PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE
Road tripping from Edmonton to Calgary to see viking metallers, Amon Amarth, was something I certainly don't regret, as the Swedish heavy metal powerhouses sailed into Alberta, and crushed Calgary's Macewan Hall with brutal force. Accompanied by the thrashy likes of Exmortus and Entombed A.D to warm up the massive crowd, the night was set to be one for the memory books.
It's always interesting working in an unfamiliar venue, in a semi-unfamiliar city. Despite my experiences shooting the infamous Calgary Metalfest every year, making the drive down to Calgary isn't something that happens often for me, so naturally I was quite excited to have a change of scene, even if it was for only one night. Not to mention, adding a new venue to my 'conquered' list is always a welcomed feather to add to my proverbial hat.
Photographing Amon Amarth only a few years prior, I had a general idea of what to expect from them on stage, but even still, I was blown away with their performance. As the lights dimmed, the curtains dropped, revealing their massive stage banners, and unveiling an enormous traditional style viking helmet, which is probably the coolest drum riser I've ever seen. Upon this, I began to grow restless. As the band took their places on stage, they immediately boomed into "Pursuit of Vikings", kicking this gig off into ultra-high gear right from the get-go. With each roar of the audience, frontman Johan Hegg's, warm grin grew larger and larger, which, for those of you who follow me on Instagram will know, I ate up entirely with shutter clicks. With very little encouragement, the audience happily shouted the chorus to Amon Amarth's kick-off opening track back to the band, leaving chills down my spine. It's something I could never get tired of hearing and experiencing, and, judging from the looks on their faces, I'm quite sure that the band shares that feeling as well.
Moving on throughout the night, Amon Amarth absolutely crushed their hefty 19 song set, giving it their all as they progressed through each track. I stood in awe, admiring the energy and undeniable crowd involvement that came along with their performance. Truly, Amon Amarth is a band that I will happily see, whether it be through my lens, or as an audience member, each and every time they grace Alberta's soil with their presence.
