The shield wall was a military tactic used frequently in ancient times and the early Middle Ages. Soldiers stood in formation shoulder to shoulder, holding their shields so they overlapped. This meant that each soldier benefited from the protection of his neighbors' armor as well as his own. The Vikings employed this formation, calling it a fylking. Vocalist Johan Hegg told Revolver magazine this stomping, anthemic call to arms is based on the Norsemen's battle tactic, "but it's also about sticking together in the face of adversity."
The rabble-rousing music video was directed by Phil Wallis, who was behind Amon Amarth's 2018 feature-length documentary The Pursuit of Vikings. The clip, which chronicles the plight of an enemy ship come to invade a Viking village, is a historically accurate portrayal of their battlefield tactic. The visual was shot on location in Wolin, Poland, site of the world-renowned annual Festival Of Slavs And Vikings.
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