OLAVI MIKKONEN / AMON AMARTH

Swedish death metal band Amon Amarth have been marching purposefully from triumph to greater triumph for the last two decades. Formed amid the fertile Swedish metal scene in the mid ‘90s, these dedicated diehards brought a new sense of drama and destruction to the world of heavy music, propagating tales of Viking mythology and mortal combat over a devastating soundtrack of crushing rhythms, refined melody and rousing, rebellious refrains. From the release of their debut album Once Sent From The Golden Hall in 1998, Amon Amarth’s trajectory was firmly upward, as this band’s devotion to touring the world and spreading their inspirational creed began to resonate with ever-growing hordes of like-minded metalheads, first across Europe and then, in true Viking style, across the Atlantic and into North America.

With each successive album, Amon Amarth’s reputation grew; their arsenal of heroic hymns gaining strength and depth at the same time. Perhaps the most significant breakthrough came with cast-iron classic Twilight Of The Thunder God in 2008, wherein the band – vocalist Johan Hegg, guitarists Olavi Mikkonen Johan Söderberg, then drummer Fredrik Andersson and bassist Ted Lundström - seemed to perfect their formula of pulverizing, fists-in-the-air anthems and shift into a higher creative gear. The impact was immediate and vast, and since that moment they have been unstoppable, taking their explosive and exhilarating live show around the world many times over, and in front of ever-multiplying audiences.

Born:

Stockholm, Sweden

Did You Know?

Mikkonen also works as a carpenter when he’s off the road.

Influences:

W.A.S.P., Accept, Mercyful Fate, Motley Crue, Slayer, Death

Quotable:

“I started to play guitar in 1986. I never took any lessons or anything like that. I’ve never been into technical stuff or speed, to me the passion with playing guitar is to create songs and riffs.” - Olavi Mikkonen