Amonklok

We were brought out to The Amonklok Conquest Tour in Las Vegas, NV. Here is our experience of the concert & the bands experienced during The Amonklok Conquest Tour

Music is a part of so many video games and gaming in general, especially when it comes to the fantasy realms out there. That is why, when we were given the chance to check out The Amonklok Conquest Tour in Las Vegas, NV, we hopped right on board with it. Not only are we fans of Dethklok and Amon Amarth, but the general music vibes also quickly lend quickly into the settings we all know. Not to mention, Dethklok has been a massive staple in the pop culture and communities that blend between the gaming, anime, and others like it. Especially after twenty years of them giving us the metal on TV as well as in many video games. With the new coming of rhythm video games on the way, it felt like The Amonklok Conquest Tour could be a great way to see if we could bring more of the fun music into the realm of coverage we have here. With that all said, let us dive into how the connect all went down and our review of the performances that we were able to encounter.

Before all of that, we are talking about the North American run of The Amonklok Conquest Tour. There has not been much mention, as of this writing, that it will carry out beyond that, but it felt like it was worth noting for those who might have a little bit of FOMO since the show might not have come close enough for you to attend. Dethkolk does have a few more locations along the way for tours, and I am sure with a bit of looking, you will be able to find out when and where Amon Amarth and Castle Rat will be in the future. Just in case what we are about to bring up for the Amonklok Tour piques your interest in seeing any or all of the bands here. Maybe even see them show up in the upcoming Stage Tour title, but that is yet to be seen. Do not take that as any kind of insider knowledge. In fact, let us move on to the show and what the bands had to offer up.

Kicking things off was Castle Rat. A band that I was unfamiliar with, but that is why I love going to see the opening acts for concerts. They are always bands that the more established headliners know that will vibe with their music, so we do not have to hope for some AI online to feed us what the business wants to sell. In the case of Castle Rat, not only did they fit the vibe, but they also felt like they kicked off the epic fantasy and conquest part of The Amonklok Conquest Tour. Almost as if they were playing out a session of Dungeons & Dragons while playing out their set. Given the fantasy themes of the band and music, this fit so well and brought to mind the scenes one would think of when imagining the '70s and '80s era of tabletop gaming. Along with the various band members fitting the roles and having a few fights on stage with villains and monsters coming out. Much like a GWAR show, but tamer in the themes and subject matter.

Presentation aside, we have to go into the actual music of Castle Rat that was on display between the narration that the performers brought in. To me, they felt closer to a melodic metal band akin to a jam band. While the lyrics and vocals felt as if they were different for each song, outside of the solos, most of the music sounded the same between songs. Not a terrible thing, but without all of the other theatrics going on, this might have grown tiresome after a while. They are still a relatively new band, so that is forgiven, as many others had to take some time to find the right slot for me. It might have also been that they had a vastly shorter set than expected, and there might have been a few things missed. I want to say, they were only on stage for just over half an hour. Given their discography, that does look to be as if it would be half of their songs, but it truly only felt as if I heard four during the whole set. Still, they are a band I now have on my playlists, as they still landed well.

After having a solid opening from Castle Rat, I felt like I was ready to head further into the fantasy and medieval realms of The Amonklok Conquest Tour, which is where Amon Amarth stepped right in. Those not in the know, they are a Swedish death metal band that leans hard into the Viking setting. In fact, I would rather call them Viking Metal than many of the other descriptors out there. Not just in looks, as they all fit the part, but in the theme of the music and the stage performance that all members put on. That is when I knew that this tour was all about the spectacle with some amazing music placed right in there. Not only did the themes change between songs, but so did many of the massive set pieces that Amon Amarth brought with them. From seeing giant statues of the gods, to a Viking longboat, to a massive sea serpent, they brought it all. Not only brought it, but put on a show with each to fit the music and bring us all deeper into their Viking setting.

None of this was too much of a surprise, as they were the Amon part of The Amonklok Conquest Tour, but not what I was truly expecting. Especially as we moved into the music of the band, with some deep growls and a fast-paced tempo to much of the music that Amon Amarth had to offer. Even with some of the goofiness that the general setting had to offer, they still rocked hard and longer than any longboat I have ever been on. That is more than two for those curious. Something I feel like I need to mention, as I was called out when it came to the "Row Pit" that they brought to life, and I had a solid form to it all. Those not in the know, this is a "mosh pit" of sorts, but everyone is encouraged to mock row a ship instead of slamming into each other. Further pulling us all into the setting and fun that Amon Amarth was trying to promote in the mix of all of the spectacular music. All of which hit just as hard as we would all have expected, as the solid build-up to the headliner of the show.

Now that the crowd had been sufficiently amped up, it was time for Dethklok to hit the stage. Which, for some, might be a bit questionable as they are a fictional band from the cartoon Metalocalypse. Well, fictional to a point, as the performers of the music also provide the sound and many of the voices for the show. They just do not look or act as the characters, so they perform in shadows while a massive screen projects the visuals we all expect to have out there. Many of them are the music videos from the cartoon while the live music is played, and a few others from internet clips that sampled some of the band's music in the past. Only this time, they made it their own using the outrageous characters that were brought to life two decades ago. Which will lead me to the part of saying, they have not lost their ability to put on one heavy show after all of this time. Even with many of the same performers who have been around, a few newer ones have been brought in. All of the nostalgia from the first watching of the cartoon came flooding back in, along with all of the blood and guts that the satirical lyrics push out there.

While I did enjoy the music of Dethklok, I did happen to see something that I thought was interesting to point out, and that was that the crowd seemed to have lost some of the energy that was built up. Not that Dethklok was putting on a poor performance, they truly did rock the fucking house, but it was the use of screens and lighting that seemed to engross the fans more than anything. I know that the gimmick of the band is that they are all cartoons with real performers shredding on stage, but it feels as if that might be a sign of the times coming. That is, just like people looking at their phones, more and more of the concertgoers were just looking at the screen instead of feeling and enjoying the music. I was not one of those, and still loved every moment of The Amonklok Conquest Tour 2026, but it was an interesting thing to note. More that Dethklok might need to change things up again to put on the best metal show ever, as the fans do not seem built for that anymore with the Brianrot. That, or maybe you all should take that in and try not to consume as much through your screens so that you can enjoy the world around you. At least to enjoy the stunning performances that the musicians put on while the pretty colors played out.

The Amonklok Conquest Tour ran from April 15^th to May 21^st, 2026. Tickets to the concert were given to us by the concert promoters.