Amon Amarth / The Civic Hall / Wolverhampton

I always enjoy a trip across the midlands to The Halls in Wolverhampton for what promises to be a cracking night, as Swedish melodic death metallers Amon Amarth blast into town on their 2026 ‘The Allfather Awakens’ tour. I’ve seen Amon Amarth a couple of times before, and their stage shows are legendary.

First up in support ate fellow Swedes Soilwork, a melodic death metal band formed in 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, originally as Inferior Breed before changing their name in 1996. They have released twelve studio albums, form their 1998 debut “Steelbath Suicide” to 2022’s “Övergivenheten”. Soilwork are Björn "Speed" Strid (vocals), Sven Karlsson (keyboards), Sylvain Coudret (guitar), Bastian Thusgaard (drums), Rasmus Ehrnborn (bass) and Simon Johansson (guitar).

The Halls has a massive stage, and sadly (but understandably because of the large Amon Amarth set) the curtain is set close to the front meaning the support bands have little room to move around and are restricted to house lighting only.

But despite this, Soilwork delivered an impressive and energy packed set, opening with The Nurturing Glance from 2019’s “Verkligheten” which immediately had the early crowd engaged and excited. A thoroughly engaging set, that seemed to strike a chord with the Wolverhampton crowd. There were a fair few Soilwork t-shirts out there in the crowd. Distortion Sleep from 2003’s “Figure Number Five” got everyone moving, but my favourite had to be an impressive version of Stålfågel also from “Verkligheten”.

Soilwork were excellent, and did a great job hyping up the early crowd ready for what was to come.

Setlist

The Nurturing Glance

Distance

Figure Number Five

Distortion Sleep

Spirit of No Return

Death Diviner

Stålfågel

Stabbing the Drama

Next up, onto the tiny strip of stage available, are Swedish melodic death metal band Orbit Culture. Formed in 2013, Orbit Culture are Niklas Karlsson (vocals & guitar), Richard Hansson (guitar), Fredrik Lennartsson (bass) and Christopher Wallerstedt (drums). They’ve released a number of Eps and five studio albums, from 2014’s “In Medias Res” to their most recent, 2025’s “Death Above Life”.

Orbit Culture step out to huge applause from the Wolverhampton crowd and bathed in eerie green light, they blast into (the ironically named) Redfog from 2018 album of the same name.

Setlist

Redfog

Alienated

The Storm

The Tales of War

Strangler

While We Serve

Hydra

Vultures of North

Finally it’s time for tonight’s headliners, Amon Amarth. From Sweden and formed in 1992, they are often described as a Viking Metal band, but they are really a melodic death metal band. The name from the Sindarin name of Mount Doom, a volcano in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. Their songs revolve around Viking mythology and history.

Amon Amarth released their debut album “Once Sent from the Golden Hall” back in 1998, and their thirteenth and most recent, “The Allfather Awakens” this year.

Amon Amarth are Olavi Mikkonen (guitar), Johan Hegg (vocals), Ted Lundström (bass), Johan Söderberg (guitar) and Jocke Wallgren (drums).

A ginormous curtain emblazoned with the Amon Amarth logo hangs tantalisingly in front of the stage, while the set is arranged, and everything prepared. The lights finally dim and Iron Maiden blasts out and suddenly the curtain drops revealing the set in all it’s glory as the band launch in to the opening track Gjallarhorn from the latest album “The Allfather Awakens”. It blasts out at the audience and immediately the intensity in the air rises. Johan Hegg is a commanding figure, dressed in black with long hair and leather arm straps he certainly gives off the Viking warrior vibes.

Next is War of the Gods during which a giant, menacing figures steps onto the stage, holding a staff with fire blazing from its tip. Did I mention fire ? Amon Amarth love a bit of fire, and the jets fire up from this point on at regular intervals.

The set is a glorious mx of older classics alongside newer material, and the two work seamlessly together. Deceiver of the Gods from the 2013 album of the same name is a real hit with the fans, and of course, no Amon Amarh show would be complete without Put Your Back Into The Oar. A real rousing song, as you’d expect from one aimed at making you row harder, and half way through a large swathe of the crowd drop to the floor. The solitary drum beats a steady rhythm as Joahn roars “ROW” and the crowd comply. Watching an Amon Amarth crowd in unison, sat rowing, is sight to behold. Everyone is smiling and laughing and Johan grins down from the stage at his handy work !

Probably my personal highlight was a stunning rendition of their recent release Upphaf. Upphaf is their first ever acoustic track and on the video the band sit round a campfire as they sing and perform the song. And here tonight they replicate the experience in dramatic fashion. It makes a significantly different moment in the set and as it wraps up, is greeted by a wall of cheers.

The hits continue with the likes of the brilliant Guardians of Asgaard from 2008’s “Twilight of the Thunder God”, the anthemic war cry that is Shield Wall from 2019’s “Berserker” and fan favourite Raise Your Hornsa rousing drinking song where Johan toasts the Wolverhampton faithful.

The show just flies by, the intensity never drops once throughout and the Wolverhampton crowd are lapping it up. I had hoped to hear Heidrun, from “The Great Heathen Army” which is a fantastic live anthem, something shave to make way for the new material.

This was my third time seeing Amon Amarth live, and they just seem to get better and better with each show.

Setlist

Gjallarhorn

War of the Gods

Death in Fire

Free Will Sacrifice

Deceiver of the Gods

The Allfather Awakes

Hermod's Ride to Hel - Lokes Treachery, Part 1

Put Your Back Into the Oar

We Rule the Waves

One Thousand Burning Arrows