Amon Amarth: "War of the Gods" Lesson (Part 1)

Check out www.guitarworld.com/amon-amart... for the rest of this exclusive Guitar World lesson!

This video is bonus content related to the July 2011 issue of Guitar World. For full print reviews, lesson tabs and more, you can find the July 2011 Guitar World in our online store here secure.nps1.net/guitarworld/in...

In this series of videos, Johan Söderberg and Olavi Mikkonen from Amon Amarth stopped by the Guitar World offices to film an exclusive video lesson for us. In video one, the guys talk about their gear set-up and show you how to play the intro to "War of the Gods," the opening track to their new album Sulfur Rising.

[@MetalFusion337]

Seriously? Theses guys are some of the nicest, talented musicians in the metal world today and half the people on here are bashing them because of the way they speak and look....Seriously???

[@TheOriginalCFA1979]

Yeah, how dare those guys speaking english as a second language have accents! Guaranteed all the people bashing them for their english only speak one language, probably poorly.

[@nckhed]

@@TheOriginalCFA1979 Oh, boo-hoo. 🤷‍♂️

[@uome20bukz]

@@nckhed shut up

[@user-uv4ci5bv3z]

Рот не заткнёшь ни кому,хрен с ними

[@nemethadam8125]

Words, and speaking are not for vikings

[@MrThrashmetal13]

+Németh Ádám only runes

[@nemethadam8125]

They are also pretty impressive at burning churches

[@jamesturley1980]

Or for people whose first language isn't English.

[@nckhed]

@@nemethadam8125 Funny how'd they never touch a single mosque or synagogue. 🙄

[@Max_Kleiber]

i love how humble they are... awesome guys. glad i had the opportunity to meet them.

[@AadityaRoy]

Toki and skiwsgaar

[@thrashTele]

Saw them live. Killer show.. these guys are amazing, great sound.

[@MrThrashmetal13]

3:13 when you're trying hard not to laugh in a serious situation

[@MrBlooddrunkcobhc]

Johan was really cool when I met him. really nice guy!

[@dampndrookit]

I love these guys and the whole band! I truly appreciate them for taking the time to do this video.

[@Metalviking18]

Such kickass guitarists, they're not comparing on who's better than who they're just the type of team work guys, they really seem down to earth guys, I would love to meet them🔥🔥🤘🤘

[@Giogiogio4]

these guys are awesome. They dont "try" to hard anything. They go out on stage and play and kick some ass. Then have fun after the shows with their fans. I got both their picks from the 2 shows i went to and gladly they signed them. I even had a few drinks with them.

[@stiann4p]

3:13 dat grin on his face though.

[@MikeWeikath]

aww he's having fun :D

[@AceAskin]

I love these guys and their music! MORE MORE MORE

[@Thehideby]

I love coming from sweden and being able to be proud of awesome guys like these :)

[@m47kr3nt0n]

Put these dudes on a set of Game of Thrones, they'll blend in immediately.

[@Dude13450]

Idk about the others but vocalist Johan Hegg was cast in a movie (Northmen: A Viking Saga)

[@eyymile]

That whole intro is just so awkward hahaha I love these guys.

[@KrakenIsMahB]

man, i love their explorers, looks amazing

[@MariusHS]

These guys just broke the down to earth world record.

[@grebbcakes5355]

I like how olavi just looks really sad as well xD

[@SKULLEDBUICK]

Just came here from a black veil brides guitar lesson for some reason. But anyway amon amarth has HEALED my ears!!!

[@MultiLioNik]

Hahahaha I love the way they just talk about random stuff . They look so nervous hahha I guess that the interviewers were like : '' Introduce yourself tell us a bit about yourself '' and they got all nervous and started talking about random things without making any sense haha lol reminded me of myself when I was younger xD ( they play really good though )

[@malkhaz.jokhadze]

+lio nik yes i like the way they natually explainthe song :D very focused and nervous :D

[@MultiLioNik]

haha yeah.

[@geraldwayne8383]

no

[@MultiLioNik]

Gerald Wayne why ?

