The Viking metal lords in Amon Amarth wrapped up their massive Metal Crushes All Tour across North America last weekend with an epic arena show at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. Crafting what can only be described as one of the heaviest tour lineups of all time, Amon Amarth outdid themselves on their latest trek across the continent. The Swedish melodic death-turned-global heavy metal juggernaut has spent decades perfecting the art of catchy yet pummeling songwriting. With each new album and a new set of cinematic music videos garnering millions upon millions of views online, the band seems to go harder and harder on every tour cycle. The band’s [quite literally] blazing set at the Honda Center felt like a victory lap after decades of work, and they brought legendary death metal acts Cannibal Corpse and Obituary to bask in the limelight with them. Obituary had the crowd eating and moshing out of the palm of their hand as we arrived. The arena floor was packed mainly and people were still trickling in to the seated areas as they ended their set. By the time Cannibal Corpse hit the stage, the Honda Center had begun transforming into the temporary extreme metal capital of the globe.

There are different eras of Cannibal Corpse’s storied career. Since long-time producer and Hate Eternal/ex-Morbid Angel guitarist Erik Rutan joined the band in 2021, the current incarnation of Cannibal Corpse has been the most insane and un-fuckwithable lineup since the band’s formation. Their most recent [and 16th!] album, 2023’s Chaos Horrific, is one of their best records ever. Plus, they’re even playing older songs like “I Cum Blood” tighter and more menacing than before. When you have many killer albums and fan-favorite songs, making a setlist, especially in a supporting slot, is a nightmare. The band played primarily modern-era bangers from the 2000s onward, with some mandatory old-school treats. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen an arena full of death fans rocking to “Hammer Smashed Face.”

Amon Amarth hit the stage like actual conquers. Armed with crushing tunes, walls of pyro, and an actual Viking ship mast behind them, the band stormed the stage to ravenous applause. Their fans had just snacked on some of the finest American metal acts of all time, but now it was time to feast on the night’s Scandinavian main course. They opened with the old school “The Pursuit of Vikings” off 2004’s Fate of Norns” as a mountain of flames lit up the Honda Center. Fans lost their minds as the band played classic after classic, launching immediately into “Tattered Banners and Blood Flags” and “Guardians of Asgaard” off 2008’s Twilight of the Thunder God. Amon Amarth has a similar issue with setlist curation that Cannibal Corpse and other long-running icons inevitably face. They’ve amassed many killer songs from too many killer albums over the years, and even at a gargantuan arena gig, playing everyone’s favorite song is impossible. A good chunk of their set consisted of tracks from Twilight and 2013’s Deceiver of the Gods. The rest of the night found the band ripping through more recent material from albums like 2016’s Jomsviking, 2019’s Berserker, and The Great Heathen Army from 2022, all records from the past decade. Watching fans on the packed arena floor sit down and row upon singer Johan Hegg’s command during “Put Your Back Into The Oar” and bodies bouncing with glee along with the infectious guitar melodies of “Heidrun.”

Amon Amarth ended the night with an epic rendition of “Twilight of the Thunder God,” defeating the giant Midgard Serpent and exiting the stage amidst a barrage of fireworks and cheers from the crowd. Do not hesitate to catch Amon Amarth on their subsequent conquest of the USA. They seem to outdo themselves on every new tour, so there’s no telling how insane their stage show will be when they return!

CANNIBAL CORPSE

AMON AMARTH