In Flames, the unarguably biggest success story to come out of the pioneering Gothenburg death metal scene, have moved a long way from their roots, but that doesn’t mean they are not worth a shot when they come to town.

“Yeah, we just came to Denmark for the cheap beer.”
- Anders Fridén (vocals)

Already during the intro the sold out hall was full of loud chants and raised arms, and all this only intensified as the band members took the stage one by one – In Flames clearly didn’t need to do anything to receive near unconditional love from Denmark, and of course all the Swedes which had stopped by their neighbour for this special event (and cheap beer).
Yes, the love may have been near unconditional, but that doesn’t mean that In Flames wasn’t intending to do something for the fans – they may not have been quite as lively as their support bands were, but the music they delivered lacked nothing in punch. And honestly, the In Flames members are probably twice the age of any of their supporting cast, so who can blame them for taking a bit easier?
The lesser, not non-existent, movement wasn’t the problem though. And yes, there was a problem; it was simply this – the show didn’t feel personal in any way. No matter how powerful it all felt, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just another day at the office for the band.

“We have no problem with you taking pictures or filming us with your cell-phones and post the shittiest version of us on YouTube later, but this is live so try and remember to look at the band once in a while and not just the screen.”
- Fridén (vocals)

The Danish fans weren’t ready to give that easily on the band though, and they gave In Flames one hell of a response every chance they got. People screamed along to the lyrics, moved to the music, and in general acted in the best possible concert-manner that they could.
It would seem that this warmed the band up, because they began to open up more and more, with Fridén speaking more between songs, in Swedish all the time but it went straight in anyway, and in general they all looked more conscious of their present surroundings. Especially Niclas Engelin could be seen several times leaning over the edge of the stage to greet fans.
In addition to warming up, In Flames would prove that they had a trick or two up their sleeve for further entertainment. Earlier on, Fridén had commented that we should remember to look at the band once in a while and not just our phones, but for Only For The Weak the opposite would be true as he wanted it documented just how wild the audience was! To build upon this, a random guy in the crowd was invited up to the stage, where he should film the crowd throughout the song (the result can’t have been pretty considering how much time he spent headbanging and swinging his arms!).
Later on, in the new song When The World Explodes, a guest vocalist was invited to the stage, helping Fridén out in this metal duet. Emilia Feldt was her name, and this was the first time ever that this song was played live, so it was an extra treat for us!

One thing that In Flames really can’t be accused of, is skimping out on the setlist – no less than 20 songs were ripped through during the night, and even though the band never reached further back than Resin from Colony, and kept the rest mostly post Soundtrack To Your Escape, with no less than seven songs hailing from Siren Charms, the sonic delivery coupled with the growing interest from the band, kept everything running nice and smooth.
This can’t and won’t be ranked among my top encounters with this band, but that doesn’t mean that In Flames didn’t provide a formidable evening which was far above expectation, and in my book that certainly counts for something as well!

Setlist:

In Plain View
Everything’s Gone
Fear Is The Weakness
Trigger
Resin
Where The Dead Ships Dwell
With Eyes Wide Open
Paralyzed
Through Oblivion
Ropes
Delight And Angers
Cloud Connected
Only For The Weak
The Chosen Pessimist
The Quiet Place
When The World Explodes (feat. Emilia Feldt)
Rusted Nail
The Mirror’s Truth
Deliver Us
Take This Life