Amon Amarth - The Vikings are back!

The best-known representatives of Viking/Pagan Metal are back with «As I Lay Dying»! Amon Amarth are pillaging all over Europe these days and bringing their half-year-old album «Surtur Rising» to the common Viking folk. Meanwhile «Amon Amarth» are often called the AC/DC of Death Metal with a wink and this reputation is no coincidence. "Amon Amarth" doesn't do any major experiments with their recordings - "Surtur rising" is no exception - and the Swedes are also a reliable bank live. Accordingly, “Les Docks” in Lausanne was full last Friday when “Amon Amarth” set up camp in Switzerland together with “As I Lay Dying” and “Septic Flesh”. And "Amon Amarth" came, saw and conquered.

Since their humble early days in 1992 - as a small underground band from Tumba, a suburb in the south of Stockholm, Amon Amarth have managed to establish themselves as one of Europe's largest Wiking / Pagan Metal bands through hard work, intensive touring and consistently solid albums. From the beginning, Amon Amarth differed from the rest of the genre-like metal bands in that they used Viking mythology in their texts and graphics. The band also had an incredible talent for writing epic, memorable melodies that underlined the barbaric nature of their art.

Exactly at 20 p.m. it got really dark and the first opener of the evening, «Septic Flesh» from Athens, Greece, entered the stage. With their epic Death Metal, which presented itself very varied, changed from blast beats to orchestral parts, as well as from angry growling to clean vocals and also incorporated some Black Metal elements, they could inspire the audience right from the start. Surely «Septic Flesh» are no longer an insider tip, after all they have been making the stages unsafe for more than 20 years, but they should have made a bunch of new fans that evening in the 30 minutes of playing time that were granted to them.

Septic Flesh Live Les Docks Lausanne 11 11 2011

Even better known are "As I Lay Dying", the "middle" band of the evening after only a quarter of an hour's changeover. You could make out some "As I Lay Dying" shirts in the audience, especially among the younger visitors, and the Americans were welcomed on stage with a correspondingly big cheer. Appropriately enthusiastic, singer Tim Lambert went into full swing right at the beginning, but unfortunately he couldn't be heard! The sound is mixed at first absolutely crappy, the drummer drowns out everything and the rest was quiet and above all expandable, but is adjusted a bit better after two or three tracks later, but it is and remains instrument mush. A pity! Because "As I Lay Dying" was very playful. Unbelievable how singer Tim Lambert banged while singing and the whole stage was running. The rest of the band also harmonized brilliantly and was able to get the entire audience to bob along. The top-class setlist did the rest to convince even the last doubter and after a strong “Condemned” and “Nothing left”, which were loudly roared along, the wall of death was able to fold to “Defined”. Then, when the Californians finished their set with "94 Hours", they made a good impression if only the sound tech had his job under control...

Amon Amarth Live Les Docks Lausanne 11 11 2011

Then came those because of them Les Docks since mid-October was sold out. The lights went out again, this time for a little more than half an hour's changeover break, but then it really gets going. Cries of "Amon Amarth" echo through the hall, the blond Death Vikings come onto the stage to thunderous applause, just like the Norsemen used to return home after their long journeys. The stage decorated in the style of the new disc under a huge «Surtur Rising» back banner with a flaming sword glowing in violet light. In keeping with the new work, the northerners then also started their set with "War of the Gods" and showed their fans where Thor's hammer hangs from the start. The other 90 minutes that "Amon Amarth" was supposed to play that evening offered a lively selection across the work of the likeable Vikings and, above all, one thing again and again: a lot of fun. There are few bands that manage to come across as down-to-earth, likeable and nice as these gentlemen. Especially singer Johan Hegg managed to spur the audience on again and again and often stood grinning from ear to ear and his hand on the same at the edge of the stage to get more and louder applause. And who would want to deny him this?

Amon Amarth - War Of The Gods @ Les Docks Lausanne, 11.11.11/XNUMX/XNUMX

The Swedes around frontman Johan Hegg were the highlight of the evening in terms of sympathy points, due to the uninhibitedly nice way of getting into conversation with the audience. The "Vikings", who also didn't skimp on the "chips fork" and hardly let the audience get any rest, repeatedly interrupted the thrashing with spontaneous announcements and funny comments, apart from the constantly falling battle cries to the songs. In addition to the rather sparse stage decoration, the Swedes mainly focused on one thing - volume! From the first to the last minute, «Amon Amarth» drowned out everything that would have wanted to be heard in the room. The set list of the Swedes was definitely just as inconsistent that evening as was their stage presence. One hit followed the other, "Destroyer of the Universe" was released right at the beginning, followed shortly afterwards by "The Pursuit of Vikings". There was little time to breathe deeply. You could literally taste the sweat and adrenaline in the air.

Wonderful to look at and probably even more reason to show initiative was the energy that the gentlemen themselves displayed on stage. There was banging from front to back, so you just had to be infected. It has to be said anyway that the atmosphere is downright fanatical throughout the evening. Fists and french forks are thrown out at every opportunity. No friends, children's birthdays look different. After the mighty «Death in Fire» was supposed to be over, the audience began to roar loudly for encores. Of course, "Amon Amarth" could not deny their fans this wish and to the first sounds of the following "Twilight of the Thunder Gods" there was direct cheering and the hall went along with it.

Twilight Of The Thunder God_Amon Amarth_ 11.11.11/XNUMX/XNUMX Les Docks

One last time they could celebrate "Amon Amarth" and loudly "We are guardians, guardians of Asgaard" rang out! The Swedes finally left the stage to thunderous applause and several calls for encores. An experience for the ears! A memorable evening in every way! Songs from "Surtur Rising" did just as well as the older stuff, but "Amon Amarth" could probably have covered 70 minutes of ABBA and people would still have freaked out. Clearly a damn good metal show. «Amon Amarth» were, are and will always be a force live. Come back soon, you Vikings!

This evening's setlist was:

1. War of the Gods
2. Runes to My Memory
3. Destroyer of the Universe
4. Live Without Regrets
5. The Pursuit of Vikings
6. For Victory or Death
7. Varyags of Miklagaard
8. Slaves of Fear
9. Ride For Vengeance
10. A Beast Am I
11. Embrace the Endless Ocean
12. Free Will Sacrifice
13. asator
14. Death in Fire

Encore:

15. Twilight of the Thunder God
16. Guardians of Asgaard

Below is a backstage video of the men at the start of the tour in Stuttgart:

Amon Amarth - Stuttgart, Germany

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