[@rjc7289]

You'd be nervous too if English wasn't your native language. All things considered, I think they did okay.

[@smacman68]

To GW: great friggin' choice! THIS is the formula to success. Fresh faces that are talented and explain things in a clear, precise way. I truly got something I can use the first time I watched it. Like having Alexi and Roope showing BloodDrunk. Excellent.

[@sixstringfretter]

Olavi has his pickup selector taped in place. Looks like the center position, which is both pickups on. That gives him a much wider tone for chords.

[@rodrigomiranda9698]

Sooooooooooooooooo GENERIC!!

[@AdrianoWotan]

great band they are. very cool!

[@EndOfFlesh666]

Their sound in this video is awesome actually.

[@milehightransformation9550]

This is awesome

[@AleexSolanoo]

I want Olavi Mikkonen guitar sooooo badly!

[@SwenekRXV]

Sounds Nice ^^ i like your guitars

[@L1k3ThiSS]

so godlike... AMON AMARTH !! I LOVE YOU !!!

[@Coldretter]

this is badass to the max. they even have viking names

[@Kaffekopable]

"It was made by a guy in Stockholm called "Airbrushed Studio Stockholm"" :P

[@MrThrash4life]

Lmfao

[@GeorgeAllynBrenneman]

Never! You wish you could be as awesome as Amon Amarth

[@gexxon917]

Made by Sana,one of the Vikings we use on stage?! Use.On.Stage....WTF mate?

[@JustAGamerA]

They are Swedish. English is not their first language.

[@HeinrichVonOetker]

I had a chuckle when he said that. I almost pissed myself when reading this comment though.

[@mutlukats]

JustAGamerA The guy who said that, Olavi Mikkonen, is actually Finnish.

[@Kanglar]

+GexxOn They use actors who play vikings on stage during their live shows. I think that's what he meant, made perfect sense to me.

[@Tie4821]

And we are Amon Amarth :)

[@iheartLouis1]

Thank you Dethklok!

[@notmrbill]

Olavi's guitar is awesome

[@JiminyStudio]

thats so epic riff

[@markymarc180579]

killer song, check out the other two parts of the video.

[@antics2121]

Sometimes simple is best. I really like this it's catchy

[@lugwid1984]

amazing guitars..........

[@denyves050]

where can i found you're lesson for pursuit of vikings ??:p part 2 ??

[@amonamarthrules1742]

Olavi is so fucking awesome

[@SuperAlittlebitcrazy]

I love amon amarth!

[@thepieguylol]

Skwissgaar Squigelf taller than a tree

[@DropdaLTDtoB]

D'addario. I've never tried them but so many bands love them for detuning and big gauges.

[@1nsaneInTheBrain]

i fucking love those guys!

[@skate182pds]

nice!!!!

[@itsbreadbin]

Their guitars are amazing, want xD

[@synchroflip123]

this guys make the real deal of viking metal

[@DropdaLTDtoB]

i'm not sure i've heard a guitar tone as good as Amon Amarth's sound in a lot of years. mixing a classic guitar with a modern high gain head obviously works well, especially for this sort of band. having the natural aggression from the explorer pickups would give them the perfect swedish death metal tone.

[@cacon56]

can anyone tell me what string they use? i really couldnt quiet understand, my audio isnt the best

[@gaarasabaku1]

I LOVE THIS EXPLORER VIKING DRAGON GUITAR, MY GOD, I NEED IT!!!

[@haleylindemann]

i love em

[@marwan_militia]

awesome!! thank you Guitar World for give this lesson!! Next time if you would, please bring Alexi Laiho of CoB or Abbath of Immortal!! They are both good guitarist...

[@LeeChavezMusic]

Finally! A good band!

[@MeanMonsta99]

Does anyone know of you can buy the Viking dragon guitar and if so can you tell me where?

[@ozpunka]

Cool gonna try learn this

[@smokerain8992]

oz punk how's the learning going?

[@ozpunka]

Not so good not right frame mood being surgery in 3 days

[@jjohn1551]

this band makes my life complete -.-

[@andaferyanodefer]

I LOVEEEEEEE AMON AMARTH AND SURTUR FIRES \M/

[@SmidsMusic]

Yesterday I bought their album and I fucking love it!! \m/

[@somebodym2967]

what kind of strings did they say they use?

