In Flames Concert Review by BloodGutter !

Well here's an awesome show review by the always awesome BloodGutter, of the In Flames show in Canada as part of their "A Sense Of Purpose" tour with supporting acts Gojira, 36 Crazyfists, and All That Remains (who had to cancel all upcoming dates, due to Phill Labonte having "throat problems")

Here goes:

The Swedish metal sensation known as In Flames returned to North America for their first headlining tour in support of their latest album "A Sense of Purpose". As if a phenomenal band like In Flames wasn't enough, the rest of the lineup was rounded with amazing bands to compliment a good metal show: Massachusetts metalcore heroes All That Remains, France's heaviest metal export Gojira, and the self-proclaimed "Alaskan Forest Core" of 36 Crazyfists. Here's how the show went down:

36 Crazyfists: Having never been a big fan of this band, I've got say that they really did a terrific job opening the show. After frontman Brock Lindow introduced the band, they exploded into the first song and instantly got the crowd moving. Their music was a nice mix of your regular metal parts and good breakdowns, mixed in with some clean catchy singing parts, which I think Brock's cleans have a unique voice to. The band was very energetic, especially their bassist who was just flinging his bass guitar all over the place. The drummer was very into the music, however his sticks would be continually be slipping from his hands and flying into the crowd, he wouldn't miss a beat though. Brock talked to the crowd a couple of times (while the drummer would keep spitting on his back, which I found hilarious) and got them pumped for the rest of the show. On their last song, they made the crowd do a wall of death, which was pretty big and a great way to go out with a bang. Their setlist included (incomplete and not in order): Felt Through a Phone Line, At the End of August, We Gave It Hell, and a couple of others.

Gojira: I have been waiting to see these guys live for a while, their breakthrough album "From Mars to Sirius" instantly won me over as a fan, and their new album "The Way of All Flesh" is a great effort from the band. After a small "Gojira" chant, the band took the stage and started their set. The band wasn't as energetic as wild as 36 Crazyfists (not saying they didn't have any, they did move around at certain times), however their tight and precise performance of their music was clearly a highlight of their set. Their stretched out songs was perfect for the many headbangers in the audience, although people would say they were a bit too repetative, I have no problem with repetition of awesome riffs! Frontman Joe Duplantier would talk to the crowd a couple of times during the set, and was very humble and thankful. By the end, I'm sure they may have worn out alot of people's necks from their heavy and crushing music. Their setlist was: Oroborus, The Heaviest Matter of the Universe, Backbone, Flying Whales, Toxic Garbage Island, Vacuity.

All That Remains: Being one of my favorite bands, as well as a huge fan of their latest album "Overcome", I was very excited to see All That Remains live for the third time. An awesome sample played over the speakers as the band prepared to start their set. The band kicked into their set with a perfect balance of a mostly proficient performance and lively energy. Frontman Phil Labonte engaged the audience many times throughout their set, telling them to go nuts, to throw up the horns, and signalling for sing alongs, which is always a good way to make the audience become more involved in your performance. Performance wise, Phil's vocals were at the top of his game, switching between strong harsh metal vocals and melodic cleans with ease. The rest of the band were spot on with the music, especially guitarists Oli and Mike, who would nail their guitar solos (especially the dual ones). Once again, All That Remains delivered an enjoyable and spot on performance. Their setlist was (not in order): Before The Damned, The Air That I Breathe, Chiron, Undone, The Weak Willed, Six, Not Alone, Two Weeks, This Calling. (This Darkened Heart was part of the setlist but was unfortunately not played due to time constraints.)

In Flames: I'll be honest here and say that I didn't really give the band my full attention during their set, I was very worn out from the rough crowd so I moved to the merch area of the venue and watched their set on a screen that had live footage of multiple angles and whatnot. Having seen In Flames a few times prior, I find myself to be continually amazed by how their sets are always perfect. Every song they played was spot on, and the whole band put on great level of energy into their set. Vocalist Anders Fridén always engaged in the audience during and in between songs and kept them interested in their lengthy headlining set. I don't know what else to say, had I been on the floor and watching the band right in front of me I'm sure I'd have more to say, but I'm just at a loss of words. They played a long setlist that was mixed with many new and recent songs, as well as older material and even a medley of songs from their album "Jester Race", which was sure to please some of the old school fans. Their setlist was: I'm the Highway, Vanishing Light, The Mirror's Truth, The Hive, Sattelites and Astronauts, System, Alias, Eraser, Pinball Map, Delight and Angers, Disconnected, Cloud Connected, Jester Race Medley, Come Clarity, Sleepless Again, The Quiet Place, Trigger, Take This Life.

Overall, this was a phenomenal show with four very good and distinct metal bands that put 100% into their performances. These all killer, no filler lineups are not very common nowadays. However, I need to add that the very rough crowd and many inconsiderate people in the audience personally ruined the show for me, and because of that I couldn't really enjoy the show the fullest. Anyway, don't let that sway you from the undeniably good tour this is. This was the 2nd date of the tour, and if it's stopping by you, I strongly suggest you go check it out!



I'd like to thank BloodGutter for the review.

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