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Swedish metal powerhouse AMON AMARTH has completed work on its long-awaited new studio album. The full-length release, titled Twilight of the Thunder God, will see a September 30 North American release date via Metal Blade Records.

Twilight of the Thunder God was recorded at Fascination Street Studio in Örebro, Sweden. The album will feature 10 ravaging tracks of AMON AMARTH’s menacing battle metal replete with swarming riffs and searing percussion that provides a monolithic backdrop for vocalist Johan Hegg's wracked howls and lyrics rife with Nordic mythology. Known for seamlessly combining the key attributes of death, black and power metal to create “fantasy-fueled sonic mayhem”, AMON AMARTH (Elven-speak for “mountain of doom” in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings) has eclipsed its previous efforts with Twilight of the Thunder God, creating an album that places the band amongst metal’s elite.

Twilight of the Thunder God also features several high-profile guest appearances including Entombed singer L.G. Petrov (on ‘Guardians of Asgaard’), Children of Bodom guitarist Roope Latvala (who shreds a fierce solo on the track 'Twilight of the Thunder God') and Finnish cello metal band Apocalyptica (a guest appearance on ‘Live For The Kill’).

The final track listing for Twilight of the Thunder God is as follows:
1.) Twilight of the Thunder God
2.) Free Will Sacrifice
3.) Guardians of Asgaard
4.) Where is Your God?
5.) Varyags of Miklagaard
6.) Tattered Banners and Bloody Flags
7.) No Fear for the Setting Sun
8.) The Hero
9.) Live for the Kill
10.) Embrace of the Endless Ocean
In support of Twilight of the Thunder God, AMON AMARTH has announced a fall, 2008 North American headlining tour. The scheduled 3 week trek will kick off on October 1 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, CA. Support on the AMON AMARTH tour will be provided by Helsinki folk-metal act Ensiferum, Austrian blackened death metal band Belphegor and Tampa, Florida melodic death metal troupe The Absence.

On the topic of the headlining tour, the band states, “It's time again for us Vikings to make our way across the Atlantic. It's now official; we will be heading over for a North American headlining tour in support of our new album, “Twilight of the Thunder God.” Joining our venture will be Ensiferum, Belphegor and The Absence, all solid and outstanding bands that we are honored to make part of our tour. We are excited to perform in front of our North American fans and cannot wait until then. Since “Twilight of the Thunder God” will be released on September 30th, look for new songs to be played! We're expecting a good proper horde, so hope to see as many of you out there as possible!"

Following the completion of the North American headlining tour, AMON AMARTH will embark on a month-long European tour as hand-picked support for thrash metal titans Slayer and the band’s “Unholy Alliance Chapter III” tour. Also appearing on the tour will be Mastodon and Trivium (an admat for the tour can be accessed at this location). AMON AMARTH will also play four shows at Zeche in Bochum, Germany in late December under the banner "Bloodshed Over Bochum". The band will play one of its first four albums in its entirety each night along with a "best-of" mix from "Fate of Norns" (2004), "With Oden On Our Side" (2006) and Twilight of the Thunder God. A full listing of upcoming AMON AMARTH tour dates follows this message.

Additionally, Metal Blade has launched a special multi-media website to advance Twilight of the Thunder God. The website features a video diary from the studio and regular installments of an AMON AMARTH “comic strip” featuring the band, which will later see print as one piece. The comic is being penned by well-known artist Lucio Parrillo (known for his cover art and character design for video games and role play games such as Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Magic, Hecatomb, etc.) and is based upon Twilight of the Thunder God and includes “everything a fine bloodshed is supposed to have.” Check out the site now at this location.

AMON AMARTH features Johan Hegg (vocals), Johan Söderberg (guitar), Olavi Mikkonen (guitar), Ted Lundström (bass) and Fredrik Andersson (drums).

“the Viking war metal of AMON AMARTH is limitless” – VILLAGE VOICE

“Vikings are totally metal, dude. Enslaved may have taken a classy approach to Nordic mythology, but nobody sings songs about life as a Viking with as much fervor as AMON AMARTH.” – DECIBEL

“ultra-fast picking of single string melody-riffs against matching power chords… pure sonic mayhem” – POPMATTERS

“AMON AMARTH continue to be champions of the worldwide death metal tournament.” –ALL MUSIC

“AMON AMARTH are Viking Metal's flag bearers. They lay on very thick mid-tempo grooves with some of the most memorable melody lines. Go forth and conquer..." – CRUSTCAKE

“Viking metal rules!” – CLEVELAND SCENE

AMON AMARTH tour dates:
North American Twilight of the Thunder God Tour (w/ support from Ensiferum, Belphegor and The Absence)
October 1 Anaheim, CA House of Blues (w/ Ensiferum only)
October 2 Los Angeles, CA The Avalon
October 3 San Francisco, CA Slim's
October 4 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theater
October 5 Seattle, WA El Corazon
October 6 Vancouver, BC Croatian Cultural Centre
October 8 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room
October 9 Calgary, AB The Warehouse
October 10 Regina, SK Riddell Centre
October 11 Winnipeg, MB The Garrick Centre
October 12 St. Paul, MN Station 4
October 13 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
October 15 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
October 16 Montreal, QC Le Medley
October 17 Quebec City, QC Theatre Imperial
October 18 Worcester, MA The Palladium
October 19 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero
October 20 New York, NY The Fillmore
October 21 West Springfield, VA Jaxx

'The Unholy Alliance: Chapter III' European Tour’ (w/ SLAYER, TRIVIUM, AMON AMARTH, MASTODON)
October 27 Manchester, England Manchester Arena
October 28 Birmingham, England NEC
October 30 London, England Hammersmith Apollo
October 31 London, England Hammersmith Apollo
November 2 Cardiff, Wales CIA 7000
November 3 Glasgow, Scotland SECC Hall 3
November 5 Offenbach, Germany Stadthalle
November 6 Köln, Germany Palladium
November 7 Amsterdam, Holland Heineken Music Hall
November 9 Stuttgart, Germany Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
November 10 Winterthur, Switzerland Eishalle Deutweg
November 11 Paris, France Le Zenith
November 12 Antwerp, Belgium Sportpaleis/Lotto Arena
November 16 Wein, Austria Gasometer
November 18 München, Germany Zenith
November 19 Berlin, Germany Columbiahalle
November 22 Gothenburg, Sweden Lisebergshallen (AMON AMARTH as direct support to Slayer, Mastodon opens)

AMON AMARTH’s "Bloodshed Over Bochum"
(* The band will play one of the first four albums in its entirety each night along with a "best-of" mix from "Fate of Norns" (2004), "With Oden On Our Side" (2006) and the upcoming album *)
December 28 "Once Sent From The Golden Hall" (1998) Bochum, Germany Zeche
December 29 "The Avenger" (1999) Bochum, Germany Zeche
December 30 "The Crusher" (2001) Bochum, Germany Zeche
December 31 "Versus The World" (2002) Bochum, Germany Zeche
www.amonamarth.com
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