Amon Amarth

Once Sent From The Golden Hall, Zeche, Bochum - 2008

Text: Tobias Nilsson Photo: Lunah Lauridsen

Having driven all night from Denmark, we quickly managed to locate our hotel even though Bochum was several times bigger than what either of us had anticipated. After we got settled in, we proceeded with getting a few beers while putting Once Sent From The Golden Hall (the album to be played in its entirety this night) on repeat o get in a proper mood.
Finally, when night came we went out into the freezing weather to locate Zeche, the venue Amon Amarth were playing at.

"Are you ready for four nights of metal mayhem?!"
- Johan Hegg (vocals)


This Hegg shouted at us, and of course we all were!
I could clearly tell already from the start that this was going to be something very special; I don't believe I have ever seen Amon Amarth this lit up before, they were truly on fire and their aggressive music sent us in the audience straight into berserker mode!
There was no denying this mid-sized German concert hall was completely sold out, the pressure was unreal as soon as the music started and I even witnessed some rather brutal falls, but of course there were always a lot of arms ready to help no matter how wild things got.
I thing that baffled me with though was that no matter how pressured things seemed to get, there was always place enough for the guy with the, in lack of better words, mobile bar. He walked around in the crowd with a big tray of beers, selling them to people who were unable or unwilling to leave their place to go to the bar. I tell you, these sorts of things only happen in Germany.

The true hit of the album is definitely Victorious March, and when that one started, things got even more insane with people marching in place in the audience, crowdsurfing and of course constantly raised Viking horns. But it did not end here...

"This truly is a fucking special time for us, finding old songs we've rarely or never played before. One more from Once Sent From The Golden Hall, are you ready for it Bochum?!"
- Hegg (vocals)


Hegg fired everyone up an extra notch for the last song of the album and when it was all over the curtain fell. But it did not end here...
In fact, the set was only halfway through. When the curtains rose again it was to a new backdrop, the Once Sent From The Golden Hall had been changed to Twilight Of The Thunder God which also was the first song to be played. It was time for a mix of songs from Amon Amarth's latest albums, the ones that would not be played in their entirety any of the days here.
Twilight Of The Thunder God saw a sing-along so loud it almost deafened the music coming from the stage, but then again that was the only real down-point of the concert; the sound left A LOT to be desired. Still, the atmosphere was perfect and more than weighed up for any short-comings in other areas. And with hit after hit played, the biggest moment for me was definitely when they played Guardians Of Asgaard, a song you might remember me requesting after last time we saw Amon Amarth (at the Unholy Alliance show).

"You are amazing Bochum, I'm so glad we have three more nights of this!"
- Hegg (vocals)


Well, you know what? So are we Johan, so are we.
The only thing which left me wondering was; now when they've played all the biggest, safest hits of their three latest albums, which songs will they have for us for the other nights?

Setlist:

Ride For Vengeance
The Dragons' Flight Across The Waves
Without Fear
Victorious March
Friends Of The Suncross
Abandoned
Amon Amarth
Once Sent From The Golden Hall
Twilight Of The Thunder God
Asator
Guardians Of Asgaard
Varyags Of Miklagaard
An Ancient Sign Of Coming Storm
Runes To My Memory
The Pursuit Of Vikings

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