Viking Metal. That should tell you everything you need to know about Amon Amarth. Powerful, imposing, and heavy as all hell, with lyrical themes centered around Norse mythology and Viking lore, Amon Amarth is a pure beast. I remember first hearing their classic "The Crusher" and thinking it might have been the heaviest metal album i'd ever heard. The band, who take their name from J.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth, have been destroying audiences since the early 90's, playing a unique brand of metal that can only be called their own. While they don't consider themselves Viking metal (frontman Johan Hegg considers them to be a death metal band), the label is somewhat fitting, at least from a lyrical standpoint. Tonight the band will be playing a set at Rochesters infamous, Water Street Music Hall. What could surely be the most crushing show this year is a must for metal fans, especially since this season has been a dry-spell for lovers of the genre. Shows at 7. Tickets are $25.

Amon Amarth - Guardians Of Asgaard by Oden