I had full intentions of reviewing the Amon Amarth/Sabaton/Skeletonwitch show, but after attending I realized I couldn't write a decent review. This was due to some issues with the venue that subsequently ruined my enjoyment of the show.
I spent half of Skeletonwitch's set trying to find somewhere that I could get a decent view of the stage. Which proved to be difficult in this particular venue. The spot that was finally settled upon was off to the far side of the stage, basically behind the sound booth. While it was really the only area at that point that offered a clear view of the stage, it served to completely remove the atmosphere of actually being at the show.
Most of Sabaton was spent wandering around and drinking beer. I had intended to actually pay attention to their set as I've never really listened to them and wanted to see why so many people love Sabaton. From the vantage point I was at, I couldn't clearly hear anything, so that was a lost cause.
Amon Amarth played mostly newer material, from the previous three albums. Which was fine, as they haven't released a weak album yet. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the set that Amon Amarth played. In fact, they put on the kind of energetic, solid performance that I've come to expect from seeing them multiple times. I just found my enjoyment of the show marred by other circumstances. This was quite disappointing as I was highly anticipating seeing one of my favourite live bands again.
I'm in the process of discussing my concerns with the venue management, and thus far am pleasantly surprised by the willingness they have show in communicating with me. Hopefully the next experience at this venue will be significantly better, as the first experience I had with the venue was okay.
