Author: Sebastijan Videc
Photos: Nina Grad
Venue: Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Concert date: 04.05.2014
Attendance: 900
Ticket price: €25 presale, €28 on the day of the show
In May, the month of spring and love, the hottest Vikings on the heavy metal scene right now, Amon Amarth, decided to storm Ljubljana in their drakkar (read: tour bus). Sold-out tours across Western Europe, America and beyond had already raised big expectations the moment the show was announced, and in the last week the posts about the gig being almost sold out only underlined how much interest there is in this Swedish melodic death metal band. Mjölnir, Thor’s hammer, was definitely the main symbol of the evening, which kicked off in proper Viking style outside the hall entrance with huge amounts of beer and, as befits Vikings, mead.
You’ve got to warm up your neck muscles well before the main act to avoid pain in the days that follow, and from that standpoint, a good choice of support bands can make or break a concert night. The role of the first warm-up act this evening went to Paragoria from the Savinja region. The guys released their debut Decomposition of Mind in October and are currently presenting it at gigs all over Slovenia (report from Škofja Loka HERE). The big stage suited them well, as did the excellent light show and sound, and they made the most of it. Despite the criticism of their stiffness in the previous report, there was no sign of it this time. They served up their take on death metal with plenty of energy through their instruments, but unfortunately they suffered the fate of the opening act, like many before them. When they started, only a handful of people were in the hall, but luckily that handful cheered on the rising stars of the Slovenian death metal scene with real gusto.
The Czech death metal outfit Hypnos formed in 1999, after Bruno (bass, guitar, vocals) and Pegas (drums), both former members of the legendary Krabathor, decided to make their own music. After three albums and more than two hundred shows in the first half of the new millennium, Bruno and Pegas announced in 2006 that they were stepping away from the music scene for a while. The break ended after three years; in 2010 came a mini-CD and a comeback show at the legendary Czech festival Brutal Assault, followed in 2012 by the studio album Heretic Commando / Rise of the New Antikrist. The acoustic intro created a nicely dark mood in the hall, which was a little fuller this time, but the opening didn’t convince. Despite the band’s many years on the road, the performance came across as pretty static, and it seemed like they didn’t know how to use the stage, and especially the very good sound in the hall. The music sounded rather monotonous and plasticky, and the crowd only warmed up a little after a few songs, especially when Bruno addressed them with a few words of Slovenian. Most people will probably remember this set for his already thinning hair, fluttering in the breeze that a fan was busily whipping up under the mic stand.
March as one, don’t look back, Oden’s sons, ATTACK!!!
The chorus of We Shall Destroy from the latest record Deceiver of the Gods describes the show of the Scandinavian Viking war machine called Amon Amarth clearly and concisely. It’s been 22 years since the band formed, and even though they bear a Tolkien name, they’ve stuck to the world of Vikings and their gods lyrically from the very start. Their charismatic frontman insists vehemently that they don’t play so-called “Viking metal”, since in his view the Vikings didn’t listen to metal, but the fact remains – paganism and interest in Norse culture, history and religion have been growing for decades, and of all the bands that have picked this theme for their musical expression, Amon Amarth are currently the hottest. What does that mean in practice? On their last tour of North America, concert attendance was well over 90%, with plenty of sold-out halls, and judging by the start of this Eastern European leg of the tour, the same is on the cards now.
To be honest, I haven’t seen Šiška this packed in a long time. Runes, Mjölnirs around necks and waists, dragon tattoos and countless beards almost looked like a scene from the currently popular TV series Vikings. Swedishly punctual, the lights went out at exactly 10:00 PM and an instrumental intro thundered from the speakers, followed by a roaring, deafening response from the crowd, the likes of which I don’t remember in this hall. The show kicked off with the new Father of the Wolf, for which they also shot an epic video, and continued with the title track Deceiver of the Gods. By the third song there was total chaos in the pit, as, bathed in fitting red and yellow spotlights, they played the 2002 hit Death in Fire. As expected, the setlist was mostly songs from the current album, but they skillfully added fuel to the fire with older hits. Interestingly, with their ear-wormy melodies, Amon Amarth reach toward the Iron Maiden phenomenon, with the crowd loudly singing along to the lead guitar melodies.
For the last few years, some critics have accused Amon Amarth of repeating themselves and not doing anything new. But let’s look at it from a different angle. Volvo, Saab, Ikea, Ericsson – Swedish companies that may not make the most beautiful or sophisticated products in the world, but their customers know they get quality and reliability for their money. It’s similar with Amon Amarth – maybe they won’t break new ground in the music world, but what they do, they do reliably and with real passion. Anyone listening to their music knows that a new album will bring stories of bloodthirsty Vikings and the scheming of their gods. And a concert-goer can rest easy knowing they’ll get a 100% dose of wild energy blowing off the stage like Thor’s hammer through stormy clouds. This Sunday night in Šiška was no different. The loyal fans made Johan’s job a lot easier, and no special encouragement was needed. After so many shows in Slovenia, the 41-year-old Swede has even learned a few words of Slovenian, which he used throughout the whole show, to the great delight of everyone present. The rest of the band did their job properly, which, given their long tenure (16 years with an unchanged lineup), isn’t surprising, despite a grueling tour with shows every day. Sadly, the hour and a half flew by far too fast (so much for time being constant), and then the “Vikings” played an almost-anthemic Twilight of the Thunder God for an encore, along with the evergreen bouncer The Pursuit of Vikings.
Til Valhall!
Setlist
1. Father of the Wolf
2. Deceiver of the Gods
3. Death In Fire
4. Guardians Of Asgard
5. Shape Shifter
6. Blood Eagle
7. The Last Stand of Frej
8. Destroyer of the Universe
9. Cry of the Black Birds
10. War of the Gods
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11. Twilight of the Thunder God
12. The Pursuit of Vikings
Photo Gallery
