Amon Amarth

Blind Guardian / Holy Grail / Seven Kingdoms @ Kool Haus, Toronto ON, November 26th 2010

“The moment the overture of “At the Edge of Time” began, the Kool Haus erupted. The audience was no longer a collection of discrete individuals; the room was suddenly occupied by a single entity, one cacophonous voice entirely at Blind Guardian’s mercy for the entire two-hour set. Very few shows can inspire this kind of intense, unifying energy, but this was such an event.”

Natalie Zed reviews the recent Toronto performance from power metal legends Blind Guardian, who were joined by Holy Grail and Seven Kingdoms.

Holy Grail: Better The Second Time Around

“I think the biggest thing that has helped with the resurgence in classic power/speed metal is probably blogs and the internet. Plus, there’s so much crappy music out there that it seems only the classic metal/power/speed bands are worth listening to since they still stand the test of time.”

Kevin Stewart-Panko in conversation with HOLY GRAIL vocalist James Paul Luna about their debut album, Crisis In Utopia, set for release October 26th on Prosthetic Records

Blasphemy Blog: Passion In The Pit

Excitement is an understatement when you hear that your favourite band is coming to town. You read the show listing, the time, the date, and you immediately scan your brain to process your work schedule and the money you either have or lack to pay for the tickets. It will always be enjoyable to experience music in the comfort of your own home and solitude but nothing will ever compare to a live experience.

Amon Amarth/Eluveitie/Holy Grail @ Odeon, Saskatoon, SK, April 16, 2010

As opposed to the combination of muscle and nuance that Eluveitie excels at live, Amon Amarth is always strictly about brute force. No frills at all, just five guys taking the stage and hammering out an hour and a half’s worth of rousing tunes. Led by the gregarious, downright jolly Johan Hegg, the band hunkered down and regaled the hot, sweaty crowd with a considerably longer set than their first North American tour, which was certainly a nice touch.