Battle Of The Covers: Round 1

Ouch.

This was just a random thought I had in response to an awesome cover that just recently surfaced.  Much in the spirit of March Madness, I thought it would be neat if there were some sort of "tournament" of metal covers.  This idea isn't new by any means but tournaments are things that just never seem to go out of style.  So with that in mind, I've decided to take the initial steps in creating what could become a beast of a tourney.  

Amon Amarth Announce Pillaging of North America

And so it is that your favorite viking metallers in Amon Amarth have officially announced their upcoming 2011 U.S. headlining tour.  Who will be opening for them, you ask?  The answer to that is nobody.  Get ready for "An Evening with Amon Amarth."  The band will be playing two different sets in each show, one being them playing their upcoming March 29th release of Surtur Rising in its entirety.  In a Metal Blade news release, drummer Fredrik Andersson elaborated: "We're really excited about the upcoming album, Surtur Rising. And what better way to showcase it by playing the full album on our first U.S. tour for Surtur Rising?! It's definitely a unique opportunity for our fans because not only will the album be performed live but a second set with material from our previous albums will take place. We want our fans to really experience AMON AMARTH."

Check out dates for the tour after the break.

New Amon Amarth Album Artwork

Let me just start out here by saying that album artwork is sooooo metal.  The famous viking metallers in Amon Amarth have just released new artwork and the track listing for their eight studio release, Surtur Rising.  The new album will be released March 29 via Metal Blade.  You can see the tracklisting below after the break.