On May 3rd, Amon Amarth will release their 11th full-length album, Berserker, via Metal Blade Records (North America) / Sony Music (International). Guitarist Olavi Mikkonen recently spoke with Duke TV about their new expectations while recording the album, the story behind the Berserker, their next live production, his love for video games and living a dream with the band.

Pre-order here, and watch the video for new single, "Crack The Sky", below.

Directed by Roboshobo, "Crack The Sky" is the second of a trilogy of music videos from Berserker (the first clip being "Raven's Flight"), each one increasingly epic in its scope, further immersing the viewer in the world of Amon Amarth. Much like the songs on Berserker, the videos present Amon Amarth to their fullest. The cast features Josh Barnett as "the Berserker"  and Erick Rowan as "Thor", Tess Kielhammer as "Demon Boss", Shanie Rusth as "Shield Maiden", Erik Arevalo, Victor Henry, and Canadian WWE legend Viktor as "Demon Henchman", and many more.

Comprising 12 monstrous heavy metal anthems that burst with melodic hooks, thrilling savagery, and spine-tingling drama, Berserker is the result of a huge surge of creativity and a collective desire to keep moving forward without compromise. From the explosive riffing of opener "Fafner's Gold" and the brutish simplicity of the rampaging "Crack The Sky" to the epic fury of "Raven's Flight" and the gritty storytelling of "Ironside" and "Skoll and Hati", Berserker is an album full of trademark Amon Amarth bluster and bite but with every aspect of the band's sound refined, sonically enhanced, and more potent - both in terms of metal oomph and emotional power. Capturing the spirit behind these new songs is the album's semi-title track, "The Berserker At Stamford Bridge": a visceral, vivid historical tale, recounting the Vikings last stand against the English army in 1066 and the mind-bending heroics of one axe-wielding warrior.

Showcasing an undeniable upgrade for every aspect of Amon Amarth's iconic sound, Berserker was recorded in Los Angeles with renowned studio guru Jay Ruston (Anthrax/Stone Sour) manning the controls. After recording several rounds of professional demos for the new songs (initially with fellow Swedish metal icon Peter Tägtgren and then later with Ruston himself) the band crossed the Atlantic to make final the recordings in LA, eager to take a fresh approach to the album-making process.

"For me, this is Amon Amarth 2.0," vocalist Johan Hegg declares. "I think what we've done here is give ourselves the space to explore other parts of our musicality and who we are as a band. If you're content with where you're at, what's the point of continuing? We always want to come up with new ideas and find new ways of doing things and to create bigger and better shows and really try to improve every aspect of what the band is. We want to try to keep growing and to do this for as long as we have the possibility to do so, because this is the best fucking job in the world."

Tracklisting:

"Fafner's Gold"
"Crack The Sky"
"Mjolner, Hammer Of Thor"
"Shield Wall"
"Valkyria"
"Raven's Flight"
"Ironside"
"The Berserker At Stamford Bridge"
"We Can Set Our Sails"
"When Once Again"
"Wings Of Eagles"
"Into The Dark"

"Raven's Flight" video:

Amon Amarth will head out on the road with Slayer, Lamb Of God, and Cannibal Corpse in North America, starting May 2. Formerly Bloodstock Open Air headliners, Amon Amarth return to the UK to play Download Festival in June, performing on the main stage on Sunday.

"Berserkers! We're raiding North America this September & October with our friends Arch Enemy, At The Gates and Grand Magus," states a message from Amon Amarth. "Come fight and feast with us and earn your seat in the great golden hall. Pre-sale & VIP Bundles are available. Tickets on-sale Friday, April 19 here."

Dates:

Sepember
26 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SODO
27 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
28 - Vancouver, BC - PNE Forum
30 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Convention Centre

October
1 - Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle
3 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
4 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
6 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theater
7 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theater
9 - Toronto, ON - Rebel
10 - Montreal, QC - M Telus
12 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom
13 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
15 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
16 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
18 - New Orleans, LA - The Fillmore
19 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues
20 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theatre
22 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
23 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues
25 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
26 - Los Angeles, CA - The Palladium