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IN FLAMES
Glasgow Academy, 7 November 2005

Motorhead crowds are notoriously hard on support bands but to add to the challenge for In Flames they had to come on after a brief greatest hits set from Girlschool, a band beloved of Motorhead crowds from ye olde days.

It's been a matter of slow, slow, quickstep for the erstwhile death metallers, having taken a few false and faltering steps throughout the nineties, but the noughties seem to have reinvigorated them and they've been building a fanbase steadily for the last few years, especially after an opening slot with Slipknot. So they're well versed in dealing with hostile crowds!

But they needn't have worried as a sizeable proportion of the near full Academy crowd were there for them (unofficially I was told that In Flames were accounting for 20% of tickets sold). So, with the pit heaving it was relatively plain sailing for the band. They did have a few problems with the mix, especially with Anders Fridén vocals, but big props to stand in drummer Tobbe Kellgren, who did a phenomenal job.

Blasting their way through a frenetic set, their Iron Maiden influenced dual guitars, synchronised headbanging and death metal roots, dragged the crowd kicking and screaming with them from beginning to end, putting paid to the naysayers who cried sellout when the "Reroute To Remain" album came out. Having continued on their more mainstream metal route with "Soundtrack To Your Escape" it was gratifying to see that live, the rage remains. Highlight of the show? - a blazing "Episode 666", my favourite In Flames song!

****

Review: Stuart A Hamilton