[ATTENDED: May 24, 2019] Amon Amarth
I was aware of Amon Amarth but really didn’t know anything about them. I had no idea that they were Vikings from Sweden! Or that their name came from J.R.R. Tolkien (but I should have guessed that).
I had left the seats after Cannibal Corpse and when I came back, there was a ship on the stage! And the backdrop had been replaced by this giant warrior dude.
I had listened to Amon Amarth a few days before the show, so I had an idea of what they were about–heavy riffs and lots of chanting. Lead singer Johan Hegg was something of a growler, but the lyrics were pretty audible. They were quite different from Cannibal Corpse.
First out was drummer Jocke Wallgren (they’ve had a lot of drummers since they formed in 1992). Then the rest of the band followed.
Finally singer Johan Hegg came out with a horn on his belt and a swagger in his walk.
Their first album came out in 1998, but the oldest song they played was from 2004–they opened with “The Pursuit of Vikings.” (Hey! Hey Hey!)
There were a lot of people here for Amon Amarth. I talked to a guy later in the night who drove up from North Carolina specifically for Amon Amarth (he has a friend in Philly so it’s not totally outrageous). They did not disappoint at all.
They employed some pillars of smoke. Most of the band climbed aboard the ship at some point. Every time Hegg raised his devil horns, the crowd was eager to respond in kind. There was also a lot of crowd surfing.
I had tickets on the right side facing the stage (for Kerry King later that night) but that seems to have been the place where all of the lead guitarist were stationed, because I was able to watch some great soloing form Olavi Mikkonen (who looks like a Viking himself).
Even though their latest album Berserker just came out, this was not a venue for trying out new songs. They played fan favorites “Decever of the Gods and “As Loke Falls” from 2013. But of course they played new songs as well. When he introduced the new song “Crack the Sky” the guy behind me was just as excited fro the ne album as for any of the older songs and it sounded immense.
Their 2016 album Jomsviking was a concept album and was a bit more anthemic (I gather). According to Setlist, “The Way of Vikings” was a tour debut (which is odd for the second to last night of the tour). But if I knew the songs already, I’d have been pretty psyched. (Faster stronger. Fight until your dying breath!).
And then “First Kill” was completely intense.
The first man I killed was the earl’s right-hand man
When he came to take her away
I ran his own sword straight through his throat
And then I stood there, watching him fall
The band left for a moment until Hegg returned with a giant hammer. As he raised it and waved it around, the crowd got more and more amped up until he finally slammed it down signalling the start of “Twilight of the Thunder God.” from 2008.
Up next was the biggest anthem of the night, “Raise Your Horns.” And indeed, Hegg did raise his horn and drank out of it. This song is a tribute to the fallen, which was especially apt on this Memorial Day weekend. We raised our devil horns along with his horn and sang along to this very catchy song.
I see that I don’t really have any pictures of the other band members–they were mostly a blur of hair. But I did notice about midway through the set that a little girl was sitting on the side of the stage. She didn’t look like anyone in the band, so I’m not sure who she was with (she stayed for Lamb of God too), but during one of the final songs, Hegg gave her a fist bump.
Their whole set was a lot of fun, although I’m sure I would have liked it more if I knew their songs better. The lyrics are simple enough and if I were in high school I would have listened to this band nonstop, encouraged by tales of Viking conquest! And I would have sung along to every word at this show.
SETLIST
- The Pursuit of Vikings §
- Deceiver of the Gods ⊗
- As Loke Falls ⊗
- Crack the Sky ß
- The Way of Vikings ℑ
- First Kill ℑ
- Twilight of the Thunder God ⇓
- Raise Your Horns ℑ
- Shield Wall ß
- Guardians of Asgaard ⇓
ß = Berserker (2019)
ℑ = Jomsviking (2016)
⊗ = Deceiver of the Gods (2013)
⇓ = Twilight of the Thunder God (2008)
§ = Fate of Norns (2004)
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