Lamb of God, In Flames, The Black Dahlia Murder @ Eaton Hill Hotel, Brisbane (28/02/2012)
After supporting Metallica on their Australian tour in 2010, Lamb of God were back for the Soundwave festival and not without great expectations from their old and new fans. Having released their seventh record Resolution in January, just one month earlier (debuting on the billboard 200 as number 3) they are really standing at the peak of their carrier.
The venue is dark and so is the people, wearing black t-shirts, all showing their support to their favorite band. People are pouring down on beers and I notice that the venue is filled with a lot of middle aged men, having come to relive their memories from their golden teenage years. Expectation is in the air as The Black Dahlia Murder takes the stage.
Starting out with Moonlight Equilibrium, the band kicks the show into gear, a great song to get the still modest crowd into a wild state. Trevor Strnad is clearly enjoying himself, throwing his hands up in the air constantly as the songs go, ripping his shirt off, trying his best to warm up the crowd that responds halfheartedly. Song after song is played without any real breaks in between. For being the first band out they really rock the concert hall and it is sad that the response from the fans is that modest. The energy was clearly there but the connection with the crowd was not.
I grew up with In Flames because of my Swedish heritage and I am pretty sure to say they are the most well known metal band in Sweden. Coming from the country were they started out their journey it seems like I have always managed to miss their shows or the tickets have been way too expensive. Having already seen them for the first time at the Brisbane Soundwave (which was amazing) I was thrilled to yet again get to support my fellow countrymen and seeing them play their last record Sounds of a Playground Fading live in a more intimate venue.
The band enters the stage smiling, such warmhearted family men as they have become. Then they start off with Sounds of a Playground Fading and the excitement keeps building up until the song hits the chorus and the crowd turns into a sweaty mess. The great songs just keep coming: Deliver Us, Only For The Weak, The Quiet Place. In Flames are very good at communicating feeling in their songs and I think I can talk for everyone when I say that we were honored to be in their presence. Every song is genius in its own way and it is almost like time stops and focus is totally on the band and the lyrics. Moshing is not important, only the great communication that the band has with the fans, almost like an intimate meeting because of the small venue.
The stage lights up with a great spooky intro with a great lightshow before Lamb of God takes the stage, receiving a great welcome as the legends they are. And they tear the place apart starting with Desolation and Ghost Walking! The energy from the band is amazing and the vocalist Randy Blythe doesn’t waste a second standing still. He truly gives it all. “I want you all to take a walk with me” and here we go with Walk With Me In Hell. The sound is clean and the dexterity of the guitarist is amazing so it surprises me when the drummer Chris Adler loses his rhythm twice but quickly regains it. No one seems to really have noticed though.
No one is holding back, people are pouring drinks over themselves, cups are being thrown in the air and the crowd surfers anger the security guards. It is exactly as it should be! Every hand is in the air. I start to think they are going to blow the roof of the venue and then after twelve songs they leave the stage and us in confusion for a couple of minutes, all cheering “Lamb of God, Lamb of God” before they return for the encore.
In the end this band from Richmond, Virginia has convinced me that death metal is not at all that bad. I am converted. What a great end of an amazing night!
Malene Rogstad Aakre
The venue is dark and so is the people, wearing black t-shirts, all showing their support to their favorite band. People are pouring down on beers and I notice that the venue is filled with a lot of middle aged men, having come to relive their memories from their golden teenage years. Expectation is in the air as The Black Dahlia Murder takes the stage.
Starting out with Moonlight Equilibrium, the band kicks the show into gear, a great song to get the still modest crowd into a wild state. Trevor Strnad is clearly enjoying himself, throwing his hands up in the air constantly as the songs go, ripping his shirt off, trying his best to warm up the crowd that responds halfheartedly. Song after song is played without any real breaks in between. For being the first band out they really rock the concert hall and it is sad that the response from the fans is that modest. The energy was clearly there but the connection with the crowd was not.
I grew up with In Flames because of my Swedish heritage and I am pretty sure to say they are the most well known metal band in Sweden. Coming from the country were they started out their journey it seems like I have always managed to miss their shows or the tickets have been way too expensive. Having already seen them for the first time at the Brisbane Soundwave (which was amazing) I was thrilled to yet again get to support my fellow countrymen and seeing them play their last record Sounds of a Playground Fading live in a more intimate venue.
The band enters the stage smiling, such warmhearted family men as they have become. Then they start off with Sounds of a Playground Fading and the excitement keeps building up until the song hits the chorus and the crowd turns into a sweaty mess. The great songs just keep coming: Deliver Us, Only For The Weak, The Quiet Place. In Flames are very good at communicating feeling in their songs and I think I can talk for everyone when I say that we were honored to be in their presence. Every song is genius in its own way and it is almost like time stops and focus is totally on the band and the lyrics. Moshing is not important, only the great communication that the band has with the fans, almost like an intimate meeting because of the small venue.
The stage lights up with a great spooky intro with a great lightshow before Lamb of God takes the stage, receiving a great welcome as the legends they are. And they tear the place apart starting with Desolation and Ghost Walking! The energy from the band is amazing and the vocalist Randy Blythe doesn’t waste a second standing still. He truly gives it all. “I want you all to take a walk with me” and here we go with Walk With Me In Hell. The sound is clean and the dexterity of the guitarist is amazing so it surprises me when the drummer Chris Adler loses his rhythm twice but quickly regains it. No one seems to really have noticed though.
No one is holding back, people are pouring drinks over themselves, cups are being thrown in the air and the crowd surfers anger the security guards. It is exactly as it should be! Every hand is in the air. I start to think they are going to blow the roof of the venue and then after twelve songs they leave the stage and us in confusion for a couple of minutes, all cheering “Lamb of God, Lamb of God” before they return for the encore.
In the end this band from Richmond, Virginia has convinced me that death metal is not at all that bad. I am converted. What a great end of an amazing night!
Malene Rogstad Aakre