Týr + Trollfest + Æther Realm + The Dread Crew of Oddwood @ Le Studio TD▪

The beautiful weather we were having in late March gave way to northerly winds to steer the longboats of the mighty Týr up the Saint Laurent River and into the Montreal venue of Le Studio TD. They brought a fleet with them, and the first men ashore were The Dread Crew of Oddwood. They came out running to a “Dead Man’s Medley,” filling the stage with their unique pirate charm. Quite the opposite of the heavy metal pirates in Alestorm, other than bearing monikers like Captain Wolfbeard (Reece Miller), Oddwood were adorned head to toe in garb that befits a Renaissance Faire. The ensemble plays on instruments that are counter to the ordinary metal instruments, with an accordion strapped across Wolfbeard’s chest, a mandolin player, a stand-up bass, a full conventional drum set, and one member switching between a tin whistle and a bouzouki.

The last time I saw them, they also had a toy piano among the cacophony. It’s amazing what metalheads will mosh to. After singing about treasure quests, Oddwood went into their newer single “Leather Ship” off their recently released album “Rust & Glory.”  After a little side quest (Jake, the singer from Æther Realm jumped on stage for the song), the set (d)evolved into a bunch of drinking songs, as pirates are out to pirate. The second new song of the night was “Giant Fucking Demon Crab,” which is quite catchy, and a lot less pesky than some other little crabs these pirates have sung about in the past. While most of the crew was part of the standard fare, it was nice to see Peter de Rayna (Seven Spires) filling in on the stand-up bass, and it was a good start to the night.

Setlist:

1. Dead Man’s Medley
2. Leather Ship
3. Side Quest
4. Give Me Your Beer
5. Raise Your Pints
6. Binged and Purged
7. Giant Fucking Demon Crab
8. The Dread Crew of Oddwood
9. Lawful Evil

The redneck Vikings from Hell that spell the Viking way C-A-R-O-L-I-N-A crashed their skiff into the stage next, and the Æther Realm crew kicked off their set with a “Tarot” reading. I personally felt this set for Æther Realm was short because I like a lot of their songs, but most of all, we had only a 6-minute version of the epic closer of “The Sun, The Moon, The Stars.” Their newest release, “Should I?” was great to hear live as it assaults even the casual listener with requests most bands hear at almost every turn in its delivery of frequent statements from toxic ‘fans.’

Additionally, I enjoyed hearing “Swampwitch” immediately follow its sibling song, “She’s Back,” because they seemed to blend well together. The roller coaster of a set slowed its pace to get the emotions of “Guardian” out before swinging right back up to party with the Tiny Metal Hand Crew (“TMHC”). Still felt too short and I can’t wait until they swing through as a headliner.

Setlist:

1. Tarot
2. Death
3. The Magician
4. Should I? (New song)
5. Swampwitch
6. She’s Back
7. Guardian
8. TMHC
9. The Sun, the Moon, the Star

The distinction of the odd flamingo out on stage for this tour package had to go to Trollfest, but holy hell, did they add to the party? Trollfest entered the stage dressed in all pink, with a range of skirts and chicken feet knee-high socks. With the makeup, there was also a lot of colour added to their beards. They entered the stage like a flock of flamingos, with some looking at the crowd while others looked more toward their instruments. The interaction with the crowd was top-notch.

At points, while I was taking photos, there was some mimicking of taking photos from one of the guitarists. The whole set was almost an even divide between their native Finnish and their more popular English songs. While there was a moshpit, Trollfest added to the normal chaos of a show. During Kaptein Kaos, the lead singer was giving directions, splitting the crowd into zones. Some were told to sit while there were circle pits encircling the pillars of Le Studio TD. After being told to switch, at one point Captain Wolfbeard from Oddwood jumped in to lead a conga line around the venue. Very chaotic but a very memorable set from Trollfest.

Setlist:

1. Kjettaren mot strømmen
2. Happy Heroes
3. Dance Like a Pink Flamingo
4. Steel Sarah
5. Twenty Miles an Hour
6. Professor Otto
7. Renkespill
8. Piña Colada
9. Kaptein Kaos
10. Flamongous
11. Byttingenes Byttehandel
12. All Drinks on Me
13. Espen Bin Askeladden

When Týr crested the final wave and stormed the stage, the crowd was ready and swore by the swords in their hands. Týr was quick to introduce their newest single, “Dragons Never Die,” as their second song. It’s the third single from their forthcoming ninth album, Battle Ballads, that this tour is promoting. The album is out on the 12th of April, and judging from the live performances of this song, “Hammered” and “Axes,” Týr continues to be epic.

The way that the Faroese continue to weave epics dedicated to the way of the Vikings is undeniable. I mainly had an issue with trying to get a good shot in the first song with the constantly changing strobe lighting that didn’t leave much time for focusing with the camera when there was light. It’s a minor issue because I was able to get something that worked. The set was otherwise filled with a bunch of their classic songs, and it was a very enjoyable set. Ending the encore of the set with “Hold the Heathen Hammer High” was a good call to leave the crowd on a high note.

Setlist:

1. By the Sword in My Hand
2. Dragons Never Die
3. Mare of My Night
4. Tróndur Í Gøtu
5. Valkyrja
6. Ragnars Kvæði
7. Hammered
8. The Lay of Thrym
9. By the Light of the Northern Star
10. Hail to the Hammer
11. Regin Smiður
12. Axes
13. Blood of Heroes

Encore:

14. Sinklars vísa
15. Hold the Heathen Hammer High

Review & photos – Ryan Rumpel

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