By Mariah Berg
Wisconsin was lucky enough to be a stop for arguably one of the best heavy metal tours of 2022. On a Monday night, The Great Heathen Tour made a pit stop at The Sylvee in Madison, WI. Now most would think a Monday night show typically wouldn’t be very packed. But, when it’s an Amon Amarth show, any venue any day of the week will be packed like sardines! It has been a long time since Amon Amarth has had the opportunity to perform in Wisconsin, no Viking was missing out on this show. All the Viking brothers and sisters filed into The Sylvee anxious for a nice of heavy metal.
Opening up this killer show was none other than Cattle Decapitation! The crowd roared as they took the stage and wow did Cattle Decapitation have the crowd wild from the start. Cattle Decapitation is one of the best death metal bands out there. Vocalist Travis Ryan is as unique as they come. His vocal range and stage performance is captivating! Cattle Decapitation opened up their set with their song “The Geocide” off their most recent album “Death Atlas”. Cattle Decapitation is one of those live bands that you just never want to end. Unfortunately Cattle Decapitation had to stick to a six song setlist to save time for the remaining three killer bands to come!
Next to take the stage was Obituary! Anyone who knows death metal, knows Obituary. This is one of few death metal bands from the 80’s that are still touring and absolutely destroying every single set they play. If you like banging your head, Obituary is a band you must see live! Obituary has fans that have been seeing them live for 30+ years and they still keep coming back every single time they are in town! There is definitely something to be said about that! Every single member of this band is extremely talented. Fans got to recognize that talent in the guitar and drum solos. Obituary performed some of their popular songs like “Don’t Care” and “Redneck Stomp”. Obituary is another band that fans just never want to end!
Up next was yet another legendary band, Carcass! As soon as vocalist/bassist Jeff Walker and guitarist Bill Steer took the stage, the crowd went crazy! Carcass opened up their eleven song setlist with their song “Buried Dreams” off their 1993 album “Heartwork”. Carcass had a great variety in their set, they performed songs from albums that are 20+ years old all the way to songs from their most recently released album “Torn Arteries”. Carcass is such a powerful live band. The way vocalist/bassist Jeff Walker holds his bass as he belts out the lyrics is very cool to see.
Last but most definitely not least, hailing all the way from Sweden, Amon Amarth! I’m not even sure where to begin with Amon Amarth’s performance. They have got to be one of THE BEST live band out there. Such an amazing sound and their stage presence and setup is just impeccable. Amon Amarth opened up their fifteen song setlist with their song “Guardians of Asgaard” and instantly the crowd was banging their heads and up off their feet. Amon Amarth fans are so special, they really are like none other.
At an Amon Amarth show, everyone is family. Fans are so dedicated to this band. So much so they are willing to sit down on the floor and row a boat for the song “Put Your Back Into The Ore”. It truly is a sight to see. During Amon Amarth’s performance, there was so much to admire. From their enormous stage props, to the Viking horns, to the sword fights on stage. Every single detail just brings the show together. Just a few months back, Amon Amarth released an impeccable new album titled “The Great Heathen Army”.
Fans were ecstatic to hear some new Amon Amarth music live. They performed songs like “Oden Owns You All”, “Get In The Ring” and more. With these songs only being a few months old, it was impressive to see so many fans singing every single word! The Great Heathen tour truly is composed of four bands that are just the best of the best. Every single band has been touring and putting out killer music for 20+ years. With there only being a few more stops left on this tour, I sincerely hope every metalhead was able to catch this phenomenal tour. It just doesn’t get much better than this!
