Concert review: Ensiferum and Swashbuckle clash swords on North American Tour From Afar

November 9, 11:49 PMHeavy Metal ExaminerMark Morton

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What was originally billed to be a dynamic tour with surprises in every set was unfortunately sidetracked to a metal tour with Vikings and pirates dominating the stage. While many metal folk were anticipating Hypocrisy’s return to America and Roman-themed Ex Deo’s American touring debut, the experience unfortunately must wait until a later time, thanks to immigration and transportation issues.

That said, it was still a mirthful night, though the cloud of what could have been lingered above the crowd’s heads through the show. While that initial disappointment panged, the remaining bands on the bill more than made up for the absence. The audience at Crocodile Rock in Allentown, PA still was treated to a night of feral fun with Swashbuckle, Lazarus A.D., Blackguard, and headliners Ensiferum.

Kicking the party off in style was New Jersey’s band of mischievous pirates, Swashbuckle. While I was hoping they would get a longer set, due to the aforementioned issues, the band only received a 20-minute slot. But they packed every minute of that time with enough salty metal to flood a poop-deck. Swashbuckle spent all summer over in Europe spreading random acts of thrashing piracy, and it was great to finally see them back on American shores. Commanding the stage like hardened buccaneers, Admiral Nobeard, Commodore Redrum, and Captain Crashride whipped the audience into an early frenzy. And to be honest, it’s really hard not to love this band – even without the gimmick, Swashbuckle is one hell of an entertaining thrash metal band. Following the set, the jolly Admiral intimated to me that the band already has six brand new songs in the barrel for the next album. (NOTE: Check out my interview with Admiral Nobeard here!)

Swashbuckle:
Scurvy Back
Back to the Noose
No Prey No Pay
Drink Up
Crewed by the Damned
Walk the Plank
Rounds of Rum
Cruise Ship Terror

Check out our exclusive Swashbuckle photo gallery here!

Following Swashbuckle was the latecomer to the tour, Wisconsin’s Lazarus A.D., which is a bare-bones, old-school loving thrash metal band. At moments during their set, the band seemed like it was completely pulled from a different time period – employing generous instances of synchronized headbanging and “pit-talk.” Even the vocalist’s gargled howls sounded like a cross between Brian Zimmerman from Atrophy and Daniel Gomez from Gothic Slam. Being my first experience with the band, I was taken aback at how energetic the band was. I really hope they come back around, because they really helped me, and most likely many other members of the audience, recapture a bit of our youth.

Without skipping a beat, Canada’s Blackguard took the stage next. For the life of me, I still do not get this band. Sure, their sound is tight and is a good mix of black metal and death metal with a mild folk-ish flavor, but their songs and their stage show do not resonate with me at all. Perhaps their overbearing stage presence has something to do with it, but most likely it is because I just don’t like their music. Blackguard bears a strong resemblance to Children of Bodom, but visually, they remind me of The Hardy Boys from WWE. They look very stylish with their well-kept hair (they obviously don’t “wash and go with Pert”), sleeveless neck-hugging black t-shirts (which seem to be the band’s uniform), and well-groomed facial appearance. And when they perform, they really act like they are doing the audience a favor with their presence, and not the other way around. There is a sincere pomposity about Blackguard that really doesn’t sit well, almost as if this whole “metal thing” is some form of temporary posturing.

Thankfully, Ensiferum soon arrived and washed away the harsh feelings by taking the crowd on a journey to distant shores with its impeccable brand of folk-infused heavy metal. The venue went dark, and all you could hear was traditional Scandinavian folk music burning through the crowd, making hearts swell, teeth gnash, and fists pump furiously in the air. Ensiferum owned the stage, as though they were both preaching to the crowd and initiating warriors for battle. The only thing mildly distracting was that Sami Hinkka (bass) really looked like fallen Monty Pythoner Graham Chapman in his Yellowbeard guise. Every time I looked at him, it made me chuckle. That personal comedy aside, Ensiferum perform with deadly seriousness, even though the music sounds fun, but I suppose that is all part of the fun of an Ensiferum show. While giving the fans a taste of each of their albums, the crowd chanted along (most times without being prompted), and by the end of the show, most of the audience would have gladly boarded the ship to pillage and conquer alongside the charismatic Finnish band. (NOTE: Check out my interview with Sami Hinkka here!)

Ensiferum:
By the Dividing Stream (intro)
From Afar
Twilight Tavern
Treacherous Gods
Elusive Reaches
Wanderer
Stone Cold Metal
Guardians of Fate
Smoking Ruins
Slayer of Light
One More Magic Potion
Lai Lai Hei
Iron
Battle Song

Check out our exclusive Ensiferum photo gallery here!

For more info: Keep up with Swashbuckle’s and Ensiferum’s exploits on MySpace.