There are a vast amount of things to do in a city of possibilities such as Philadelphia. One can visit the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, or go shopping. However, NONE of that compares to the esoteric musical experience hosted by The Trocadero Theatre on July 1st, 2003. What went on in here was only known by a certain scope of people, but the results it produced were undeniable. Of course, I am talking about the In Flames/Soilwork show. I can say right off that this is the best concert I have ever seen.
My friend and I arrived at The Trocadero theatre in Philadelphia at around 6:30 PM. The line was a little longer than I cared it to be, but this was only a minor annoyance. Before we knew it, we were at the theatre's entrance. Upon entry, I found the venue to be one where there was NO bad view, and a cozy one at that. After waiting around for a few minutes, the insanity commenced, and Unearth hit the stage. I had only heard this band very briefly beforehand, but I did like them. What I expected was no less than a crazy, aggressive show, and that's what they gave us. The singer growled with confidence, and the guitar players flailed about like hot footed neanderthals on cocaine. Their set was short, but it was truly enjoyable. One of the guitarists even played sweep arpeggios behind his head! That was pretty impressive.
Unearth tore down, and Chimaira busted onto the scene. I can't say I really cared for this band too much, although the one guitarist did play some crazy shred solos (always a plus in my book). But the crowd seemed to like them. Well, watching them was simply a good way to waste time before Soilwork went on.
And so they did. After Chimaira finished, Soilwork graced the stage. I also must point out that I saw many people wearing shirts from bands such as In Flames, Slayer, Chimaira, Unearth, etc. However, there was absolutely no one wearing a Soilwork shirt. I was appalled! As it turns out, Soilwork seemed to get the least crowd response. I have NO idea why this is, because they were amazing onstage! When they busted open their set with "The Flameout," I couldn't help but start going crazy. I sang along like a madman. In fact, I sang along to at least one part of every song that they played. Despite the fact that they played mostly newer material, they played it very well, and they seemed to have connected very well with their new drummer. "Needlefeast" was the highlight of the night for me, and they absolutely raped songs such as "Figure Number Five," "As We Speak," and "Follow The Hollow." "Figure Number Five" particularly pounded us into the ground relentlessly, bringing about an elusive intensity in metal that seems to be a lost art nowadays. The lead guitar playing from the Soilers was simply untouchable. They easily played the best solos out of any band that night. Speed's vocals were also amazing, both clean and dirty. I've heard rumors that he can't pull of his clean stuff live, but he certainly can. My only problem with their show was the fact that the bass drum seemed to cut through everything, and I couldn't hear the guitars very well in certain parts of songs. However, that didn't stop me from enjoying this wonderful band. Soilwork are truly showstoppers, and I wish the best for them in the years to come. Finally closing with "Rejection Role," they dedicate the song to none other than our own Adam Bloch, webmaster of soilworkers.com. An excellent performance!
Finally, the band that everyone really came to see, In Flames, took the stage. We waited anxiously after the main stage lights went off for them to come on. The intro to "Cloud Connected" played over the PA for an extended period of time, heightening the suspense, and In Flames' drummer Daniel Svensson took his seat at the throne. Shortly afterward, the Gothenburg legends thrust into the song. Anders was backed by the crowd on the song's chorus, an occurence that repeated itself throughout their set. As expected, they belted out Reroute To Remain tracks as if there were no tomorrow, but they also surprised me, playing such classics as "Episode 666" and "Moonshield." The harmonies in these songs pierced my ears with delight; I was so proud to see In Flames playing their really good stuff. Later in the set, "Gyroscope" and "Behind Space" blessed my ears. I had already seen them play these songs live, and they certainly delivered again. Following "Behind Space," they dropped another bombshell, playing "Clad In Shadows," another Lunar Strain favorite. During this song, Anders offerred Jesper the mic to sing a line, but he got the stage fright and kind of just stood there with a nervous look on his face. No matter. They went back into the song in full force and kicked its ass. Other highlights included "Coerced Coexistence," "Trigger," and "Pinball Map," which all seemed to be crowd favorites. They ended this fantastic show with "Colony," and I was convinced that it was my duty as a metalhead to see any In Flames/Soilwork show near me in the future. I suggest you all do the same. METAL!
