Vikings to my Liking

There was a dark cloud over Amon Amarth's performance last December 3 at Irving Plaza. A little over a month earlier, opening act Decapitated were involved in a fatal car accident, taking the life of drummer "Vitek" Kieltyka. But as fate would have it, even if the bill wasn't as exciting as it once was, Amon Amarth put on a Viking Metal monster show that was more than worth the price of admission.


Being not too familiar with Amon Amarth's music, I couldn't tell you what they played, but it seemed like most of their set came from their recent album, With Oden on our Side. That release has been subjected to much metal-world acclaim, including a thoughtful essay by Erik Davis, and the Irving Plaza show was so great that I'm hoping to pick the record up soon. Led by grizzly-looking frontman Johan Hegg, the hefty, bearded men of Amon Amarth played melodic death metal that built on the legacy of bands like In Flames and At the Gates. Hegg's gruff but somehow comprehensible vocals set the tone for the music, which was tuneful enough to recall Iron Maiden and black enough to justify their opening spot for Dimmu Borgir earlier this year. Amon Amarth's ability to put actual songs behind their music distinguishes them from their laughable death-metal peers, and while they're not melodic enough to approach the mainstream acceptance of Lamb of God or Mastodon, they have more than enough of a musical bite to hold up against the best death metal being released today.

Of course, their songs were embellished by the Viking persona that the band played up to the fullest. "How are all my vikings tonight??" bellowed Hegg at the start of the show, before growling out stories of sword-brandishing and Valhalla. When the band took a short drinking break, each band member downed their beverages from hallow viking horns which they kept by their side. It was truly like the lyrics to 'Immigrant Song' coming to life. The crowd ate it all up, flashing horns and chanting 'Oden! Oden!', which is a lot easier to chant than 'Amon Amarth.' Like Behemoth with their satanic imagery, Amon Amarth bring humor to their mythological death metal that makes the band's music easier to take seriously. Even for a band that got their name from a place in Lord of the Rings.

It wasn't all fun, though. Hegg took some time to address the issue with Decapitated, asking for some viking support for the injured members of the band and their families before leading the crowd in a chant of Vitek's name. As Amon Amarth maraud and pillage through your local concert hall, coming from the land of the ice and snow, it can't be said that they don't encompass a strong sense of community. Amon Amarth rules.



Openers Sonic Syndicate had two uncharismatic lead singers, a pre-recorded keyboard track, and music which was so bad that it was hard to believe that it came from Sweden. They were followed by Himsa, Seattle-based kids who dressed like lumberjacks, quoted Black Flag for good measure, and played decent, American-sounding metalcore.