We are a team. Besides, Fredrik and Johan Söderberg are

contributing more and more to the music, and I already get a lot of great lyrical ideas from the rest of the guys, especially Ted, so we are all involved.

In 1993 you recorded your first demo "Thor Arise", which you never released, because you were not satisfied with the sound, as far as I know. So why do you release it now on the special "Viking edition" of "Versus ..." if you don't like the sound? Will it be re-mastered?

Well, this is our ten year anniversary and we wanted to give our fans a bonus CD, with some rare material. We were already thinking of putting the mini-CD and "The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter"-demo on there, so when we happened to find the original recordings of "Thor Arise" we immediately decided to include that demo as well. A lot of people have asked us for that demo during the years, but we always thought it had been lost for ever, so we never even thought about looking for it. As you said the sound sucks, even though it is re-mastered, but I think it can be fun for the fans to see where we started out. Besides, you have to remember that for some of us it was the first time in a recording studio ever. We recorded and mixed five tracks during one weekend, and the studio engineer had never recorded Death Metal before.

Describe the music of AMON AMARTH with your own words.

That's like saying describe the Mona Lisa, or the ocean! On the surface it's easy to see what it's all about, but if you go deeper it's a bit more complicated. Still, in my opinion the music of Amon Amarth can be described in two words, to make it easy for myself; Powerful and Passionate.

AMON AMARTH was formed in 1992. So what would you name the decade like (ha, I just love this question)?

Decade of bad hangovers!

Allvise Ygg. Mäktige Härjaffader Gudar av Asars och Vaners ätt Hör mina ord, när som jag svär Att om vintrar ater ta var rät ("From Annihilation of Hammerfest"). My gay buddy Marcus dips a dildo into his Asars and if it wouldn't be enough, he fucks a couple of goats in stable. Is my translation correct?

No. Get a fucking dictionary you moron!

Since 1996 you got the deal with Metal Blade. Six years on the same label, so it seems that AMON AMARTH has found a suitable home? I guess, you are satisfied with the support of the label? Will you stay with Metal Blade in the future? For how many releases you have signed?

I don't discuss contract with anybody except the guys in the band and the label, but we are satisfied with the work Metal Blade has done for us so far.

What kind of suggestions can you give bands that are fucked up, ripped off and absolutely pissed by their label? There are many!

If a contract deal looks too good to be true, it usually is. Always get a lawyer to go through the contract offers you get from any label. If you do that the risk of being ripped off is not so big. But if you would get ripped off anyway, you at least have the possibility to go to court, because you have a written contract that you know is legal since you had a lawyer go through it. It may seem like a waste of money to do so, but believe me, it's always better to do it that way. Besides, if you're a member of the union you probably can get legal help from them to a better price. At least I know that's how it works in Sweden.

I have seen AMON AMRTH two times live. I got to tell you, you guys just fuckin` rule! I think AMON AMARTH is one of the best live acts on this shitty planet. I don't just mean your music, it's the way you son of bitches demonstrate your songs. Honour, pride, power, no bullshit posing, ahhh shit, I got to stop here before my head gets stuck in your asshole. But anyway, stay as you are! Comments please.

WE ARE THE MIGHT AMON AMARTH!!! ALL KNEEL AND HAIL!!!

When I have a look at the Swedish metal scene, musicians are changing bands like dirty underwear. You didn´t have a lot of line up changes at all. So AMON AMARTH belongs to the bands, concidering a stable line up as important?

For us a stable line-up is very important. Besides we are a bunch of friends from the beginning, and every time somebody left it's been their own decision, except Anders Hansson whom we fired. But we always parted as friends with the ones who left the band.

Any sessions you guys are involved in? Not that I know of. Fredrik had a band with some friends, but I'm not sure if they're still playing together. Lets dig a little bit in the past. How did it come to the deal with "Pulverised" in the begining? I mean, they are from Singapore. They were the only ones offering us a "one-

release-deal" at that time. We were also willing to take a chance. We had just had a burglary in our rehearsal place, equipment for over 750 Euro was. They were the only ones offering us a "one-release-deal" at that time. We were also willing to take a chance. We had just had a burglary in our rehearsal place, equipment for over 750 Euro was stolen, and at the same time we were evicted from the place. So we signed to them, started saving up for new equipment and looked for a new place to rehearse. Since that process took us about six months, we didn't want to wait too long for the next release so a mini-CD was just the right format for us at the time.

For the last Carnage issue I made an inti with the brilliant newcomer KAAMOS. They wrote me an answer, that realy impressed me: "The main thing for us was to capture the spirit of the ancient glory days when death metal was just that. I think we succeded." Do you sometimes look back with regrets as well?

No. I never regret things I've done. Maybe sometimes things I haven't done.

Johan, all covers looks really cool but they are all painted in red, yellow and black. What`s the meaning behind and don't you feel that it will be time for a change, green or pink, gay stuff for Uwe you know, haha. I think when the next cover will be printed in red again it will be very boring.

The concept is fire! That's what it's been about from the beginning. I don't know what the next album cover will bring, and to be quite honest I don't really care.

Hey, Uwe has some problems with his ass, now he has two assholes, he told me that he now can do sandwich sex, hahaha. Your statement, please.

Well, I hope your dick and his assholes will have a lot of fun together!

I must confess, many years ago I got your first MCD "Sorrow Troughout The Nine Worlds" but for me it was DISSECTION-like crap, so I`ve lost AMON AMARTH out of my eyes till this year when I saw you in Essen. That was a unique gig where you guys conviced me to hear "The Avenger" wich layed one year in my sideboard without hearing it. Now it was my time to listen it and I thought: huh, they doesn`t sound like stupid DISSECTION, they sound very better, very giant. You`ll see time can change. Cool huh? (Come down Marcus! - Uwe)

Cool.

When I saw you this year in Essen there was one track that fuckin' blowed me away "Bleed For Ancient Gods", huh what a killer but "Death In Fire" sounds a little bit similar to "Bleed...". Am I right? What do you think?

I guess they are similar in some ways, but it's our style of writing songs I guess.

Ok. Johan, that's all from my side lipstick Uwe has the word again. Thanks for answering my questions and thanks for YOUR stabwounds in MY back. See you.

See ya.

OK. Johan, so far so gay. Lets talk a little bit about the future. When will we see Amon Amarth live again ? Will it be a headlinershow ? And don't forget to play your old fucker "Metalwrath". YOU KNOW THIS NECKBREAK - RIFF I´M TALKING ABOUT!!!

There are no tour-dates planned yet, but we're probably going to hit the road early next year.

What do you think or hope future will bring to AMON AMARTH?

More beer and women!

I think, that's enough so far. Christmas eve is comming (and Uwe is going to Thailand where gays with little cocks can feel like Superman - Marcus) and I have to buy a new dildo for Marcus, so I'm runing out of time. Keep your head on your shoulders, stay away from Marcus (you will only get sick) and don't forget to blow us to the wall of the concert hall. Like always the last words shall be yours.

See ya.

Contact:
www.amonamarth.com

Interview: Uwe/Marcus