Killswitch Engage / In Flames
3 December 2009
Hammersmith Apollo, London
The Taste Of Chaos tours usual focus on hardcore/metalcore/post-hardcore/screamo …blah, blah , blah, has meant that it is one package I haven’t sampled prior to tonight. In fact there was only one reason for me attending and that was In Flames.
I would have liked to have seen Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster but given there was still a large queue at their allotted stage time, it wasn’t to be and I elected another beer in the pub. Actually a few more as I had no desire to see Every Time I Die.
Making my way down the front as In Flames kicked off with Cloud Connected proved very easy. Arriving at the back of three small pits, I was sucked in, and thrown out the other side practically on the barrier, thus getting a fantastic view of the Swedes 45 minute set.
Embody The Invisible from 1999’s Colony was more than a welcome inclusion and had the older fans around me singing along. Pinball Map had us bouncing as one, before Delight & Angers from the band’s latest release saw the younger members of the crowd coming to life.
It was at this point that frontman Anders Fridén spotted a young lad stood immediately in front of me taking photos on a small digital camera. Pulling him out of the crowd and onto the stage he was instructed to film the next song and put it on youtube the next day. Fridén told us that the band get grief for not playing older songs so they were going to play Artifacts Of The Black Rain from The Jester Race and wanted the proof on youtube. The lucky fan was given a beer at the end of the song and invited to remain on stage for the rest of the set.
Alias drew a mass singalong, with Björn Gelotte leaning towards the crowd, singing the words. All too soon however In Flames were announcing Take This Life as the last song of the set. I’d much prefer to see In Flames headline, however any opportunity is welcome and there appeared to be a very relaxed vibe about the band tonight.
In Flames set list:
Cloud Connected / Embody The Invisible / Pinball Map / Delight And Angers / Artifacts Of The Black Rain / March To The Shore / Alias / The Mirror’s Truth / The Quiet Place / Take This Life
I’m afraid I’ve tried very hard but I cannot get my head around Killswitch Engage. I’ve listened to the albums and puzzled what it is that people like so much but they just aren’t to my tastes. I can’t deny that they put on a very strong live performance tonight, but if you don’t like the songs it makes it quite difficult to enjoy.
The whole band were wearing tuxedo print t-shirts, but unsurprisingly madcap guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz takes things further by wearing a cape and a tutu! Spending the whole set running around the stage in this outfit, to say he looked unhinged would be an understatement. With an electronic screen behind them and ramps on the stage, it was an impressive set up and the bands fans eat up everything the Americans throw at them.
Killswitch Engage set list:
My Curse / Never Again / Bid Farewell / Numbered Days - Self Revolution / This Is Absolution / Reckoning / Fixation On The Darkness / Take Me Away / Temple From The Within / Starting Over / Rose Of Sharyn / The Forgotten / My Last Serenade / End Of Heartache / Holy Diver
LINKS:
Killswitch Engage
In Flames
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