California's Exmortus and Sweden's Amon Amarth are kindred metal spirits. Both bands' discographies are heavy as mountains and bulging with epic tales of bloody battlefields and warriors dealing death with forged steel. While both are great, Exmortus is by far superior—their musicianship is otherworldly. The guitar work of Jadran "Conan" Gonzalez and David Rivera on their recently released full-length, Ride Forth, is classically influenced and impressively masterful. The intricate, lightning-fast riffs are a marvel to behold, and leave the listener wondering if their next record could possibly be as dazzling. It's not that Amon Amarth are bad; they're just crippled by their lack of evolution. Their 10th and newest effort, Jomsviking, is a solid, bangable record, but production quality aside, it's virtually interchangeable with their previous nine. The heroic riffs, predictable tempos, and monstrously growled tales of Vikings, fjords, and Odin have regrettably gone stale—evolve or bore. ARIS HUNTER WALES