Ryan
My friend and I arrived at The Trocadero theatre in Philadelphia at around 6:30 PM. The line was a little longer than I cared it to be, but this was only a minor annoyance. Before we knew it, we were at the theatre's entrance. Upon entry, I found the venue to be one where there was NO bad view, and a cozy one at that. After waiting around for a few minutes, the insanity commenced, and Unearth hit the stage. I had only heard this band very briefly beforehand, but I did like them. What I expected was no less than a crazy, aggressive show, and that's what they gave us. The singer growled with confidence, and the guitar players flailed about like hot footed neanderthals on cocaine. Their set was short, but it was truly enjoyable. One of the guitarists even played sweep arpeggios behind his head! That was pretty impressive.
Unearth tore down, and Chimaira busted onto the scene. I can't say I really cared for this band too much, although the one guitarist did play some crazy shred solos (always a plus in my book). But the crowd seemed to like them. Well, watching them was simply a good way to waste time before Soilwork went on.
And so they did. After Chimaira finished, Soilwork graced the stage. I also must point out that I saw many people wearing shirts from bands such as In Flames, Slayer, Chimaira, Unearth, etc. However, there was absolutely no one wearing a Soilwork shirt. I was appalled! As it turns out, Soilwork seemed to get the least crowd response. I have NO idea why this is, because they were amazing onstage! When they busted open their set with "The Flameout," I couldn't help but start going crazy. I sang along like a madman. In fact, I sang along to at least one part of every song that they played. Despite the fact that they played mostly newer material, they played it very well, and they seemed to have connected very well with their new drummer. "Needlefeast" was the highlight of the night for me, and they absolutely raped songs such as "Figure Number Five," "As We Speak," and "Follow The Hollow." "Figure Number Five" particularly pounded us into the ground relentlessly, bringing about an elusive intensity in metal that seems to be a lost art nowadays. The lead guitar playing from the Soilers was simply untouchable. They easily played the best solos out of any band that night. Speed's vocals were also amazing, both clean and dirty. I've heard rumors that he can't pull of his clean stuff live, but he certainly can. My only problem with their show was the fact that the bass drum seemed to cut through everything, and I couldn't hear the guitars very well in certain parts of songs. However, that didn't stop me from enjoying this wonderful band. Soilwork are truly showstoppers, and I wish the best for them in the years to come. Finally closing with "Rejection Role," they dedicate the song to none other than our own Adam Bloch, webmaster of soilworkers.com. An excellent performance!
Finally, the band that everyone really came to see, In Flames, took the stage. We waited anxiously after the main stage lights went off for them to come on. The intro to "Cloud Connected" played over the PA for an extended period of time, heightening the suspense, and In Flames' drummer Daniel Svensson took his seat at the throne. Shortly afterward, the Gothenburg legends thrust into the song. Anders was backed by the crowd on the song's chorus, an occurence that repeated itself throughout their set. As expected, they belted out Reroute To Remain tracks as if there were no tomorrow, but they also surprised me, playing such classics as "Episode 666" and "Moonshield." The harmonies in these songs pierced my ears with delight; I was so proud to see In Flames playing their really good stuff. Later in the set, "Gyroscope" and "Behind Space" blessed my ears. I had already seen them play these songs live, and they certainly delivered again. Following "Behind Space," they dropped another bombshell, playing "Clad In Shadows," another Lunar Strain favorite. During this song, Anders offerred Jesper the mic to sing a line, but he got the stage fright and kind of just stood there with a nervous look on his face. No matter. They went back into the song in full force and kicked its ass. Other highlights included "Coerced Coexistence," "Trigger," and "Pinball Map," which all seemed to be crowd favorites. They ended this fantastic show with "Colony," and I was convinced that it was my duty as a metalhead to see any In Flames/Soilwork show near me in the future. I suggest you all do the same. METAL!
Ryan
