Photos / Review – Tyr with Orphaned Land, Aeternam, and Ghost Ship Octavius in Providence

Who: Tyr with Orphaned Land, Aeternam, Ghost Ship Octavius

Where: Alchemy, Providence, Rhode Island

When: May 6, 2018

I have been a fan of Orphaned Land for a few years, so when they announced they were heading out on tour with Tyr, I jumped at the chance to finally see them for the first time.

Ghost Ship Octavius was the first band to take the stage. The vocalist had a really nice voice and there was a lot of good guitar. Every band member had some kind of face makeup, so there was a cohesive look to the group. They were a fun group that got the audience ready for the next band, Aeternam. While Ghost Ship Octavius’ music was more my taste, Aeternam had more stage presence. They were really energetic and connected well with the audience. Both bands did a great job of pumping up the audience and getting them ready for the next bands. If you can make it out to see Ghost Ship Octavius or Aeternam, you will not regret it, as both bands put on an excellent show.

Orphaned Land is the most famous band to come out of Israel. Established in the 90’s, Orphaned Land pioneered oriental metal and promotes peace through their music. Vocalist Kobi Farhi and bassist Uri Zelha are the only two original members of the group; guitarists Idan Amsalem and Chen Balbus and drummer Matan Shmuely complete the current lineup. Most of the audience was very obviously there for Tyr, but Orphaned Land had several of their own fans. Their set started with “The Cave” off of their new album Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs, which released in January.  Other songs off the album in the set included “Like Orpheus” and “We Do Not Resist.” “Kiss Of Babylon” off of 2004’s Mabool was a hit with the crowd, as were the classics “Sapari” and “Norra El Norra.” Orphaned Land had a great set and it is a shame that they were performing at such a small – albeit great – venue on a Sunday night. Orphaned Land is a band that you absolutely have to experience live.

Headliners Tyr brought the Viking metal from the second they stepped on stage. Where Orphaned Land’s set had come across as almost relaxed, Tyr were definitely more aggressive. They played a really good variety of songs from multiple albums. “Hold The Heathen Hammer High” from 2004’s By The Light of the Northern Star was an audience favorite. “Mare Of My Night” off 2013’s Valkyrja sounded great live. “Wings of Time” from 2006’s Ragnarok was another highlight of the set. Tyr gave the audience exactly what they wanted and reaped the rewards from it. As an introduction to metal, Tyr is probably not the right choice, but for those who want really good Viking metal and a fun live show, Tyr is definitely a great choice.

Tyr’s headlining show at Alchemy was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, since it was a Sunday, it was not as full as it could have been, but from the show the bands put on, you would have thought it was a sold-out stadium. The venue itself was also great and had a sound system that was a lot better than expected. Alchemy is a great place to catch a show and these are all great bands to see live.

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Post and photos by Karen Shalev

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