Amon Amarth "Jomsviking (Digibook, Japan, Sony Records Intl., SICP 4754)"

Jomsviking is the tenth studio album from Swedish melodic death metal band Amon Amarth. It was mixed and produced by Andy Sneap and released on March 25, 2016 through Metal Blade Records.

This is the band's first concept album. Vocalist Johan Hegg described the concept of the album:

The Jomsvikings and their world is the background for the story of a young man that is in love with a girl but unfortunately she's being married off. He accidentally kills a man when this happens and he has to flee — but he swears to have revenge and win her back. He can't let go of the past. He feels that he's been wronged and his life has been destroyed. The way the story evolves is not a happy story.

— Johan Hegg, Blabbermouth

This is the first album not featuring the band's signature "fire and black" colour theme in its cover artwork.

Writing for Exclaim!, Renee Trotier wrote that "while longtime fans might be a bit thrown off by some of the more melodic traditional metal elements throughout Jomsviking, the music is well suited to both the concept's narrative and a natural evolution of Amon Amarth's more well known style."

Track listing

All tracks are written by Amon Amarth

1. "First Kill" 4:21
2. "Wanderer" 4:42
3. "On a Sea of Blood" 4:04
4. "One Against All" 3:37
5. "Raise Your Horns" 4:23
6. "The Way of Vikings" 5:11
7. "At Dawn's First Light" 3:50
8. "One Thousand Burning Arrows" 5:49
9. "Vengeance Is My Name" (digibook edition bonus track) 4:41
10. "A Dream That Cannot Be" (featuring Doro Pesch) 4:22
11. "Back on Northern Shores" 7:08

Total length: 52:08

Japanese edition bonus tracks

1. "Death in Fire 2016" 4:55
2. "Death in Fire" (live) 5:05

Total length: 62:08

First edition comes in Digibook, includes 3 bonus tracks and 24-page full-color bound booklet.

Second edition released in jewel case with the same content and identifiers.

Manufactured by Sony Music Labels Inc.

Trivia:

The band's first concept album.

The Jomsvikings were a semi-legendary order of Viking mercenaries or brigands of the 10th century and 11th century.

Music videos:

- First Kill

- At Dawn's First Light

- The Way of Vikings

Recording information:

Recorded, produced, and mixed at Backstage Productions in Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom.

Tom Thiel − cover art

Thomas Ewerhard − layout

Niclas Mortensen – additional artwork

John Lorenzi – additional artwork

Sam Didier – additional artwork

Christian Sloan Hall – additional artwork

Adi Kalingga – additional artwork

Thomas Ewerhard – additional artwork

Garip Jensen − photos, digital editing