[@Branovix]

King Diamond FTW!

[@Xamarth1]

My guitar heroes!!!

[@GraysonDean1990]

@Carnifex11100 it's not always about who plays more (or difficult) solos. I think, it's more about who contributes the most. Olavi pretty much wrote all songs up until the Oden Album. Johan S. started contributing starting the Twlilight. But Johan S. also writes kick ass songs like Live For the Kill.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

These guys are what Brendon Small must have modeled the Swedish metal guys on Metalocalypse after! Toki and Skwisgaar would be proud.

[@gameman404]

I regonize from olavis voice that hes finish, and he got an badass shirt! King Diamond yeaah!

[@caandca]

love the way they laugh at everything!

[@roodbrood]

Underbar!! Ja har en Gibson Explorer :-) When you guys will play in Motreal

[@TheGoodBoy9797]

What did he say about the kind of strings they use?

[@BruceWillisiscool]

even though they have a real muddy sound, I still love it

[@swedisheinherjer]

They are very cool guys but why does Ola have black tape on the tip where the pick-selector is located :p

[@oddgreen]

Hahah Johan's smile when he says slow motion XD

[@ThePitbull166]

Where are these guys from?

[@straightupballin3]

Turn on closed captions and have the best laugh you'll ever have.

[@gijsvanmoll9473]

what was the name of the strings?

[@lordofmadness1]

@vikingsreturn and that 3 times they talk to you like in this video?

[@GuitaristBoi9]

3.08 Do you reallize the guy behind is still playing while the music stop??

[@Philnyethemetalguy]

this song was INSANE live, holy shit XD

[@Jake_Mobley14]

what were the strings he said?

[@Thekingofthecrux]

@Valcarion well, after watching some of the bands vids i have to say the have chops. their style of playing isn't very complicated, doesn't really have that initial wow factor but it is damn solid. i mean, twilight of the thunder god is sick. simple, but sick

[@Drsimmonsphd666]

What kind of strings did he say?

[@TrebleMidBass]

yeee 5150 awsome love these guys.

[@zgf12345]

so Whats the gauge of strings 12-56 ?

[@Valcarion]

@Thekingofthecrux Aye. It's the same principle used in the blues. It doesn't matter how much you say, or how intricately wordy you say it, but what you say, and the feeling we get from you saying it. Amon Amarth fits that perfectly. Simple, but sick.

[@codyandcambria]

I wonder if they are going to start using the baritone explorers now that they are out, or the 7 strings?

[@MikeBassil]

@IhasMetal the rest of it is on their website

[@EnglishSteel2347]

@gibsonfan3 Certainly agree. Their tutorial is good and playing is tight as a whip, as usual.

[@speedtomas]

Why these people just criticize these guys on how they speak, they just did an awesome guitar lesson

[@20CentFish]

olavi's guitar is awesome

[@alperenkartall]

Söderberg forever

[@ChriZyman]

At First i thought " Damn, Skwisgaar Skwigelf got Fat, huh ?"

[@GraysonDean1990]

@MRMOOD3 u've really gotta check them out live. Believe me, they kick ass.

[@imnicksadler]

the guy on the left's got a beautiful set of moobs there ;D

[@Vegane_Atombombe]

How many gods do i have to fight to get Söderberg's Gibson Explorer? Somebody please tell me!!!

[@Arche7ype]

What pickups in their guitars?

[@HYNEK1108]

I need same:( probably he says “pickups is a original one”

[@caioromans]

very interesting. I know not something about music, but it seemed, for me , that the brown haurs one was only a supporter. They had played it together, I didn't understood anything, and now I like amon amarth more than before

[@Dilidjent]

.......For me it was very nise cover (lesson) ^^

[@fdevaz]

lesson starts at 2:33

[@dtk1994]

@BFMVFREAK2010 Where do you live? I want to send you a Dictionary.

[@pujanjoshi9533]

What their name again?