Band:	Amon Amarth
Album:	Once Sent From The Golden Hall
Style:	Melodic death metal
Release date:	January 26, 1998
Guest review by:	Paganblood

Disc I
01. Ride For Vengeance
02. The Dragons' Flight Across The Waves
03. Without Fear
04. Victorious March
05. Friends Of The Suncross
06. Abandoned
07. Amon Amarth
08. Once Sent From The Golden Hall
09. Siegreicher Marsch [Victorious March German version] [2009 re-issue bonus]

Disc II [Strictly Limited "Pop-up" Edition Re-issue bonus]
[Live at Bloodshed Over Bochum, 28.12.2008]
01. Ride For Vengeance
02. The Dragons' Flight Across The Waves
03. Without Fear
04. Victorious March
05. Friends Of The Suncross
06. Abandoned
07. Amon Amarth
08. Once Sent From The Golden Hall

If anyone wants to listen to an album with catchy melodies and aggressive sound, Amon Amarth's "Once Sent From The Golden Hall" would be a very appropriate choice. Released in the year 1998, this is a perfect example of an album which represents the fusion of melody, aggression and speed ("speed" here refers to the fast guitars).

The opening track, "Ride For Vengeance," will have quite a good impression on the listener and will certainly get him in the mood to listen to the entire album. This song is followed by other songs which keep up the album's pace of the delivery of melodic riffs, solos and aggression. The vocals is the factor that makes the songs sound so aggressive, and, at times, brutal. I really appreciate Hegg's effort on the vocals, which, in my opinion, can energize and refresh the listener.

The guitars and drums are the main focus of this album. The songs are characterized by fast and melodic rhythms and riffs (except at certain slow parts, which appear timely). No clean guitars have been used throughout. One must listen to every solo carefully. The drums have increased the greatness of the album; although there are no blast beats the way the snare, cymbals, and bass drums are played in well-coordinated manner really suit the songs.

The song "Amon Amarth" is a slower one; nevertheless, it is very impressive. The songs here have life in them. You will understand what I mean better if you listen to songs like "Ride For Vengeance" and "Without Fear " in which one can imagine someone who is aggressively seeking vengeance or a wounded soldier whose voice reflects agony and pride at the same time when he listens to the vocals and the music.
All songs are "must-be-listened-to" in this album. This album will certainly be remembered as a great masterpiece album in melodic death metal genre, and anyone who hasn't listened to this album yet is indeed missing something great.