by Andy Hinds

With Versus the World, Amon Amarth return with another terrain flattening, Viking-obsessed death metal platter. Vocalist Johan Hegg alternates between a whispery low rumble and an upper-register shriek, both of which are surprisingly able to render the lyrics quite intelligible at times. What's possibly most impressive about Versus the World is the ebb and flow of the record; there is an engaging variety of moods, tempos, and textures that is lacking from the work of many similar bands. The songs are truly songs, which are thoughtfully arranged and manage to deliver melody, and even beauty, along with moments of extreme brutality.