CHRONICLES OF THE METAL LENS: Wizards, Vikings, and the Animated Apocalypse
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
A Las Vegas War Journal by Arnold "Rocky" Kessenger | Through the Metal Lens
Las Vegas is a city entirely constructed on the foundation of grand illusions and manufactured spectacles. Yet, when the heavy music community descends upon the Strip, that artificial neon sheen gets instantly painted over with something raw, visceral, and undeniably authentic. On Thursday, May 21st, the air inside and around PH Live at Planet Hollywood carried a distinctly different electric charge. The Amonklok Conquest had finally breached our walls for its climactic tour finale.
As a chronicler armed with nothing but a pair of camera bodies and a bag full of lenses, my mission was to descend into the trenches of the photo pit and document this impending clash of realms. The crowd filing in was a fascinating cross-section of subcultures: battle-jacketed doom purists, horn-drinking Viking metal traditionalists, and Adult Swim animation diehards. What I originally expected to be a standard, albeit massive, heavy metal co-headliner quickly revealed itself to be a journey through a mystical underground dungeon, a full-scale historic invasion, and a bizarrely groovy cinematic apocalypse.
Chapter I: The Dungeon of the Rat Queen
Before the house lights were even fully cut, the photographers in the pit were huddled together, checking our exposure settings and exchanging uncertain glances. We had all heard the murmurs and seen the buzz surrounding a Brooklyn-based vanguard known as CASTLE RAT, but would it live up to the hype? None of us truly knew what awaited us in the dark. I won't lie to you, I was definitely there to see them, but I went in with limited knowledge of them; mostly by name and reputation from their recent releases.
Within seconds, the cavernous space of PH Live was stripped of its modern Vegas veneer and plunged headfirst into "The Realm." The air grew thick, both physically with dense theatrical fog and sonically with SABBATH-worshipping, fuzz-drenched riffs. When The Rat Queen (Riley Pinkerton) emerged, wielding her guitar like a broadsword, it became immediately clear that their live performance takes their studio work and elevates it ten levels higher.
We thought we were there to shoot a standard opening set, but we found ourselves caught in the middle of a medieval doom-metal theater production. They kicked off the siege with the lumbering, heavy groove of "Dagger Dragger," demanding the room's attention through sheer sonic weight. They leaned into their fantasy identity with absolute, unapologetic commitment, weaving seamlessly through the mystical dirges of "Wizard" and "Siren."
Through the viewfinder, it was an absolute feast. Complete with deep storytelling, authentic drawn swords, atmospheric smoke, and realistic onstage battles. When the band capped off their 30-minute block with "Serpent," everyone was in for a surprise. Bringing out a giant rat with a seductive, scythe-wielding reaper to stalk the stage, the entire photo pit shared a collective realization. None of us had "giant rodent combat" and "sexy reaper" on our bucket lists for the night, but we were absolutely living for every second of it!
A brilliantly immersive fever dream! I could have gladly stayed locked inside that dungeon, for another hour.
Chapter II: Redemption on the Longship
If CASTLE RAT was the shadowy, spell-soaked dungeon beneath the earth, AMON AMARTH was the roaring, blood-soaked battlefield tearing across the surface. I’ll admit, the Viking blood in me was seeking a bit of personal redemption tonight. The last time these Norsemen raided our desert territory, I wasn't able to fully soak in the sheer scale of the spectacle. This time around, I was dead set on getting the complete, unadulterated stage show experience and man, the Swedes did not disappoint!
By the time the changeover was complete, the room had crossed over from simmering anticipation into total, feral commitment. The production was as massive and over-the-top as you could possibly hope for. Center stage was entirely dominated by drummer Jocke Wallgren, who was perched high atop an enormous, intricately carved horned Gjermundbu helmet like a warlord surveying his newly conquered lands.
From the opening volley of "Raven’s Flight," the set was a flawlessly executed siege. The lighting was relentless, a photographer's dream of fiery reds and piercing whites cutting through the smoke. Johan Hegg commanded his horde with absolute authority; a towering presence whose guttural roars shook the venue's foundation. They battered us with modern anthems like "Shield Wall" and "Live for the Kill," but made sure to reach back into the armory for "Death in Fire." This is the exact track that hooked me on their brand of melodic death metal so many years ago.
The pinnacle of the campaign, and a sight that never gets old, arrived with "Put Your Back Into the Oar." Watching the entire general admission floor of a Vegas arena drop to the ground, unified in a massive, synchronized rowing pit, is a testament to the band's unmatched crowd control. Closing out the main assault with "War of the Gods" and "Raise Your Horns," they returned for a crushing, triumphant encore of "Saxons and Vikings" and "Twilight of the Thunder God." AMON AMARTH proved once again that they don't just play a concert; they wage a glorious, fiery war. The Viking in me was finally completely satiated!
Chapter III: The Groovy Death Metal Movie
And then, the realm shifted for a third and final time. The burning Viking longships faded away, replaced by the monolithic, animated machinery of DETHKLOK.
I must make a sincere confession here. The Rat Queen, herself, can drag me out onto the Vegas strip and beat me for it, but while I genuinely enjoy the music, I was never deeply immersed in the sacred lore of what they do. To top it off, I did not follow the Metalocalypse television series. So, as the massive digital monitors flickered to life, to the sound of punishing cadence of "Deththeme," the atmosphere morphed from a visceral, sweat-drenched battlefield into something entirely different.
As much as I want to tell you how awesome the traditional concert experience was, it honestly felt exactly like sitting down in a massive, dark theater to watch a two-hour movie. But to be perfectly fair, it was a genuinely good movie. Perfectly soundtracked to some Groooooovy (please imagine me saying that in my absolute best Austin Powers voice) death metal!
The animated war machine operated with purely lethal precision on this final night! There were no issues; the execution was smooth and flawless. The strobes, the saturated lighting colors, and the massive video projections behind the band synced up perfectly with the live audio. For a cinematic show, virtual entity whose entire crushing live impact relies on that flawless, meticulous alignment between sight and sound, they nailed it, continually fueling the momentum of the room.
Sitting in my seat, watching this massive death metal cinematic experience unfold, I found myself happily banging my head to the handful of tracks I actually did know; like the undeniably heavy “Awaken.” Between the crushing riffs, I had a genuinely good laugh watching creator Brendon Small carry out full-on, hilarious dialogues with his own characters; Pickles and Skwisgaar; seamlessly weaving the cartoon's lore into the live performance! Even if the deeper inside jokes were completely on missed me, the sheer musicianship happening onstage was undeniable, tight, and punishing.Even though this particular cinematic apocalypse wasn't exactly my usual battleground, I found myself rooted to my seat for the entire ride. Instead of packing up my lenses early, I weathered the massive 18-song storm right alongside the packed house of diehards. I'm genuinely glad I stuck it out to the very end, because getting to experience that flawless, heavy-hitting closing barrage of "Murmaider," "Thunderhorse," and "Go Into the Water" was a wild trip and the perfect way to close out the tour!
Epilogue
Ultimately, the Amonklok Conquest left a smoking, glorious crater in Las Vegas. From the doom-laden theatrics of a Brooklyn rat cult to a masterclass in Viking melodic death metal, right up to a glitchy but bruising cartoon apocalypse; it was weird, it was wild, and it was absolutely wonderfully heavy! It left a mark on the city; not a clean one, but a real one. The exact kind of mark that live music is supposed to leave behind!
DethKlok photos Rocky Kessenger / Through The Metal Lens
Amon Amarth photos Rocky Kessenger / Through The Metal Lens
Castle Rat photos Rocky Kessenger / Through The Metal Lens
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