Sun 1 Nov – Amon Amarth, Entombed


It's been a long time since I've reviewed a gig- and being battered, aching and bruised, it's now a perfect time to do one!

As in my other reviews, I get to many gigs at ridiculous o'clock to stalk the band. Yay- over-obsessiveness FTW. So that morning I woke up my jolly cohort Patrick (an AA n0ob) at around 8 in the morning.

We got there at 10; we were aiming for 12. And it was PISSING it down. Not a great start, but hey, a bit of monsoon weather never hurt anyone. And damn did that tourbus look warm. :( So we found shelter under the eaves of the venue, took out beer (OFC), made phonecalls. And me being grumpy and drunk from the night before, it was a stressful time for all.

Soon the band started waking up, and it was teim for stalking! Costa seemed to be the place most of them went, and I left with 3 signatures and a dreamy expression on my face. Johan KNOWS me now, let's just say that. (Me: (unable to contain the fanboyish outpourings of love) 'OMFG YOU'RE SO SEXY!' Johan: '........ (Y) That's what my girlfriend thinks'. Patrick: '....owned.')

We were joined at T-4 hours by some other randomers I had met from the March gig (who, may I say, were very impressed at my Johan stalking skillz), and sat in the now rain-free Koko veranda.

Roll on several food trips later, and after 9 hours waiting in the cold (pfff, I am SO hardcore) the gig started. A little late, but the bands got on promptly, which was a really nice change from the hour wait in the venue for Battlelore.

Entombed. Yeah, they were pretty alright! Nothing to write home about; lovely guys and a fun stage prescence. The guitarist looked like my uncle so much so that it was scary though... ahem. Anyway.

Just decent metal, to be honest. I enjoyed the music, although each song sounded a bit samey for me. But they had an awesome, enthusiastic crowd, and Elgi of course, an awesome voice (even more awesome when joined on stage by Mr. Hegg). But really, we were all here for Amon Amarth. ;)

From the band's, ahem... happy (?) demeanours when I met them, I knew that Johan Hegg was in a good mood, and not that hungover (!). However, I had not, as I had premeditated before, asked him to take his shirt off. :( Fail. And alas when he came on, as sexy and mighty and mightily sexy as ever, he did so with cloth covering his chest. Ah. You can't win everytime I guess.

They opened, as per usual, with much screaming and love from the crowd. Twilight of the Thundergod was the opening song, but unfortunately, there was (or, sounded to me as though there was) a problem with the guitars. Still, drums and screaming are fine, too. All in all, for stage performance throughout the night, a 10/10! They were lovely, and on fine form and very, very happy!

Of course, the 'surprise' of the evening was Perttu from Apocalyptica giving a kick to proceedings- and of course, as the ladies so graciously screamed in my ear- man candy. (Oh OK, he was hot, I admit it. And he had a motherfucking cello). He was there for Live for the Kill, Hermod's Ride To Hel (which was a complete surprise!), Embrace of the Endless Ocean, and did I see him in another thing as well? EotEO was soberly dedicated to Mike, and was a very moving piece for me, and as I could see, for Johan too. Not to move me to tears, but fitting; poignant. Amongst the crowd (and my personal) favourites was Asator, which they didn't play live last time, of course, Death In Fire, new favourite Valkyries Ride, which I thought was a cool performance, Guardians of Asgaard- for which Elgi made a comeback and Cry of the Black Birds.

Apart from all songs we have that we are dying to see live and didn't (for me, Friends of the Suncross and Thousand Years of Oppression), their set was epic win. The sound could have been better, but it far from spoiled the night. The guys had epic stage prescence, and all around, it was viking debauchery galore.

Johan is also God.

Roll on next AA gig in London! :'D OK, maybe that's a bit much, but AA are one of the few bands who I really do enjoy going to every gig of.