AMON AMARTH: THE GREAT HEATHEN TOUR WITH SPECIAL GUESTS CARCASS - OBITUARY - CATTLE DECAPITATION

Talk about a stacked lineup! This show had it all! Fans started lining up about two hours before doors opened at Las Vegas' Brooklyn Bowl hoping to get inside first and get a close up spot for the mighty AMON AMARTH and their incredible stage show. With four great bands on the bill it wasand early start to a long metal night!

The first band of the night was CATTLE DECAPITATION and they were right at the edge of the stage becasue of the upcoming stage set. Cattle’s set was short at only 6 songs but brutal. They opened with "The Geocide" and "Vulturous", and right into "Finish Them". A new song debuted called "We Eat Our Young", and they closed out with "Times Cruel Curtain" and "Bring Back the Plague". The band's entire set was composed of songs off the album Death Atlas except the new one. Cattle Decapitation is a brutal sounding band that only the truely hardcore fans can appreciate.

One of my favorite bands, OBITUARY was second on the bill - I have loved this band since the first time I saw them and they did not disappoint! Once again limited to just a 6 song set, Obituary started with just the band playing "Redneck Stomp" before singer John Tardy took to the stage just as the band launched into "Sentence Day". With hail flying and guitars wailing this was classic Obituary. Next the band ripped into "A Lesson In Vengeance", and a Celtic Frost cover called "Circle Of the Tyrants". With the sound of thunderous drumming the band launched into "The Wrong Time", and closed out their set with "Don’t Care". Again, short but brutal set by an amazing hardcore band.

We were ready for CARCASS! The best of the openers, and unlike the 6 song prior set limit, Carcass got to play a 10 song set. After a brief intro, Carcass kicked off their show with "Buried Dreams", a song so true about the state of today's world. Jeff Walker is one of the better singers of this genre, and was on point. One thing about Carcass, when they play Vegas is they always have one of the biggest and craziest pits of any band. One of my fav songs of the show was "Dance Of Ixtab", the drumming and soaring guitars go so well together along with Jeff's vocals to make this one of the better songs from their set. The band eventually closed out their show with "Carneous Cacoffiny", which was released 31 years ago! Once again a killer set.

AMON AMARTH opened with the intro song "Run to the Hills" to the sight of a giant viking helmet with a drum kit sitting high up on top of it. The helmet had fiery glowing eyes on front, and each side stairs going up. This was the first show of The Great Heathen Tour and you could see the band was pumped about being back on the road again. AA started with "Guardians of Asgaard" and "Ravens Flight', the band

sounding as good as ever and the crowd

excited to see AA back in town - the mosh pit was totally insane

and the band prepped to play "Deceiver of the Gods". Singer Johan Hegg announced, "Good evening Las Vegas and welcome to our little viking feast" that received a roaring ovation from the packed Brooklyn Bowl.

The song that got the crowd crazy was "The Pursuit of Vikings" , which opened up a massive pit that swallowed up anyone near it. To totally understand the insanity of an Amon Amarth show you have to witness "Put Your Back Into the Oar" where the crowd sits on the floor in rows and pretends to be rowing a great viking ship- nearly the entire main floor at Brooklyn Bowl was rowing, when Johan tells the crowd that they are insane and it was a fucking awesome row pit! Taking a short breather Johan told the crowd they would take the opportunity to raise their horns, and the

crowd yelled out skol as the band drank out of giant horns, as the band launched into

"Raise Your Horns". As the show came to a close AA thanked the crowd for making this a perfect start to the North American tour.

During the show you had Viking battles, a giant dragon, the most insane and unique stage and killer lighting along with perfect sound. This tour has it all, with one of the most stacked line ups you will currently see and I HIGHLY recommend that yougrab a ticket for when it comes through your part of the country.

Las Vegas AMON AMARTH SETLIST:

The Pursuit of Vikings

The Great Heathen Army

Find a Way or Make One

Destroyer of the Universe

Put Your Back Into the Oar

Cry of the Black Birds

The Way of Vikings