Enslaved -- Baltimore, MD -- January 31st, 2013

[tenchimyo]

Full review (pix coming this evening of merch and bands)

summary: eventually got pretty packed (about 350 ppl, including bands and staff)
Ancient VVisdom- sounded great, not metal, def different from my usual likes. I enjoyed their new album (streamed previously), so I thought those in particular sounded very powerful

Royal Thunder- looked like hipsters. Halestorm meets Heart vocals meets bad songs. I was kinda liking the first two songs, but overall their songs were lacking, IMO. The vocals sounded GREAT, but lyrics were...well they had a lot of whoa oh ohs (I'm not going to comment about Halestorm lyrics at this point!). I was kinda disappointed considering the hype I have heard about these guys.

Pallbearer- Droney, heaviest band of the night. Unremarkable, boring songs IMO. I think it woulda been ok if I was high, but it really was not really my kinda sound. Crowd seemed into it, overall.

Enslaved- sounded very good. I was unfamiliar with them overall, but the ones I did know (um ,...new ones) sounded pretty good. Amp problem at some point yielded horrible joke telling to appease the crowds, but thankfully they got another to use. Big pit on Immigrant Song, and pits on other songs that had kinda fast parts, but seemed more headbanging songs and def not moshing songs. /rant
Overall they easily sounded the most professional.

Not a bad way to start 2013 concerts!

Setlists

Nightfire
? I dunno we were walking in and merch boothing at this point

Ancient VVisdom (7:47- 8:15)

• By Fire Light
• the Grave
• Deathlike
• World of Flesh
• Death or Victory
• The Opposition

Royal Thunder (8:34 -9sih?)
?

Pallbearer (9:26- 10:07)
?
(new song at the end)

Enslaved (10:42 -12:21)

• Riitiir
• Ruun
• The Watcher
• Thoughts Like Hammers
• Ethica Odini
• Roots of the Mountain
• Materal
• Convoys to Nothingness
• As Fire Swept Clean the Earth
• Allfaðr Oðinn
• Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin cover)
• (Unknown)
• Drum Solo
• Isa

next concerts: Doro/Sister Sin, Coheed & Cambria, Turisas/Firewind, Uli Jon Roth, Suffocation !

[Ommie]

Damn, 100 minutes of Enslaved? Yes please.

Thanks for the setlist, gonna be seeing them tomorrow and I can't wait.

[adamclark52]

That's a GREAT Enslaved setlist!!!! I'd put Ethica Odini as the opener.

I'm on my crappy cell phone right now, I'll give more input later.

[MPF]

Holy fuck I can't wait for Tuesday!

[W0unds]

That is a good Enslaved set, I would be happy with that. Still disappointed they are playing the exact same night as Meshuggah in Toronto.

[bigguytoo9]

Originally Posted by W0unds

That is a good Enslaved set, I would be happy with that. Still disappointed they are playing the exact same night as Meshuggah in Toronto.

Id hit up Meshuggah personally, but im biased due to having a love affair with that band for over 10 years.

[tenchimyo]

Originally Posted by Ommie

Damn, 100 minutes of Enslaved? Yes please.

Thanks for the setlist, gonna be seeing them tomorrow and I can't wait.

no problem! well some of that 100 minutes was like 7 minutes of amp fixing and a couple minutes for the encore. BUT BASICALLY YES.

ADDED merch photos http://metalcowboy.tumblr.com/post/4...hunder-ancient
EX:

[adamclark52]

There's a really good selection of songs here. Nothing from the older albums I haven't seen on past tours except Convoys to Nothingness, which is pretty much the only song I'd want to hear from Monumensíon. I'm really glad that As Fire Swept Clean the Earth has lasted into this tour and REALLY glad that they're playing the Watcher again. That's probably my favorite Enslaved song. Segueing from Covoys to Nothingness into As Fire Swept Clean the Earth must have been epic! It does suck that they're pretty much playing one song from each album. But when you have ten or so albums there's no way to avoid that.

The issue I have is the sequencing. RIITIIR is a terrible opener, and Ruun and the Watcher aren't very good follow-ups. I'd like to see them play all three songs but later in the set. I'd stick with Ethica Odini as the opener. The Immigrant Song I'd just get rid of, it's a good cover I'd much rather hear an Enslaved song. I'm really surprised that Fusion of Sense and Earth isn't in the set anymore. I figured that would be the staple song off Ruun for the rest of their careers.

Lastly, did the "unknown" song sound like a new Enslaved song or a pre-Mardraum Enslaved song? It's pretty easy to tell which era it would've been from even if you had no idea what it was. It could've also been Heimvegen off the Sleeping Gods EP.

I can't see them in Toronto next week because of work. But it's a solid set.

[tenchimyo]

Originally Posted by adamclark52

Lastly, did the "unknown" song sound like a new Enslaved song or a pre-Mardraum Enslaved song? It's pretty easy to tell which era it would've been from even if you had no idea what it was. It could've also been Heimvegen off the Sleeping Gods EP. .

I'm not sure, but from the setlist I spied on the soundboard I saw 'Fenrir" in parenthesis, so it mighta been that, but not being really familiar with their material I can't say for sure. It certainly sounded like something older (based on the Odin song).

Assuming they have the same setlist, def post what improvements you find out!

[VoidFlame]

Originally Posted by tenchimyo

I'm not sure, but from the setlist I spied on the soundboard I saw 'Fenrir" in parenthesis, so it mighta been that, but not being really familiar with their material I can't say for sure. It certainly sounded like something older (based on the Odin song).

Assuming they have the same setlist, def post what improvements you find out!

Fenris would be awesome.

How much were the Pallbearer and Royal Thunder CDs?