Amon Amarth was in town for not one, but two consecutive nights at the MTELUS. After selling out the first show in a few days, the Vikings didn’t have any other choice than to add another night for their Montreal fans. Since my first Amon Amarth concert in 2010, I’ve never missed them, and they are the first death metal band that I truly fell in love with. There is something so melodic and epic about their sound that it’s almost impossible to stay still when listening to Amon Amarth. They are even better in concert, and their stage choreographies, even if simple, are extremely fun and add to the general ambiance. Touring behind their eleventh album called ‘Berserker’, they once again proved that they are a force to reckon with and they brought along a few friends to create the ultimate Sweden metal night.
I sadly missed Grand Magus, but arrived right in time for At the Gates. I was very impressed with their set: I knew them only by reputation, but they didn’t disappoint. Their music was the perfect appetizer for the main event, and their violent, intense and technical performance surely gained them a few new fans.
Arch Enemy was up next, and damn were they good. Even if the show was not billed as a co-headline, it was clear that, in the fans’ minds, it was the case. They played an eight song set perfectly. Their music is a great mix of classic 80’s metal riffs and the aggressiveness of death metal. The fans reacted strongly to every song and the pit was very active for the whole performance. Originally from Montreal, their singer Alissa White-Gluz talked to crowd in French and gave a great performance. Her costumes and stage presence were impressive, and it’s quite easy to understand why the band chose her to replace their former singer. She is truly the perfect fit for this band.
The crowd was now beyond pumped, and it was time for the Vikings to take the battlefield by force. The drum kit was placed on top of a giant Viking helmet and numerous backdrops were used to immerse you into their world. Once again, they did not disappoint. Amon Amarth has become the ultimate death metal party band and to see them perform is to become a member of their family. Few bands have that ability to gather people from different metal backgrounds and unite them into one giant fist.
They opened with a perfect rendition of their latest single ‘Raven’s Flight’ and quickly went into one of their bigger hits, ‘Runes to My Memory’. People were jumping, headbanging, moshing and drinking like there was no tomorrow. Their lead singer Johan Hegg spoke to the crowd a few times and every interaction was genuine. The crowd toasted with him before ‘Raise Your Horns’ and then people started rowing during the solo. Witnessing a thousand people sitting down on the beer and sweat covered floor to pretend being in a Viking ship is truly a sight to be seen!
They closed the set with their anthem ‘Twilight of the Thunder God’, as Hegg was fighting a dragon with Thor’s hammer while the rest of the band was offering a perfect rendition of the song. The only downside was the short set time. They only played twelve songs and even if the other bands were amazing , I felt the night had ended abruptly. Still, I got out of the venue with a big smile, wishing I could afford tickets for the second night to get my full Amon Amarth fix.
Amon Amarth Setlist:
1. Raven’s Flight
2. Runes to My Memory
3. Deceiver of the Gods
4. First Kill
5. Fafner’s Gold
6. Crack the Sky
7. The Way of Vikings
8. Shield Wall
9. Guardians of Asgaard
10. Raise Your Horns
Encore
11. The Pursuit of Vikings
12. Twilight of the Thunder God
Arch Enemy Setlist:
1. The World Is Yours
2. War Eternal
3. My Apocalypse
4. Ravenous
5. The Eagle Flies Alone
6. First Day in Hell
7. As the Pages Burn
8. Nemesis
At the Gates Setlist:
1. To Drink from the Night Itself
2. Slaughter of the Soul
3. At War with Reality
4. The Colours of the Beast
5. Cold
6. Heroes and Tombs
7. Death and the Labyrinth
8. Blinded by Fear
9. The Night Eternal
Grand Magus Setlist:
1. I, the Jury
2. Dawn of Fire
3. Like the Oar Strikes the Water
4. Iron Will
5. Hammer of the North
He currently works in the video game industry while continuing to write music with his own band.
- Album Review: Sons of Apollo – MMXX - January 17, 2020
- Max's Top 5 Albums and Shows of 2019 - January 6, 2020
- Album review: Jack Broadbent – Moonshine Blue - December 9, 2019