originally written by Chris McDonald
While some may view the reissue of such a readily available album as Amon Amarth’s debut Once Sent From The Golden Hall as excessive, I for one am happy to see this underappreciated masterpiece getting more of the recognition it deserves. While not garnering nearly the widespread appeal and popularity of Versus The World and subsequent releases, this is one of Amon Amarth’s most intense and memorable albums, and is easily one of the best records to emerge from the Swedish melodic death metal explosion in the 90’s.
The songs are all (surprise) as thunderously heavy as Thor’s mighty hammer and filled with all manner of memorable hooks and leads, with the classic Amon Amarth melody of “Friends Of The Suncross” and the killer groove of “Abandoned” being just a couple of moments destined to become stuck on repeat in your brain. There is a good dose of the band’s slow ‘n heavy side here, particularly “Victorious March” and the iconic “Amon Amarth,” but what really makes this record stand out for me is the blistering nature of the faster songs. Amon Amarth have never completely shied away from speed by any means, but tracks like “Ride For Vengeance” and “Without Fear” really pummel you and get the blood pumping with their huge walls of galloping double-kicks and blazing guitar melodies, creating a harsh, almost blackened atmosphere. There’s something to be said for that indefinable youthful vigor captured on a fledgling outfit’s first few releases, and the eight songs on Once Sent From The Golden Hall rage with a fiery passion that the band would never quite be able to replicate in their later years, nor would they try to. But regardless of which era of Amon Amarth you like the most, there’s something for everyone to enjoy on this album, and it absolutely deserves a spot in the collection of any self-respecting melodic death metal fan.
The second disc of this reissue consists of a live show recorded in December of last year where the band played Once Sent… in its entirety. The live versions of the songs sound largely the same as their album counterparts, and the quality is excellent. While the visual element that made releases like the Wrath of The Norsemen DVD so entertaining is obviously absent, this recording still manages to effectively capture the energy of an Amon Amarth show and maintain the integrity of the source material at the same time. I will say that while the live tracks certainly make for an enjoyable listen or three, I can’t really recommend that fans who already own this album plunk down the cash for this reissue solely for this live recording when it’s basically a repeat of the album itself (except for some crowd noise and song introductions). But it’s certainly a nice bonus for first time buyers.
Even when re-examined six albums down the line, Once Sent From The Golden Hall features what is easily some of the best material Amon Amarth has written to date, and could very well be the record that converts those who view the band’s modern style as too simplistic and redundant. The bonus material may not be that necessary and the “re-mastered” songs sound virtually identical to the originals, but for anyone who has yet to hear this brilliant piece of epic melodic death metal in its entirety, this reissue is a mandatory purchase.
