Amon Amarth - Gods of War Arise (Sweden, 2006)
When I first heard this (2006?!), I was just amused by the Norse/Viking imagery, but many headbanging sessions later, this remains a classic for me. I don’t know melodic death metal very well, so this is my standard-bearer for the genre.
Always love me some Amorphis: https://yewtu.be/watch?v=vejIvfUFBMs