Live Performance Reviews - Amon Amarth - The Black Dahlia Murder

...so I went to see Amon Amarth last night ( the 17th of May 2011) in Copenhagen at a place called Vega ( a concert venue in Copenhagen). I wasn�t planning on going but my brother called and said one of his friends couldn�t make it so there was a free ticket, and I couldn�t turn that down. Amon Amarth was supported by Swedish act Evocation and US act The Black Dahlia Murder. ( the pictures are random pictures from the net, not from the actual concert. If anyone wants them deleted, send me a PM)

Evocation started the show with what sounded like a combination of old school Swedish death metal and melodeath. A great energetic frontman led the band through a good performance. The sound was a bit muddy but otherwise a good show from Evocation.

After a very short break The Black Dahlia Murder entered the stage. I�ve heard the "Miasma" (2005) album several years back, but otherwise didn�t know too much about the band or their sound. I was expecting a technically well playing deathcore act. While that was certainly true to some extent, The Black Dahlia Murder is one of those acts that balance between deathcore/ metalcore and death metal with high pitched screaming vocals and lower death grunts. I can�t say that description would normally ignite my interest, but my reservations were put to shame. Not since I saw Fear Factory open for Cannibal Corpse back in 1993 ( it might have been in 1994 I can�t remember for sure), have I seen a support act own the house like that. Perfect clear sound, an extremely technically well playing band and an energetic and charismatic frontman were some of the ingredients of a performance that literally floored me. Mouth open and staring in disbelief at the wonder of the performance and the audience who went beserk on the floor. Lots of moshing. Wow what a kick in the ass. I�m gonna have to check out some of their albums.

After another short break Amon Amarth entered the stage with a full light show and a classical intro. I�m not too familiar with the band�s material but I recognized about 4 or 5 tracks from "With Oden on Our Side" (2006) and "Twilight of the Thunder God" (2008), which are the two albums by the band I know the best. Amon Amarth were generally well playing and frontman Johan Kegg is a charismatic and very smiling frontman. Overall the performance was tight and professional and the fans seemed to enjoy the concert greatly. Personally I got a bit tired of the band�s stomping viking death metal after a couple of tracks, but it might have helped if I had known the material a bit better.