Name Michael Amott
More from Spin:
- Dua Lipa Welcomes Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker In Sydney
- Mumford & Sons Announce Summer North American Tour
- Sex Pistols Reload For First North American Tour Since 2003
Best known for Making a lot of strange faces while soloing? Basically, I turned making noise into a career.
Current city Tokyo, Japan on a promotional visit!
Really want to be in Honestly looking forward to being back on tour soon and waking up in a new city every day!
Excited about Releasing our 12th Arch Enemy album Blood Dynasty on March 28 and returning to North America in April for our first tour there in three years.
My current music collection has a lot of Metal and punk from all over the world, mostly from the ‘80s.
And a little bit of Reggae (Bad Brains!).
Preferred format I’m a music junkie, and I’ll take it in any shape or form I can. Vinyl records were what I had as a kid and teenager (along with tapes), and they certainly hold sentimental value for me. I’m okay with CDs, though, and I stream a lot nowadays since I’m often on the go, traveling somewhere.
5 Albums I Can’t Live Without:
1
Sarabande, Jon Lord
Some of my earliest musical memories are of sitting with my mother, listening to her record collection. She was a devoted classical music lover and wanted me to be one too, and for a while, I was. But among her carefully curated selections, there was one album that stood out: a solo record by Deep Purple’s keyboardist, Jon Lord. The way it blended rock, progressive elements, and classical influences captivated me. The baroque themes were breathtaking, and I’m quite certain this album and even the guitar work on this album (performed by a pre-The Police Andy Summers) has influenced my own music.
2
Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing, Discharge
“The blast wave from a thermonuclear explosion has been likened to an enormous door slamming in the depths of hell…” [from the album’s 10th track, “The Possibility of Life’s Destruction”] This album profoundly shaped my musicianship and life, and even now, listening to it feels almost ceremonial. The raw intensity of their wall-of-sound approach is still astonishing. The impact of Discharge is immeasurable really, as they paved the way for speed metal, thrash, death, grind, black metal, and hardcore punk (d-beat!). For so many of us, this record was the gateway. If you want to understand the roots of extreme music, start here.
3
Kill ‘Em All, Metallica
I’ll never forget the first time I encountered this band. It was through a phone interview with Lars Ulrich on Danish radio, he was speaking in his native Danish, and after the call, the DJ spun “Metal Militia” and “Motorbreath.” The moment I heard those songs, I was floored. The intensity, the speed, the sheer precision, it was a revelation! From that point on, I was on a mission to find their LP. Imagine going from record store to record store, asking for Metallica, and nobody had a clue who they were! When I finally got my hands on Kill ‘Em All, it cemented them as my favorite band for years. That record remains one of the most powerful debuts ever.
4
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Black Sabbath
Getting into Sabbath in the ‘80s was one of the most exciting times I can recall as a music fan, traveling back and through time with their discography was amazing. Today I feel this—their 5th studio album—represents a peak in their creativity, musical evolution, and production quality. The album blends crushing riffs with softer, more melodic moments and complex arrangements, all while still maintaining their signature heavy riffs.
5
Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, Candlemass
This album hit me hard in 1986, a time when I was obsessed with speed and aggression in my music. In stark contrast, it seemed to be aiming for something completely different—slow somber heaviness and a dark, epic atmosphere. I fell in love with it, and I still regard it as one of the best Swedish albums ever. In an odd twist of fate, I ended up playing on a Candlemass album years later.
To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.
