Amulet

Amulet is a Norwegian hardcore band from Oslo that is active from 1993 to 2007. The band forms in 1993 and develops from a three-piece line-up built around Torgny Amdam on vocals and drums, Lars Rasmussen on guitar, and Arne Haabeth on bass. It later becomes associated with a fast, old-school hardcore sound that also draws on punk, heavy metal, and more melodic elements from its early releases.

Early releases and stylistic change

The band records its first demo in 1993 after the members begin borrowing records from one another and working together. Its first official releases, the self-titled debut and the Engrave EP, lean toward emo before the style is widely defined as a genre. Lars Rasmussen’s guitar work is a notable feature of this period, with intricate but direct playing that points toward the band’s later direction.

Amulet then shifts toward a harder and more aggressive style, shaped by 1980s hardcore. The Diamond 7-inch from 1997 marks this change with a fast hardcore track ending in a mosh part, and Truls Berg joins on drums, adding precision and power. By the time of the Life on the Edge of Chaos 7-inch in 1998, the band plays a harder, more immediate sound that also includes classic rock and heavy metal elements. Jay Torres joins on bass before those recordings.

Albums and collaborations

In 1999 the band records The Burning Sphere with producer duo Schreiner/Møller, made up of Knut Schreiner, also known as Euroboy from Turbonegro, and Anders Møller, who has played in Euroboys and the punk band Anal Babes. The album is released on S2 Records and includes songs such as “Won’t Hold Back,” “Adore,” and “Out of the Blue.” It gains attention in the Norwegian music press for its speed and intensity. Around this period, drummer Jonas Thire is a member, and guitarist Espen Follestad, formerly of Sportswear, joins, adding more guitar dynamics and backing vocals.

For Freedom Fighters, recorded in late 2000 with producer Marius Bodin, the band aims for a different kind of hardcore record. Andreas, known as the vocalist of JR Ewing, joins on bass. The album includes guest appearances from US soul singer Tracee Meyn and the vocal group Charmed, and it mixes hardcore, punk, and metal with a more experimental approach. It is released on MNW in Scandinavia and Bitzcore elsewhere, and later reissued by Sony Music Norway under Columbia with bonus material. The album includes “Naked Eye,” “Profane Wishes,” and other tracks that show the band moving between aggression, melody, and rock influences.

Recognition and later work

Amulet receives the special Jury Prize at the Norwegian Alarm Awards in 2002. The band also gets six out of six for its live performance at by:Larm, the Norwegian industry fair, and continues to build a live reputation through touring and festival appearances. It tours England with Give Up The Ghost and travels in Germany and the US west coast with Turbonegro in 2003.

In 2005 the band records All That Is Solid Melts Into Air with Swedish producers Pelle Henricsson and Eskil Lövström, known for work with Refused, Poison the Well, and Hell Is For Heroes. The recordings take place after pre-production in Oslo and continue at Tonteknik Recording in Umeå. The group records the songs with all musicians playing together on each take, and the album presents a direct hardcore sound that also reflects the band’s earlier melodic side.

Final years

Amulet plays its final show at the Øya Festival in 2007. After the band ends, drummer Jonas continues as a drummer in Silver, and Torgny Amdam starts a solo project called Torgny.