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It was a few days ago when Swedish Vikings of Amon Amarth embarked on their European autumn tour, a trip that started in Germany with returning back to Scandinavia with the last show of this tour in Copenhagen sharp before Christmas. On their way down south the guys from Stockholm also had a stop in Tilburg for providing some Viking metal to their Dutch supporters.
Amon Amarth had a few more guys joining them on the road. Their fellow countrymen Grand Magus got the opening slot, followed by Californian thrash legends Testament. This package belongs to one of the best ones this year when it comes to raw and wild metal. Therefor it was a small surprise that the 013 wasn’t fully sold out.
Anyhow, the venue was already pretty much packed when Grand Magus entered the stage. The trio can fall back on a long list of songs and the seven tracks performed that night represented the different stages of the band very well. Two songs from “Hammer of the North” and “Iron Will’ built the base for their set. It’s probably not the easiest thing to go on stage first, but Grand Magus didn’t care and nailed down a great show which gave them many credits from the audience. The room got filled up more and more and in the end it was an enthusiastic sing-a-long part with the fans that ended this gig. Besides that it was also the first time that night for a common ‘Skol’, a word we got to hear more often that night.
Thrash dinosaur Testament was next. “Brotherhood of the Snake” and “Dark Roots of the Earth” provided half of the songs played that night combined with older songs, of which the “The New Order” release stood in focus. Testament and Holland is a long lasting relationship that strated with the guys playing in Eindhoven already back in 1987. Therefor it was almost a given that fan reaction have been very positive, celebrating each note played that night. The moment when the crowd really went wild was when classics like “Into the Pit” and “Over the Wall” turned the 013 into a madhouse. Besides all the positive and the passion there was a feeling of routine during the entire show, but maybe just a personal impression. After ten songs Testament said good-bye for the moment, coming back end of summer 2017. The Bay Area legend will headline the upcoming Dynamo Metalfest in Eindhoven, celebrating the 30st anniversary of their first show in the South of Holland.
A short break gave everybody the chance to prepare their drinking horns and viking helmets for what was next on the list – it was time for Amon Amarth. The five-piece band played a show that was around 100 minutes long and not a stone was left standing afterwards. This show included everything a good metal concert needs to contain. First of all there are the songs. Amon Amarth found this magical mix of harsh metal with Johan Hegg’s raw and unique vocals that goes hand in hand with melodic guitar lines and a hammering beat. This makes Amon Amarth attractive for a wide group of fans, something that was confirmed by looking at the audience that night. The show was built around the current longplayer “Jomsviking”. The theme of this record also steered the stage design. The drumkit sat enthroned on the top of a huge Viking helmet, surrounded by podia which were used by the band many times. Next to the scenery it was ‘vikings’ that joined the band on stage for “Deceiver of the Gods”, archers were aiming for imaginary targets during “One Thousand Burning Arrows” and also the ‘wolf man’ joined in for “Father of the Wolf”. All this led to a great mixture of music supporting the visuals and vice versa. This gig was a complete metal experience.
Amon Amarth’s show was a comprehensive victory. “Destroyer of the Universe” turned the venue into a pit and “Death in Fire” was cherished with a smaller ‘wall of death’. And when, if not during an Amon Amarth show, you see fans sitting on the floor, rowing an imaginary Viking boat through stormy sea water? Just awesome. The same goes for the short ‘Underberg-break’ that was needed after “Deceiver of the Gods”, another moment for a loud ‘Skol’. The closer of this passionate metal night was “Twilight of the Thunder God” which demanded the final reserves of power for fans and band.
An Amon Amarth show is more than just music performed live. The intensity of such a concert can’t be described – it’s something you need to experience.
Setlist Amon Amarth:
- The Pursuit of Vikings
- As Loke Falls
- First Kill
- The Way of Vikings
- At Dawn's First Light
- Cry of the Black Birds
- Deceiver of the Gods
- On a Sea of Blood
- Destroyer of the Universe
- Death in Fire
- One Thousand Burning Arrows
- Father of the Wolf
- Runes to My Memory
- War of the Gods
- Raise Your Horns (Encore)
- Guardians of Asgaard (Encore)
- Twilight of the Thunder God (Encore)
Setlist Testament:
- Brotherhood of the Snake
- Rise Up
- The Pale King
- Disciples of the Watch
- The New Order
- Dark Roots of Earth
- Stronghold
- Into the Pit
- Over the Wall
- The Formation of Damnation
Setlist Grand Magus:
- I, The Jury
- Sword of the Oceean
- Varagian
- Steel vs Steel
- Iron Will
- Like the Oar Strikes the Water
- Hammer of the North
Location: 013, Tilburg, The Netherlands
Date: November 6, 2016
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Content from Amon Amart, Testament & Grand Magus, 013, Tilburg, 06.11.2016
Amon Amart, Testament & Grand Magus, 013, Tilburg, 06.11.2016
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