AMON AMARTH Fredrik Andersson

\r\nAmon Amarth is a Viking-themed melodic death metal band from Tumba, Sweden, founded in 1992, and named for Mount Doom, a location in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Formed under the name Scum in 1988, the band was originally a grindcore group formed by Themgoroth (Dark Funeral), Olavi Mikkonen (guitar), and Ted Lundström (bass guitar). When Johan Hegg joined the band, their music changed towards death metal. After a 1991 demo, they changed the band’s name to Amon Amarth in 1992 then recorded their first demo Thor Arise under the name in 1993 following a demo, The Arrival of the Fimbul Winter, in 1994, selling all 1000 demo discs in less than 12 hours.[citation needed] They signed with Pulverised Records, on which they released in 1996 their first MCD, Sorrow Throughout the Nine Worlds, which sold 6000 copies. They then signed with Metal Blade Records, and with the release of the album Once Sent from the Golden Hall in 1998, their popularity rose internationally. Since then they have done multiple Canada and US tours, festival appearances, five music videos, and appearances in over 100 metal magazines. In early January 2008, their first tour of Australia and New Zealand took place, along with supporting Dimmu Borgir, after finishing a US and Canadian tour with Sonic Syndicate and Himsa.
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\r\nAmon Amarth extended their record deal with Metal Blade Records for three more albums. After extending their record deal, the band released Twilight of the Thunder God, which featured guest appearances by Lars Göran Petrov of Entombed, Roope Latvala of Children of Bodom, and the cello metal band Apocalyptica. Accompanying the release of the album was an eight-page comic strip based on Norse mythology which was released by magazines from all over Europe.
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\r\nAmon Amarth has embarked on a North American headlining tour in October 2008, with support from Ensiferum, Belphegor, and a melodic death metal band from Tampa named The Absence. The band are also touring as support for the thrash metal band Slayer throughout Europe on the Unholy Alliance Chapter 3.\r\n

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\r\nGiven the chance byt the release of Twillight Of The Thunder God we got a brief interview with the bands drummer Fredrik Andersson\r\n

\r\nMetalzone: First of all give us little background information on your latest release Twillinght Of The Thunder God. Recordings, production, mixing process etc.
\r\nFredrik: We recorded it in the same studio as our last album “With oden on our side” – the Fascination street studio in Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren. We had about one and a half month of recording from beginning of May till mid June and about two weeks of mixing.
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\r\nMetalzone: And a few words about the theme that inspired you- is it a concept?
\r\nFredrik: It’s not a concept album. We’ve had the idea of doing a song or album about Thors fight with the world serpent and this time all the pieces came together.
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\r\nMetalzone: Amon Amarth have grown bigger and bigger over the past few years. Your sales are rising the crowds you draw to your shows are very big and now you are touring in support of Slayer. How do you feel about that? What consequences does this have on the way you work and behave?
\r\nFredrik: It doesn’t really affect us at all. Since we’ve been doing this for such a long time – we’ve been touring for the last 10 years and for each record we have put out more people have started liking our music. If this would’ve happened between our first record and second then I think it would have been different but now everything has come very slowly and gradually to us. I think it’s good. In our minds we are still the same guys we were when we started out and we’ve never had any rock star attitude.
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\r\nMetalzone: You’re a band which has worked really hard on getting to where you are now. Looking back is there anything you would change?
\r\nFredrik: No not really. Of course we’ve made mistakes and we’ve been ripped off in the past, but from that we’ve learnt a lot and it has made it easier for us to deal with things now.
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\r\nMetalzone: Talking about touring tell us a few things about your up coming plans. Are there any chances of seeing you again in Greece in the near future?
\r\nFredrik: Yes, hopefully early next year we’ll return to Hellas!
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\r\nMetalzone:  What have the responses been on Twilight Of The Thunder God and what is your favorite track on the record and why?
\r\nFredrik: The response has been really amazing! We love the whole album so of course it’s great when others do too. Really hard to pick one song, I like them all! But maybe “Tattered banners and bloody flags”. I like the tempo and powerfulness in it. And the melodies, it’s got all simply!
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\r\nMetalzone: Do you get influenced by other bands you listen to and if yes which?
\r\nFredrik: I can only speak for myself but I get inspired when I hear something I like. Daniels drumming in Arch Enemy always does that, same with Keep of kalessin, Haunted, Exodus and Katatonia.
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\r\nMetalzone: Do you idolize any particular drummer?
\r\nFredrik: No I don’t actually, but there are a few that I look up to and has made an impression on me. For example Scott Travis, Dave Lombardo, Lars Ullrich and Pete Sandoval to name a few.
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\r\nMetalzone: What would you say is the place of a drummer in a band, do you –personally - contribute to the creative process of the music – do you punch in ideas while writing?
\r\nFredrik: I do, we’ve always had democracy in the band and everyone have had equally much to say. I do come up with some ideas and sometimes even a guitar riff or two. For example I came up with the intro part and first riff to “Hermod’s ride to Hel” on the last album.
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\r\nMetalzone: Thank you very much for your time and I wish you all the best in your upcoming plans and hope to see you again in Greece soon.
\r\nFredrik: I hope so too, as I said, hopefully early next year! Thanks for the very interesting questions! Cheers.\r\n

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\r\nHellena Mihailidou \r\n

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