Renowned for their stoic adherence to their Viking-themed take on melodic death metal, Amon Amarth have worked tirelessly for two decades but are only now beginning to reap the rewards. A vast improvement on 2011's Surtur Rising, Deceiver of the Gods finds the Swedes in an unusually ambitious mood. Their sound remains sturdy and instantly recognisable, but amid the scything riffs, Maidenesque lead guitar melodies and pummelling kick drums that drive the likes of Blood Eagle and As Loke Falls, there are subtle indications that Amon Amarth are defining themselves anew. On the stately and ominous Under Siege and majestic, labyrinthine closer Warriors of the North, frontman Johan Hegg's snarled tales of Viking folklore and ancient gods are brought vividly to life against music that revels in muscular intricacy and a near-chewable sense of drama. Meanwhile, when former Candlemass vocalist Messiah Marcolin pops up on the impossibly bombastic Hel, his unmistakable bellow adds another layer of portentous punch to what is plainly the finest album of this band's career.