Live report AMON AMARTH, ORBIT CULTURE & SOILWORK, Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg – October 21st, 2026

Hamburg and the Vikings have a history that stretches back centuries, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Thankfully, the days of Viking raids are long gone. These days, it’s Viking metal making its way into the Hanseatic city. Amon Amarth are back on the road for another European run, stopping at Alsterdorfer Sporthalle to bring their latest album, The Allfather Awakens, to the stage. Joining them on the road are Orbit Culture, who timed the release of a deluxe edition of their latest album, Death Above Life, to coincide with the tour. Opening the night are Soilwork, who supported In Flames at the same venue two years ago.

Soilwork

The first part of this Swedish package comes from Soilwork, hailing from Helsingborg. The band released its latest album, Övergivenheten, in 2022, and it has felt like things have been relatively quiet around the band since then. You certainly couldn’t say that about tonight.

Soilwork sound more focused and energetic than they did two years ago, and they are clearly having a good time onstage. That energy quickly spreads through the room, with the crowd responding from the opening notes. During “Death Diviner,” the clapping reaches all the way to the mixing desk, and the Swedes receive plenty of applause throughout the set. It may also have something to do with the fact that Soilwork dig into their back catalog, bringing songs such as “Distortion Sleep” and “Stabbing the Drama” back to the stage.

Soilwork prove to be a strong opening act for this Swedish metal night, leaving plenty of room for one question on the way home: when will we get a new album?

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Orbit Culture

Next up are Orbit Culture, a band I’m seeing live for the first time. The four-piece has been one of the more talked-about rising acts of recent years, and tonight makes it easy to see why. Live, Orbit Culture are a tightly wound machine. Every musician plays with visible intensity, while the band fires eight songs into the crowd at a volume that seems to put the Sporthalle’s foundations to the test. I guess seismographs detected the tremor.

It’s a metal storm sweeping through the venue, and the crowd wastes no time taking advantage of the opportunity for circle pits. Frontman Niklas Karlsson even calls for a wall of death, and the response is immediate.

Driven by pounding rhythms and a heavy bass foundation, Orbit Culture power through their eight-song set before closing with “Vultures of North.” Musically, the band stays within a fairly consistent lane, but when the energy keeps flowing, who’s complaining?

Then it’s time for the Vikings to take the stage.

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Amon Amarth

There is always something familiar about an Amon Amarth show, and that’s meant in the best possible way. You have a pretty good idea of what you’re getting for the price of a ticket — and Amon Amarth deliver. Once again, Johan Hegg and his bandmates leave little doubt about why they remain one of the defining names in Viking metal.

Seeing Amon Amarth live is more than simply attending a concert. It’s a carefully constructed production in which the music and visual elements work together. Naturally, the Swedes are here to showcase their new album, The Allfather Awakens, with five songs from the release making the setlist.

We get the first one right after the intro. “Gjallarhorn” provides a strong opening, and it comes as no surprise that the first pyro effects arrive during “War of Gods.”

“Death by Fire” takes us back to 2003, which is particularly welcome for me. It was one of the songs that first put Amon Amarth on my personal metal radar, and the flames that accompany it are almost mandatory given the title.

Of course, there is rowing tonight as well, although the “rowboat” section turns out to be a little smaller than expected. The crowd makes up for it with a sizable circle pit during songs such as “We Rule the Waves.” Judging by the faces in the room, nobody in the Sporthalle seems to be short on fun.

Midway through the set comes “Upphaf,” the band’s first ballad in a live setting. Within moments, the stage transforms into something resembling a small campfire gathering. The change of pace works surprisingly well and gives the set some breathing room before “Guardians of Asgaard” brings the full weight of the band back into play. The campfire atmosphere gives way to two massive Viking statues. Toward the end of the song, the photo of LG Petrov also appears on screen, which symbolizes the sense of community in heavy metal and, at the same time, is a moment that really gets under your skin.

Toward the end of the set comes another special moment with “Saxons and Vikings.” On record, the song features a vocal duet between Hegg and Saxon frontman Biff Byford. When Byford appears on the giant digital backdrop and trades vocals with Hegg, the crowd gets one of the night’s memorable moments — just before “Twilight of the Thunder God” brings the show toward its finale.

Amon Amarth have delivered once again. There is a clear balance between professionalism and passion, and the combination makes the show work particularly well in a live setting. Soilwork and Orbit Culture have also done their part, turning the evening into a very solid Swedish metal package.

By the end of the night, the crowd leaves the Sporthalle tired, happy, and ready for the trip home — however long that may be.