Death Metal Done Right
In Flames have played Download before and will always fit in well here. Their heavy, searing and chest-rattling riffs will always draw a crowd, even if this year’s is slightly smaller than that for Within Temptation. As they open with “Cloud Connective”, with the microphone not working for the first half of the song, the band then proceed through four more songs before introducing themselves on the microphone to a surprisingly unresponsive crowd.
In Flames actually comment on how quiet the crowd are • and they’re not the only band of the weekend to say so. Many fans this year appear to have simply stayed in their tents, not turned up to the festival or simply cannot be bothered to show any energy. Vocalist Anders Fridén attempts to lighten the mood by rambling for a couple of minutes about an inflated condom that is floating above the stage • but it doesn’t do much to entice the crowd.
The band proceed with “Only for the Week”, “Disconnected” and “Take This Life” before finishing on “My Sweet Shadow”. It’s been a great performance by the band, but the crowd just don’t seem as interested this year as they have in the past. The only moment that the crowd really seem to connect with the band is when In Flames take the piss out of Lost Prophets and the mention of Lost Prophet’s name itself generates a giant boo.
With a tour scheduled for October this year any In Flames fan should check them out there. If you love your melodic death metal then look no further than Sweden’s In Flames.