In J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium, Amon Amarth is another name for Mount Doom, the volcano in Mordor where the One Ring was forged. ∙ They trace their origins back to Swedish death metal band Scum. ∙ At age seven, lead singer Johan Hegg became fascinated with Viking history and mythology, which would later serve as inspiration for Amon Amarth’s music and lyrics. ∙ Amon Amarth kicked off the tour for their career-defining album Versus the World at Wacken Open Air, Germany’s legendary metal festival. ∙ Their 2006 album, With Oden on Our Side, was their first to crack the Billboard charts. ∙ In 2010, they received Best Breakthrough Act honors at Metal Hammer’s Golden Gods Awards.