As the old saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Well, thirteen records into a career filled obsessively with Vikings and Norse mythology, and the only result Amon Amarth expects to change is the number of listeners. Judging from their continuing rise in popularity, that’s pretty far from insanity.
Austrian black metal wizards Ellende are back with Zerfall (AOP Records), this time even more atmospheric but with stunning guitar work and a haze of melancholy, embossing their waves of scathing picking. The wrathful vocals are more scornful this time around. Halfway through “Wahrheit,” a melodic swathe of clean guitar with Folk elements emerges. It works from the melodic themes established in the song. If you are already a fan, the first song makes it clear you are getting what you want from them.