Review by Adam M on July 16, 2019.

Eluveitie have an ambitious album ahead of them here with 16 songs present.  They perform a folk influenced breed of melodic death metal and it brings an epic bravado to the table.  There is the use of other instrumentation like flutes and a combination of female and male singing.  The entire affair is fairly interesting, but nothing revolutionary.  Instead they make an impact with how solid their songwriting is. 

The band creates an interesting atmosphere with their folk inspired leanings.  With other melodic death metal releases, this album still holds its own with some charismatic emotions being put into the mix.  Though I did prefer the album by Bloodred Hourglass slightly, this is still one of the more interesting albums of the style in recent times.  The variety present keeps the album churning at all points and one can detect this from the word go and the first track, Ategnatos.  The band seems to be having a lot of fun and this always helps brighten the overall album.  There is a constantly shifting mindset the band has to craft something new and this is seen at every corner on the work.  This could still be improved with more focused song-writing as the band seems to go out on a tangent at times, but are still quite successful with their style.  It is epic and carries forth a great amount of emotion at all times. 

There aren’t many bands that combine folk and melodic death metal like this, so you should pounce on this album if you want a varied listen.  It’s not the best album melodic death metal has ever seen, but it is different enough that it definitely leaves an imprint.  Fans of both folk and melodic death metal will find something to like here and should grab Ategnatos as soon as possible.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10

Review by Adam M on July 16, 2019.

Eluveitie have an ambitious album ahead of them here with 16 songs present.  They perform a folk influenced breed of melodic death metal and it brings an epic bravado to the table.  There is the use of other instrumentation like flutes and a combination of female and male singing.  The entire affair is fairly interesting, but nothing revolutionary.  Instead they make an impact with how solid their songwriting is. 

The band creates an interesting atmosphere with their folk inspired leanings.  With other melodic death metal releases, this album still holds its own with some charismatic emotions being put into the mix.  Though I did prefer the album by Bloodred Hourglass slightly, this is still one of the more interesting albums of the style in recent times.  The variety present keeps the album churning at all points and one can detect this from the word go and the first track, Ategnatos.  The band seems to be having a lot of fun and this always helps brighten the overall album.  There is a constantly shifting mindset the band has to craft something new and this is seen at every corner on the work.  This could still be improved with more focused song-writing as the band seems to go out on a tangent at times, but are still quite successful with their style.  It is epic and carries forth a great amount of emotion at all times. 

There aren’t many bands that combine folk and melodic death metal like this, so you should pounce on this album if you want a varied listen.  It’s not the best album melodic death metal has ever seen, but it is different enough that it definitely leaves an imprint.  Fans of both folk and melodic death metal will find something to like here and should grab Ategnatos as soon as possible.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10

Review by Kate on March 15, 2011.

As a long-time Amon Amarth fan, my heart always starts pumping just a little bit faster when they have a new album coming out. “The Avenger” and “The Crusher” were and still are albums of greatness, not to mention 2006’s “With Oden On Our Side”. 2008’s “Twilight Of The Thunder God” fell nothing short of amazing and I can say with all confidence that “Surtur Rising” is a phenomenal piece of crushing metal.

The album art alone shows the complexity of these Vikings, as you can see the great Surtur in the back with his flaming sword about to deal his wrath the meek humans who are running away in terror. This, if you think about it, represents Amon Amarth who delivers their music with such passion and integrity that anyone weaker than they, run away in pure panic (deep right???)

'War Of The Gods' opens with speed and aggressive vocals that are supplied by Johan Hegg and eventually delves more into a melodic landscape that has the sounds of battle in the background. The second track, 'Tock’s Taunt- Loke’s Treachery Part II' is a follow up of 'Hermod’s Ride To Hel-Loke’s Treachery Part I' from the 2006 “Oden” album and carries more of the traditional Amon Amarth war cry. 'Destroyer Of The Universe' pummels you with shredding guitar riffs supplied by Johan Soderberg and Olavi Mikkonen and incredible drum work from Fredrik Andersson while Ted Lundsrom’s solid bass playing carries a lot of power and keeps the tempo moving throughout the track.

When Amon Amarth creates an album, they create a story and when you listen to it feels like your being taken through the story with them. From the bloody battlegrounds to the great kingdom halls to the quiet villages along the countryside you feel like you’re a part of it. You can see Surtur gathering his sword to battle his enemies and dominate over the Earth. “Surtur Rising” is not just an album it’s a fantastic tale that’s presented with honor and dignity. This is some of the band’s most dynamic work yet and I cannot emphasize enough how you need to pick up a copy when this is released!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 10.0
Atmosphere: 10.0
Production: 9.0
Orginality: 10.0
Overall: 10.0

Rating: 9.8 out 10