I had been looking forward to this concert since it was announced. Amon Amarth on Halloween, I was practically giddy. Well, as giddy as a metal head can get I guess. Weeks later giddiness turned into pure joy when my credentials were approved.
I was excited to be back at the Royal Oak Music Theater. Having recently been there shooting Within Temptation and Amaranthe, I was familiar with the venue and ready to go.
It was a cold Halloween evening though as the weather quickly turned. I arrived just before the doors had opened and will call had not yet received the list of passes. So I stood in the cold for a bit waiting on that list, hoping it contained my name as it should. By the gods I was on that list! A friendly member of security ushered a couple of us through the door in front the line as fans started to pour into the venue.
While there were a few great costumes, there were not as many I as had expected, unless you consider a “mosh pit dweller” a costume. However I was greeted with enough viking helmets and Thor hammers to make Odin smile.
Into pit I go, a quick hello to a couple of familiar faces and we were ready to shoot. Skeletonwitch takes the stage to the cheering of the crowd. These guys came out strong with face melting guitar and thunderous drums. In fact they were so enthralling that it took me a couple of minutes to realize that something wasn’t quite as it should be, there were no vocals. I had caught a glimpse of their set list taped to the stage and was familiar with the song. There should be vocals. Worse than a sound problem, Skeletonwitch was performing with one less member this evening. I’ve seen bands do this before when some unforeseen event causes the band have an absent singer for a performance. Many times it is not very successful. I have to give Skeletonwitch credit for still putting on a hell of a performance. They were giving it everything they had, the hair was flying, the heads were banging and everybody was having a great time.
Next up, Sabaton took the stage. I’ve had the privilege of shooting this band before when they were performing with Iced Earth, so I knew I was in for a treat. It seemed that the fans had the same idea with nearly the entire venue chanting their name, SAB A TON…SAB A TON….SAB A TON… In fact, this wouldn’t be the last time that would be heard this evening.
As expected Sabaton put on an amazing show. These guys are high energy all the way. The Royal Oak Theater has a pretty wide stage and Sabaton made use of it moving around a lot. They have a great connection with their crowd, with just enough interaction to feel a connection to them, but not so much as to become long winded or draw attention away from the music. Both times I’ve seen them perform, they appear grateful for their fans and their continued success and I think that is part of why the fans love them so much. In fact the chanting between songs at one point left lead singer Joakim Brodén jokingly saying “Shut the fuck up Michigan!”, with a big smile on his face. They performed a well rounded set and included many fan favorites including “The Art of War”, “40:1” and had the whole crowd singing to “Primo Victoria”.
After an amazing set the crew quickly began tearing down the stage to prepare for the main event of the evening. I was amazed at how little was actually left on the stage. The monitors were gone, no mic stands, just a few fog machines along the front which I knew I’d be breathing soon enough.
The lights went down, signaling to the roaring crowd that the time had come. Amon Amarth took the stage and commanded the attention of the crowd. Any fan can tell you, but the vocals of lead singer Johan Hegg are amazing. The deep growling sound seems to come so naturally to him that even when addressing the crowd he maintains a tone in his voice as if Odin himself were speaking.
As one would expect the lighting was crazy, and I took a fair amount of fog machine right in the face, but no doubt it was worth every minute. It was disappointing to not have Skeletonwitch in full force, but I hope my path crosses with them again. Sabaton and Amon Amarth are amazing performers and true artists in their genres. Look for these bands to come to your area and catch the live show!
