Date – January 25th, 2014
Venue – Ritz Ybor, Ybor City
Lineup – Amon Amarth w/ Enslaved and Skeletonwitch
We arrived at the Ritz Ybor around the time doors opened, I was slightly surprised to see there was already a huge turnout for this show, so we hit will call and headed inside to await the first band.
Up first were the band I was mostly excited about seeing, Skeletonwitch. I have been wanting to see this band live for a few years now, and every time they come down to Florida I always manage to miss them, so I was very excited for their set. Skeletonwitch to me are one of those bands that define modern metal, and their live performance even furthers that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an opening band get the crowd going that crazy that fast, Skeletonwitch wasted no time as they jumped on stage and opened with The Horrifying Force (A Desire To Kill). The crowd was easily most chaotic during Skeletonwitch’s set, the floor was circle pit after circle pit with no letting up, and you could tell the band was loving every second of it. Skeletonwitch more than stole the show for me, which was incredibly hard to do considering the bands that were to follow. (You can also find our interview with Scott from Skeletonwitch here – http://riseabovetheanchor.com/interview-scott-hedrick-skeletonwitch/ )
Up next were the band I’ve pretty sure a majority of the crowd was there to see, Enslaved. The Norwegian blackened progressive metal band are proof that metal can be both abrasive and completely stunning, and it honestly caught me by surprised to see a huge majority of the crowd sing along to every song. Every aspect of Enslaved live was nearly flawless, even those who aren’t fans couldn’t help but admire and respect the band’s musicianship. The only disappointing thing was the band’s short set, but their vocalist Grutle Kjellson stated towards the end of their set they do plan to return on a headlining tour, so be sure to keep a look out.
The vikings are officially back, and they’re here to dominate everything in their paths. Amon Amarth have more than mastered their live performance, vocalist Johan Hegg commands the crowd unlike any other vocalist I’ve ever seen live. The band quickly opened with Father Of The Wolf, which got the crowd moving instantly, and as they blasted through their lengthy setlist, the crowd only got more rowdy. One thing about seeing Amon Amarth live that people wouldn’t really expect is how incredibly friendly and humorous Johan Hegg is, he would crack a joke or two in between songs, but when performing their music he was fierce and intimidating. Another thing I loved about their set was how insanely loud they were, while still managing to sound crystal clear.
This was the first killer metal tour of the year, and there’s no doubt in my mind it will contend as one of the best tours of the year, every band was perfect in a different way, and I feel sorry for whoever missed out.
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Amon Amarth’s setlist
1)Father Of The Wolf
2)Deceiver Of The Gods
3)Death In Fire
4)Free will Sacrifice
5)As Loke Falls
6)Coming Of The Tide
7)Runes To My Memory
8)Varyags Of Miklagaard
9)The Last Stand Of Frej
10)Guardians Of Asgaard
11)Shape Shifter
12)Warriors Of The north
13)Destroyer Of The Universe
14)Cry Of The Black Birds
15)War Of The Gods
16)Twilight Of The Thunder God
17)The Pursuit Of Viking
Enslaved’s Setlist
1)Death In The Eyes Of Dawn
2)Ruun
3)Ethica Odini
4)RIITIIR
5)Allfaðr Oðinn
6)Isa
Skeletonwitch’s setlist
1)The Horrifying Force (The Desire To Kill)
2)Serpents Unleashed
3)I Am Of Death (Hell Has Arrived)
4)Sacrifice For The Slaughtergod
5)Beyond The Permafrost
6)From A Cloudless Sky
7)Crushed Beyond Dust
8)Beneath Dead Leaves
9)Within My Blood
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