Trivium took the stage to the pounding intro to “In Waves”. The palladium erupted with bodies as lead singer, Matt Heafy, dropped the first guttural scream. Trivium played like a seasoned band, enticing the crowd to scream, sing, crowd surface, and to tear the place apart. This is the second time that I have seen the Florida-based metal band. The first was last summer at Montreal's Heavy MTL festival. Seeing them in a small venue like the palladium was a more intimate, face-melting experience. Their sound is heavily influenced by traditional trash, evident on blister tracks from Ascendency and Shogun. However, the real focus was on their latest album, In Waves. On songs like “Forsake Not the Dream,” “Built to Fall,” and crowd favorite, “Down From the Sky,” Heafy mixes screams and clear vocals amid the torrent of guitar and drums, backed up by the screams of guitarist Corey Beaulieu and bassist Paolo Gregoletto. Trivium puts on an energetic show, pausing only briefly between songs to chat with the audience. The harder and louder they played, the more the crowd responded, and Trivium was clearly riding on those metal vibes.
Setlist:
In Waves
Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr
Black
Forsake Not the Dream
Departure
Built to Fall
Like Lights to the Flies
Caustic are the Ties that Bind
Down From the Sky
Throes of Perdition
Throes of Perdition
Normally, a set like the one from Trivium would be hard to follow, but palladium felt electric in anticipation of In Flames. The Swedish metal gods sauntered out on stage, took the reins from Trivium, and drove the dial well beyond 10. In Flames played a career-spanning set, drawing a few songs from early albums like Whoracle and Clayman, and a number of tracks from their latest, Sounds of a Playground Fading. Singer Anders Friden’s tortured vocals crawled above to wall of sounds and out into the crowd, drawing the listener into the dark journey of every song. From the opener, “Sounds of a Playground Fading” to “The Hive,” “Cloud Connected,” and others, In Flames delivered a continuous onslaught of heavy riffs and blistering percussion. In between songs, Ander bantered with the audience and demanded crowd surfing. He's also got an eye for interior design: upon spotting a 'Happy New Year' sign hanging from the balcony section, he refused to continue on until it was torn down. It was great to see In Flames play a headline set, instead of the 40-odd minutes allotted at festivals. Don’t get me wrong, festivals are a great way to see a lot bands all at once, and for less money than seeing them individually. However, for your favorite bands, there is nothing like seeing a full set of songs in small venue where the band is able to pull the audience into the show.
Setlist:
Sounds of a Playground Fading
Deliver Us
All for Me
Trigger
Only for the Weak
The Hive
The Quiet Place
Where the Dead Ships Dwell
Fear Is the Weakness
Come Clarity
Ropes Darker Times
Delight and Angers
Cloud Connected
The Mirror’s Truth
Take This Life
