IN FLAMES
SONIC SYNDICATE
Swedish metalcore band Sonic Syndicate are not quite yet a household name but you can tell that they have been around for a while and know very well how to rock a place out. Surprisingly enough, the band opens tonight’s show in front of an already half full venue. And to top it up, these kids at the front are very enthusiastic for a first support act. It’s a very bouncy, if somewhat unoriginal show that starts off with ‘Aftermath’ and ‘Jailbreak’ and ends on the heavy ‘Blue Eyed Fiend’. The crowd’s reaction is very positive and well deserved.
DATE:
VENUE:
Wednesday 1st October 2008
The Astoria in London, UK
GOJIRA
French prog metallers Gojira are up next. As hard as it is for me to get my head round such a thing as French metal, these guys are definitely worth the attention. Hard to classify, they jump from death to progressive metal with some groovy elements mixed in. Their sound is so powerful and fills the sober Astoria with such a strong energy from the start. We are treated to such an impressive second support band tonight and a part of me wished it had lasted a bit longer.
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GOJIRA + SONIC SYNDICATE
Reviews & Photography by Kristell Gathoye
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IN FLAMES
After seeing them at both the Golden Gods awards and Download festival, I was quite excited and curious to see the band performing a full set in front of their own audience. Tonight, they certainly met my expectations and more. The stage is hidden behind a large white sheet and the guys arrive to play ‘The Chosen Pessimist’; a quiet and mesmerizing start to this gig. Half way through the song, the rhythm accelerates and the white foreground is dropped to reveal Anders Fridén and his partners in crime. Another new track, ‘I’m the Highway’, follows and kick starts a night of pure heavy metal, Gothenburg style. After a few songs, the beats slow down and it’s time for ‘Satellites & Astronauts’ and its beautiful riffs. Time to breathe briefly and ‘System’ kicks off followed by ‘Pinball Map’. It’s a headbanging fest at the front and the band proves how heavy they can become live. Off their latest album, ‘A Sense of Purpose‘, ‘Delight & Angers’and ‘Disconnected’ plunge the venue in a magic atmosphere. The audience is visibly composed of hardcore fans as since the band started playing, hundreds of them have been singing all the songs, word by word. Anders is definitely enjoying himself tonight, sharing jokes with a delighted and amused crowd. Several tunes of moshing, hand clapping and fist pumping later and the end is near. The powerful and favourite ‘Take this Life’ closes the set. As there hasn’t been an encore, most people stay where they are, looking a bit confused, until the lights go on and end a night that leaves us with a very lasting buzz.
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