Amon Amarth has taken an unexpected turn with its first acoustic release, “Upphaf”. Rather than relying on the band’s trademark melodic death metal attack, the new track presents a stripped-down interpretation inspired by Norse storytelling. Built around haunting melodies and layered choral arrangements, the song captures the atmosphere of a tale shared around a longhouse fire, offering a different perspective on the band’s enduring fascination with Oden ahead of its next full-length studio album.
“Upphaf” was produced by Jacob Hansen and is available digitally through Metal Blade Records, accompanied by a music video directed by Pavel Trebukhin.
Since forming in 1992 in Tumba, Sweden, Amon Amarth has grown into one of metal’s biggest live acts. Over the years, the band has toured alongside Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, and Pantera, while also headlining its own major shows, including sold-out performances at The Forum in Los Angeles and Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver.
Festival appearances have played a major role in the band’s rise. Amon Amarth has headlined some of Europe’s biggest events, including a 2024 performance at Wacken Open Air in front of 85,000 fans. Louder described that show as “a 19-song masterclass in unbeatable, indefatigable force…a repertoire of songs that can conquer the biggest crowds on the planet,” highlighting the band’s reputation as one of metal’s premier live attractions. The group has also twice topped the bill at Bloodstock Open Air, appeared four times at Download Festival, and played Summer Breeze on eight occasions, six of those as headliners.
The band’s audience has continued to expand without moving away from the heaviness that built its reputation. Interest surrounding Amon Amarth‘s 2026 North American tour with Dethklok and Castle Rat reflects that continued momentum, attracting fans across multiple generations.
Commercially, Amon Amarth has maintained a strong presence on the charts. Jomsviking reached No. 1 in Germany, while both Berserker and The Great Heathen Army topped the U.S. Billboard Hard Rock Albums chart and the Canadian Billboard Top Current Albums chart. The Great Heathen Army also earned a Grammis nomination for Hard Rock/Metal Album of the Year.
Few modern metal bands have influenced concert culture the way Amon Amarth has with the now-famous Viking row. Widely believed to have started during the band’s 2009 appearance at Bloodstock Open Air, the tradition sees fans sitting on the ground and mimicking the rowing of a Viking longship together. The release of “Put Your Back Into The Oar” in 2022 further embraced the ritual, with frontman Johann Hegg saying: “We thought it was a good idea to write a song about The Row! This one is for you, the fans, wherever you are — and may Oden guide you as you row to your destiny in uncharted seas!”
The Viking row has since spread beyond Amon Amarth shows, appearing at concerts by other artists and even among crowds during the 2026 World Cup. Even so, video footage continues to point to Amon Amarth audiences as the origin of the now-recognized tradition.
More than three decades after the band’s formation, Amon Amarth remains built on the same sense of unity that has defined its career. That spirit is reflected in Johann Hegg‘s lyrics from last year’s “We Rule The Waves”:
“From cradle until the grave / As long as the sun sets in the west / We rule the waves / Our restless hearts / Have brought us far / As far as Vinland’s shores / We’ve gone further / Than any man has ever gone before.”
