Hällas & Scimitar, 28th February 2026, Amager Bio, Copenhagen, Denmark

Photo: Zoran www.sonic-shot.com

Since their debut, Excerpts from a Future Past, in 2017, the Swedish hard rock band Hällas have grown with each new release. Their latest album, Panorama, sees them at their most ambitious yet, accompanying almost soundtrack-like qualities to their ’70s-inspired, retro-futuristic progressive hard rock.

The question this Saturday evening was whether they had grown enough to fill the 1,300-capacity Amager Bio.

Well, no – the balcony at the venue was closed. Still, a big crowd showed up to witness the supporting act, the Danish band Scimitar. And while the band is relatively new, with their debut released last year, the members have been part of the scene in other bands and projects for some time.

The band opened the show keeping some distance from the crowd, but with confidence. One song in, it was clear that while the absolute majority of the audience was unfamiliar with the band, they were certainly captivated by what they were witnessing. There is intensity and power in the band’s music, but it was the intensity of their performance that lifted the show to another level. Two songs in, it was evident that no one was leaving – and whoever arrived late stayed for the rest of the set. With their blend of black metal, occult rock, and more, they have created something rather unique.

On stage, Scimitar focused on energy and intensity, largely maintaining their distance from the audience, which only added to the distinctive atmosphere of their performance. There is an unpredictability to vocalist Shaam A’s stage presence, and the generally introverted yet passionate approach from all band members worked extremely well, creating a dynamic that felt purposefully dysfunctional at times. That in itself added to the tension and served the unpredictable nature of their music. Johan L. Ekstrand’s blistering performance on drums was relentlessly busy, yet melodic – not only rhythmic but truly musical.

Most people had no idea who the supporting band was, but after their 30-minute performance at Amager Bio, they gained numerous new fans, with many in the crowd looking them up on Spotify while waiting for the main act to take the stage.

Opening a show with a new song can be tricky. Opening with a 20-minute-long new song is downright ambitious. With that move, Hällas underlined their bold approach on the new album. The mystical and adventurous nature of “Above the Continuum” was complemented by the band’s visual approach and stage presence, featuring carefully designed lighting, finely controlled smoke, and props such as stalagmites and a large, centrally placed metallic monolith. And while it takes courage to open with such an epic, the Swedes were clever enough to follow it with fan favorite “Tear of a Traitor” from their 2020 album Conundrum.

‘Clever’ seems to describe Hällas’ show rather well. For every daring move, there was a quick and safe alternative to balance it out. The setlist as a whole showcased the band’s musical universe effectively. They closed the main set with “Face of an Angel” from the new album – already proving to be a future live classic – and the established favorite “Carry On,” which sparked one of the biggest sing-alongs from the fairly packed floor at Amager Bio. For the encore, the band predictably chose a new song, their biggest ‘hit’, and a classic from their debut EP.

Throughout the concert, Hällas sounded excellent, with well-balanced harmonies and clean instrumentation. The setlist was extremely well constructed, satisfying fans across the spectrum.

Last night, the Swedes proved they are worthy headliners, with enough courage to keep moving forward – yet enough common sense to know when to play it safe. And ‘safe’ should not be mistaken for boring in this context. Hällas are growing and evolving, doing so in a thoughtful and clever manner without compromising the core of their sound. On the contrary, they are reinforcing it.

SETLIST:

1. Above the Continuum
2. Tear of a Traitor
3. Repentance
4. The Emissary
5. Advent Of Dawn
6. Bestiaus
7. Stygian Depths
8. Face Of An Angel
9. Carry On
   ————–
10. The Astral Seer
11. Star Rider
12. Hällas