Swedish melodic death metal giants AMON AMARTH have unveiled their first-ever acoustic composition, “Upphaf”, marking a dramatic departure from the band’s signature sound while offering the first glimpse of what is to come from their next studio album.
Released today via Metal Blade Records, the single was produced by Jacob Hansen and arrives alongside an official music video directed by Pavel Trebukhin.
Rather than relying on crushing riffs and thunderous rhythms, “Upphaf” strips the band’s sound down to its emotional core, embracing hypnotic melodies, haunting choral arrangements, and a solemn atmosphere inspired by Norse mythology. Designed to evoke the feeling of stories shared around the hearth of a Viking longhouse, the track highlights AMON AMARTH’s enduring fascination with Odin and ancient Scandinavian lore in an entirely new musical setting.
The band describes the release as the calm before the storm, serving as a reflective moment before the arrival of their forthcoming full-length album.
Over more than three decades, AMON AMARTH have grown from their formation in Tumba, Sweden, in 1992 into one of metal’s most successful international acts. Their career has included performances alongside artists such as Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, and Pantera, while headlining major festivals including Wacken Open Air, Bloodstock, Download Festival, and Summer Breeze.
Their most recent studio album, The Great Heathen Army (2022), reached the top of the US Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart, the Canadian Billboard Top Current Albums chart, and earned a Swedish Grammy nomination. Earlier releases Jomsviking and Berserker also topped the German album charts.
Beyond their music, AMON AMARTH have become synonymous with the fan-created “Viking Row,” a tradition that began during the band’s performances and has since spread throughout the global metal community and beyond. Inspired by the phenomenon, the band released “Put Your Back into the Oar” in 2022 as a tribute to their fans.
With “Upphaf”, AMON AMARTH demonstrate yet another side of their songwriting while setting the stage for the next chapter of their career.
Listen / Share / Playlist “Upphaf”
