The band emerged from the previous grindcore (or death metal)[1]band Scum, founded in 1988 by Paul "Themgoroth" Mäkitalo (Dark Funeral) on vocals, Olavi Mikkonen on lead guitar, Petri Tarvainen on bass and Vesa Meriläinen played on rhythm guitar.

Raw and uneven in sound and execution, it was never officially released due to low quality standards,[4][5] but the band caught the attention of extreme metal fans with its own "infectious brand of epic-sounding brutality and unadorned conviction".

Described as "a compelling fusion of buzzsaw riff work, melodic harmonies and soul-crushing rhythms punctuated by Hegg's callous black/death roar and accounts of Norse battles and treachery" it made sure Amon Amarth's popularity rose internationally.

[4] According to AllMusic, the song that bore the group's namesake was the most memorable, containing "the chaotic noises of battle, the screams of the dying, and much sword-clashing to boot.

[6] In June 1998, as the band was about to commence a tour alongside Deicide, Six Feet Under and Brutal Truth, guitarist Anders Hansson left and was replaced by Johan Soderberg.

Versus The World was released, alongside The Viking Edition, which contained a bonus CD with demos Thor Arise and Arrival Of The Fimbul Winter.

[6] The follow-up, With Oden on Our Side was released in 2006, and showed, (according to AllMusic) that "Amon Amarth continue to be champions of the worldwide death metal tournament"[8] and rose to #26 in the US Top Independent album charts.

[6] Amon Amarth embarked on a North American headlining tour in October 2008, with support from Ensiferum, Belphegor, and The Absence.

In between, Amon Amarth were named "Best Breakthrough Act" at Metal Hammer's prestigious Golden Gods Awards.

Amon Amarth played its first show in India, headlining the Deccan Rock Festival in Bangalore on 5 December 2009.

The album cover, according to the band, depicted Ragnarök, the last battle between the Æsir gods and Loki, accompanied by the army of the dead.

[17][18] On 19 March 2015, Amon Amarth posted on its Facebook page that it had parted ways with drummer Fredrik Andersson after 17 years of collaboration.

In an August 2017 interview at Bloodstock Open Air festival, guitarist Johan Söderberg stated that Amon Amarth would begin working on their eleventh studio album after the end of the Jomsviking tour.

"[22] In October 2017, Johan Hegg joined the DJ roster for Gimme Radio, promoting his involvement with Amon Amarth as well as his favorite music and playlists on the show, "Hammer of the North.

[24][25] On 7 January 2019, the band announced that they had finished recording their 11th studio album with producer Jay Ruston, tentatively due in the Spring.

Vocalist Johan Hegg stated that he waited for the music to be completed entirely before writing any lyrics, a different approach compared to previous albums.

[29] On 15 April 2019, Amon Amarth announced a headlining tour of North America to begin in September in support of Berserker alongside fellow Swedish bands Arch Enemy, At the Gates and Grand Magus.

Paired with the announcement of the album was a release of a music video for "Get in the Ring" featuring Erick Redbeard, a wrestler for AEW.

[35] Amon Amarth headlined 2022 the Great Heathen Tour of North America in November and December 2022, with support from Carcass, Obituary, and Cattle Decapitation.

When asked to comment on the band's genre, vocalist Johan Hegg remarked:We play death metal.

When we wrote the first song with Viking lyrics, we felt it was a topic that suited the music that we wanted to write really well...It was something different, as well, from a lot of other bands.

For us, it was to do something different, to stand out a little bit, to use those lyrics.Journalists have noted that, due to the co-opting of Viking and Norse mythology and symbolism by members of white supremacist or neo-Nazi groups (especially by metal bands with white supremacist or neo-Nazi members), Amon Amarth has sometimes been mistakenly assumed to be associated with such ideologies.

[17][42] As examples against such associations, Sophia DeBoick of The New European noted Hegg's disapproval of a Kentucky official's refusal to issue same-sex marriage licenses, as well as a disclaimer on the Grimfrost website which states that the company does not "approve the usage of cultural features or the symbolism of our forefathers in association with white supremacy, racial elitism or other forms of extremism.