In Flames
W/Lacuna Coil, The Sword, Seemless
Dec 12, 2006
Kool Haus

I’ve got to say that I’m impressed with In Flames. Despite this being their third trip to the Toronto area in the last year, they still pack ‘em in. I’m guessing it has something to do with not only the quality of their openers, but their diversity as well.

First up were Seemless. Playing like a band being chased by the devil himself, this blues-drenched metal band from Massachusetts not only managed to steal the show, but win over a good portion of the crowd in the process. Whether it was their unbelievable synergy, or their “blue-collar” everyman attitude, they were impossible to ignore. This is a band with originality and tenacity in spades, so this likely isn’t the last time we’ll be hearing from them.

Texas’ The Sword took to the stage with an odd amount of fanfare. For a relatively unknown band, the crowd seemed pretty prepared for their arrival. Especially for a stoner rock band. The problem was however, that they came out, played their first song, and that was about it. They played for their full half-hour, but seemed to level out pretty quick energy wise. Their songs were good, but not great. A few wore out their welcome in the first riff or two. The Sword sounded much like a band that was searching for something that they just couldn’t quite grasp. They even sounded tight. Not technically tight, more like they needed to be oiled. At one point they honestly just sounded like Seemless, doing the robot.

Now, Lacuna Coil could’ve been the headliner on this particular show. A large amount of the crowd even seemed to be there just for them and no one else. As soon as the band took the stage, they had the entire crowd in the palm of their hands. This 6-piece Italian juggernaut knows exactly how to play a crowd. With their soaring dual vocals, chugging guitars and basic low end, Lacuna Coil have got the metal and the melody to please just about everyone. Blazing through an all too short set, LC stuck to their more rocking material, but did take a break to play a cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy The Silence.” By the time they closed with their new single “Our Truth,” this was a band who had proven that not only were they not just a pretty face, but that they were definitely here to rock out like it was 1997 all over again.

When In Flames hit the stage, it was bound to cause a few raised eyebrows, as it is always a dicey move to hit the road without two very prominent band members. The band played two full songs into their set before addressing the crowd as to the absence. Now, despite the absence of both guitar players, Jesper Stromblad and Bjorn Gelotte, the band have adapted their stage show quite well. Possibly a little too well. Session guitarists Henrik Danhage and Niklas Engelin are capable players, and perhaps even more lively onstage than their counterparts, but for what they added to the mix in energy & passion doesn’t balance out the loss of creativity the band usually has.

They played the songs exactly as recorded, and that’s it. Now this isn’t to say that In Flames put on a bad set, I honestly don’t think that is possible. By the time the band got to their hit single “Cloud Connected” they were on fire. Not just a “best of” or “hits” set list, In Flames even dug out a few old gems as well, putting tracks like “Resin” next to new favs such as “Take This Life.” You definitely couldn’t say that their hearts weren’t in it. All in all, In Flames managed to play out a night of metal that will likely be the topic of many conversations in record stores for weeks to come.

- Spencer Lavigne 

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