Amaranthe, Audio Reign @ The Gov, Adelaide 27/8/2024
Swedish metal powerhouse Amaranthe hit Adelaide on the first stop of their first ever Australian tour. It has taken a while for the planets to align but it finally happened. This is a big show! In fact, that is an understatement! One thing that was striking was how big the stage was compared to any other show on at The Gov in recent times. It was like bringing a stadium rock show in to the intimate surrounds of The Gov. To have been able to be this close on this tour is definitely a real treat.
Opening proceedings was Adelaide’s very own rockers Audio Reign who flew the flag proudly. It has been a while since I have last seen them play but they have definitely grown in stature and can mix it with the best of them. Even though there were some sound issues you could not knock the endeavour and intensity with which they play. They ripped through their thirty minute set which was focused on new album The Perfect Sea with set highlights being Motorway and Relentless. Be sure to catch them at The Woodshed on Saturday 31 August.
Amaranthe! Wow! I don’t think we’ll be forgetting how dynamite this show was, any time soon. This show had everything! Big rock sound, big stage production and lights, it was theatrical and most important nineteen big songs from a career that spans seven albums including their latest The Catalyst. It was unfortunate to lose Mikael Sehlin who returned home for personal reasons but on the upside Samy Elbanna (Lost Society) filled in on vocals. The dynamic of having three singers creates so many possibilities to push the boundaries of their music.
Right from first drop with Fearless their intentions were made very clear with their unique blend of metal fused with an element of pop. Upfront are singers Elize Ryd (clean vocals), Nils Molin (clean vocals) and Samy Elbanna (harsh vocals) who all bring something different to the performance but one thing they all share in common is the abundance of energy they bring. Feeding off the energy of crowd who have finally got their opportunity to experience the might of Amaranthe.
With Elize saying “we are finally here” they barnstorm their way through Viral, Digital World and Domination Flame. The magnitude of the occasion is not lost on Molin who enthusiastically said they were so excited to be starting their Australian tour in Adelaide. Maximize followed and being in Australia they would not have been able to get away with not playing Boomerang.
Swedish e-sports team anthem PvP was killer and the slower ballad Crystalline really did show the full vocal range of Elize Ryd. The title track The Catalyst raised the energy levels ten fold and the anthemic Amaranthine was rocking it 2024 style with mobile phone lights turned on to light up The Gov . Amaranthe finished the main set in a blaze of glory with The Nexus and Call Out My Name. Absolutely smouldering!
With the crowd chanting for one more song the band returned to the stage to play Archangel from the Manifest album. Molin was impressed with the large crowd turning out on a Tuesday night and encouraged the crowd to participate in the “Amaranthe Olympics” by making as much noise as possible to see ultimately who got the crown for loudest crowd. That Song gave a nod and wink to the beat of We Will Rock You and with all corners of their back catalogue cover they wrapped up their first ever Australian show on Drop Dead Cynical. Make the most of seeing Amaranthe playing smaller venues because when everyone eventually catches on there’s no doubt they will be playing much bigger venues next time round.
Live Review By Rob Lyon