Lost in Hamburg.
This is probably the only true way to start this review, as that was exactly how it all started out. Arriving in Hamburg from Copenhagen proved to be no problem at all, as we had anticipated, but as soon as we got inside of the city-limits it all started to go wrong.
Cutting a long story short, it meant we arrived after a lot of driving at the concert hall Grosse Freiheit 36 at around 8 P.M., and as soon as we got inside Obituary was just finishing up their final song.
This was an Amon Amarth headliner tour, but it was also the Full Of Hate tour, which meant there were four bands of pretty high ranks in the metal scene playing. First of was the Norwegian blackmetallers in Keep Of Kalessin; secondly Legion Of The Damned from the Netherlands. After them it was the aforementioned band Obituary and then it was time for Amon Amarth.
But as we arrived late, and the show started really early, we missed out on most of this and had only time to enjoy the main act of the evening; although in my book this wasn’t such a great loss. I wouldn’t have been against seeing Obituary, as they played a pretty good concert last I saw them, but it was for Amon Amarth and Amon Amarth only that I had agreed to travel all the way to Hamburg that night.

And of course the Swedish Vikings did not disappoint. It’s fun to see how every time we go to see them, our expectations get higher and higher; and for every show they not only meet but also manage to exceed them.
Admittedly, I have not always been into their music as death metal have never really been my scene, but one day The Pursuit Of Vikings dropped in through the mailbox on a mixed promo DVD, and since that fateful day I was hooked.
The fearful horde started the evening off in a great way with Twilight Of The Thunder God, which directly brought the sing-along spirit out in the audience. But that’s the great thing about their live shows; you can just let go of any inhibitions you might have and just go amok with the people around you, whether its friends or folk you’ve never seen before.
The sound was turned up to max and beyond, and together with that the extremely uplifted mood everyone was in, fans and band alike, helped raise this show beyond the German venue and all the way inside the halls of Valhalla.

While still having the same good energy that they always seem to have, it was nice to see how playing all their old material on the Bochum shows had inspired them to play around a bit more with the setlist. Not that I ever want Guardians Of Asgaard to be removed of course, but the insertions of songs like Under A Northern Star, North Sea Storm and Ride For Vengeance (where Johan Hegg took the time to promote their newly released re-release of their Once Sent From The Golden Hall album) seemed to sit well with the large crowd.
Here I would like to direct a few words to the venue, Grosse Freiheit 36, as this was an excellent location with its olden looks, big floor and all-surrounding balcony. Hamburg truly can sport a fair few of great venues, and Grosse Freiheit 36 is definitely one of them.

It was wonderful to behold how the band had all their energy intact still, and I can’t wait to see them again.

Setlist:

Twilight Of The Thunder God
Free Will Sacrifice
With Oden On Our Side
Varyags Of Miklagaard
Fate Of Norns
Under A Northern Star
Guardians Of Asgaard
Ride For Vengeance
North Sea Storm
Tattered Banners And Bloody Flags
Death In Fire
Victorious March
Cry Of The Black Birds
The Pursuit Of Vikings