Amon Amarth and Deathklok Brought the War Raid Party to the New LandMark Credit Union venue in Milwaukee Wisconsin

Saturday night in Milwaukee, the walls of the LandMark Credit Union Event Center shook under the weight of one of the most entertaining metal lineups I’ve seen all year. With Castle Rat opening the night, followed by the thunderous Viking assault of Amon Amarth, and capped off by the legendary Dethklok, the show felt less like a concert and more like an all out cinematic experience.

I could feel the anticipation before the first band even hit the stage. Fans packed shoulder to shoulder in battle jackets and black denim, while the venue buzzed with a unique kind of energy - that I felt like I was getting ready to experience an all out Viking raid like the ones you see in the movies.

Castle Rat wasted no time setting the tone. Their set played like a doom-fueled fantasy ritual, complete with theatrical visuals, haunting vocals, and crushing riffs that rolled through the venue like thunder. I’d heard the hype surrounding them before tonight. Somebody told me lead singer Riley Pinkerton portrays this Rat Queen Character - along side her guitar player as a Vampire, bassist as the Plague Doctor; they set out on stage to defeat the Reaper Rat herself. Their performance felt immersive and strange in the best possible way - pulling the audience into their dark medieval world before the chaos truly began.

Up next was the legendary Amon Amarth.

As soon as the opening notes hit, the atmosphere transformed completely. The stage looked massive. Viking imagery towering over the crowd while smoke and dramatic lighting turned the venue into something closer to a battlefield than a concert hall. Johan Hegg commanded the room from the second he walked onstage - delivering every growl with the presence of a warrior leading his army into battle.

The crowd responded to every moment. Fans screamed lyrics back word for word. Circle pits erupted across the floor, and during “Put Your Back Into the Oar,” the now famous rowing moment turned the entire venue into a sea of synchronized movement. Looking around and seeing thousands of people rowing together, beneath pounding riffs and roaring vocals, was one of those live music moments that sticks with you long after the show ends.

Musically, the band sounded absolutely massive. The guitars cut through with razor sharp clarity while the rhythm section hit with enough force to rattle the floor beneath me. Yet beneath all the aggression, there’s still a melodic core to Amon Amarth’s music that gives their songs a sense of scale and emotion many metal bands never achieve live. I’ve been wanting to cover this legendary band for years. Amon Amarth has played some of the biggest stages around the world and first started their careers here in Milwaukee, so it was really cool to have them welcomed back home.

Then the lights dropped for Dethklok.

The reaction from the crowd was immediate and deafening. Giant animated visuals lit up the stage while the band launched into a blistering set filled with technical precision and ridiculous intensity. What makes Dethklok so unique is how effortlessly they balance brutality with humor. One moment the pit was exploding into complete mayhem, and the next the entire room was laughing at the absurdity unfolding onscreen. Somehow, it all worked perfectly. The set was over the top, violent, hilarious, and unbelievably tight musically.

Tonight’s show in Milwaukee was a reminder of why live metal continues to thrive. Castle Rat brought atmosphere, Dethklok delivered spectacle, and Amon Amarth closed the night with pure Viking fury. Together, they created one of the most memorable concert experiences I’ve had in a long time.