January 30th 2012
IN FLAMES + GUESTS
Review By: Metal Mom
Photos By: Char Tupper and Peter Ruttan
http://www.metaltitans.com/concertpics/in-flames-guests/
Now this was a line up everyone was looking forward to. Me, well I am partial to IN FLAMES, I first saw them last year at Rockstar Mayhem Festival in Auburn, Washington. Trivium was there too, but I missed them play. This was a really rushed trip to get into town. Char (who was taking photos this night), was off at 5:30, then had to come home, change, I already had all her gear ready, but you know you always have to double check everything, since it takes us about an hour plus to get into Vancouver. Plus it was pouring rain, and the freeway is crazy, this sounds weird but the lanes keep changing around as they work. So it took us more than the hour to get there, and the doors were at 7, we got into the venue by 7:30, not too bad. I found my spot , right up front by the rail for the photo pit, and I didn’t budge all night, I knew that I had to stay there or loose my place. It was fun actually, because I stayed there with some great people I knew. So lets get on with it shall we.
First on stage was a band I had never heard of, they call themselves KYNG, out of Los Angeles, California, they formed back in 2008. Their genre, well they call themselves Rock on roids, too funny. There are 3 fellows, that played very well , but I couldn’t really tell what genre they were, it sounded like metal, with some hardrock, with a touch of heavy, and a pinch of classic with modern day all in one. Guess what, they did an excellent job, they pulled it all together, and made it an enjoyable set to listen to. I also like to say melodic in that mix. People were really enjoying their set. It didn’t feel like a lot of people at the gate, but you know, people don’t usually come for the first band, figuring they are not very good. I think they missed out on this one.
Next up was VEIL OF MAYA, formed in 2004 from Chicago Illinois, and these 4 guys are pure metal, no doubt, but they are also technical death core and progressive. I did enjoy most of their set, extremely high energy, and fun to watch, but I am one, who enjoys my music to have a steady beat, one you can bang your head, or tap the rail, and they had that for the most part, but every once in awhile they seem to go off in different direction with their music, and I couldn’t pick out a beat to bang along to. So for those parts, I didn’t enjoy at all. The crowd did, most of them. But each to their own taste, it would be boring if everyone liked the same sound.
TRIVIUM was the ones that seemed to pull everyone up on the floor, and eager to hear. These Florida based members have been around since 1999. I would say they are metal, with thrash and some rock put in for good measure. And once again, they were high energy, and the crowd was very enthusiastic for them. I am not usually into this kind of music, but I found that they still have some melodic tones and so I had a great time listening to their set. No doubt when you looked around the room, that everyone enjoyed it to the fullest. I was impressed.
Well next is who I came to see - IN FLAMES. This 5 member band that was formed back in 1990 comes from Gothenburg, Sweden. And the crowd went nuts when the lights dimmed for them to enter on stage. What I find so enjoyable to watch when a band is on stage, is one that you know is thoroughly enjoying themselves up there, ones that love what they do. And it shows, meticulous set. They had the crowds attention for their full time on stage. Again, the energy was phenomenal, and catchy, you couldn’t help but move, and smile. IN FLAMES manages to keep things interesting by stepping outside their normal boundaries, meaning it makes their songs so interesting to listen to, and to watch them perform . They are kind of rock meets metal. And this my friends is done to perfection. The guitars harmonize, the vocals are clean and clear (easy to sing along with), bass thunders in your veins, and the drums beat like a heartbeat. In other words perfection at its finest. What also made this set interesting was the interaction between Anders (singer) and the crowd, he often took away cell phones of people taking photos, then would throw them back out. He even gave me a bad time as I was talking when he was…but it was all in good fun. This is what makes these shows special, and so entertaining to watch. For me, the set was too short, it just felt as if they just started, when it was over. Each and every band member on that stage made for a very enjoyable show, and I cant thank them enough for that.
The IN FLAMES show that we attended on Jan 30 was the 2nd of two shows, the first one was Jan 31 and it SOLD OUT FAST, so I am sure that they had a great responsive crowd for the 31st. I know when they come back, I will be one of the first to buy a ticket, I don’t want to miss out on a show of IN FLAMES.