If the dwarves and pirates (see Wind Rose and Alestorm) didn’t quite cut it for you, Sweden’s most notorious metal vikings Amon Amarth invaded and subsequently pillaged Calgary’s sold-out Grey Eagle Event Centre last month. Joined by fellow 90s death metal vets Cannibal Corpse and Obituary and Texan newcomers Frozen Soul, this all-ages show was one for the books.
We’ve collaborated with Metal-Rules.com to photograph and review the event. Check out the photo recap here, and head over to Metal-Rules.com for the full review!
The night started off with Fort Worth-based Frozen Soul who, since 2018, have made waves in the scene with two full-length releases, a record deal with Century Media, and (of course) have joined metal titans for an expansive North American tour. Despite being the night’s openers and least-known band on the docket, the crew put on a brief, intense 6-track set that held true to their frigid name:
Florida-based death metal pioneers Obituary took to the stage for a 7-song set, primarily performing songs from their 2023 heavy-hitter release Dying of Everything and a few older tracks from the early 2000s including Redneck Stomp. The band, perhaps due to a limited set duration, opted not to perform formative tracks from their early-to-mid-1990s hayday.
Cannibal Corpse followed suit: George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher dominated with his familiar stage presence: powerful gutturals, constantly windmilling hair and a shirt depicting his unflattering but notoriously viral “Respect the Neck” meme. Performing a 9-song set spanning the highlights of their discography, they (and the audience) showed everyone that the 1990s “satanic panic”, heavy censorship, and decades in the scene neither slowed them down nor discouraged fans from showing their support for the band.
Headliners Amon Amarth picked up precisely where Cannibal Corpse left off with an initial dramatic black-curtain reveal of their impressive stage design – one which has become familiar to long-time fans and those who have attended their concerts in the past decade or so. Still, the impressive viking helmet riser featured stairs on either side, with Jocke Wallgren’s impressive drum kit in the middle, prominent and visible from nearly anywhere in the venue.
Despite recently releasing The Great Heathen Army in 2022, Amon Amarth performed an impressively well-planned setlist that will have pleased anyone who’s been a fan for 20 or more years.
Check out the full review here!
SETLIST: Amon Amarth
SETLIST: Cannibal Corpse
SETLIST: Obituary
SETLIST: Frozen Soul
