“At dawn’s first light, run for your lives.”
Amon Amarth, the Swedish melodic death outfit known for their heavy use of viking imagery has released a music video for the song ‘At Dawn’s First Light.’ This is the second song to be released off their upcoming studio album Jomsviking, the first being ‘First Kill.’ The album will be coming out on March 25th via Metal Blade Records. It is currently available for pre-order here.
The video for ‘At Dawn’s First Light’ was produced by Rafal Szermanowkicz/Grupa 13 and directed by Darek Szermanowicz. It depicts the Jomsvikings laying absolute waste to a town, slaughtering everyone in their path. The band is present for most of the battle, and their physical condition throughout the video deteriorates greatly as they take blow after blow. They end up covered in gashes and the blood (possibly that of innocent townsfolk), and some even take up weapons. I thought vocalist Johan Hegg was intimidating enough as is, but watching him growl at me while brandishing a battleaxe, and seemingly undeterred by the arrow protruding from his torso should be enough to put the fear of the Jomsvikings in anyone. Seriously, watch the video to the very end.
Feel free to read up on the Jomsvikings at your own leisure. We were able to speak to Hegg about the album recently, so you might want to check that out as well because Jomsviking is the band’s first concept album. It revolves around the album’s namesake, the Jomsvikings, a group of mercenaries described by Hegg as:
“The Jomsvikings were a shadowy and legendary sect of Viking mercenaries, as shrouded in myth now as they were when they fought across Europe and the Middle East. Ruthless and deadly warriors who fought for the highest bidder, their code was simple: Show no fear. Never retreat. Defend your brothers, and when called upon, avenge their deaths. I felt we were finally ready to use their story as the jumping off point for an Amon Amarth 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.”
