Live Review: In Flames – O2 Academy Brixton, London

Swedish metal has become a staple in the scene so when In Flames announced their tour partnered with At The Gates, the community were chomping at the bit to see it. Their only stop in the UK would be at the prestigious Brixton Academy and they would be joined by both Orbit Culture and Imminence. This night promised to be something special so here’s what went down.

Opening the night was Orbit Culture who brought their heaviest riffs to the early Brixton hoards. Optining for a minimalist stage production and focusing on the raw energy generated from their music was a great call from the band as they quickly won over the hearts and minds of those in the venue. Their blend of death metal really fit the bill so it was no surprise they had the entire room headbaning along to their captivating set. ‘The Shadowing’ went down exceptionally well and was by far the highlight of their set.

Following them was immense and to say they caught the attention of the crowd as soon as they took to the stage would be an understatement. It’s not often you see a violin at any metal show so for the singer of the band to also utilize the delicate string instrument throughout their set was a delightful breath of fresh air. Their more melodically driven music helped warm the crowd up and even saw the first couple of pits break out. From delicate passages to brutal breakdowns, the band saw their opportunity and absolutely smashed it!

At The Gates would take to the stage next and it was clear that everyone in attendance was excited for this moment. The room exploded as ‘Spectre Of Extinction’ echoed around the venue and the chaos didn’t subside as the set progressed. It became clear that At The Gates knew what they were there to do and put out a set full of high octane tracks to really push the London crowd to their limits to ensure everyone was limbered up for In Flames arrival. Closing out their set was a hectic performance of ‘Blinded By Fear’ followed by the powerful ‘The Night Eternal’.

The moment had finally come and In Flames ambushed the crowd with an explosive performance of ‘The Great Deceiver’ to open proceedings. ‘Pinball Map’ only added fuel to the fire while ‘Cloud Connected’ sent the mosh pit crew into a frenzy. In Flames really went for a discography spanning set for the Brixton faithful and the reception to songs from all era’s was immense. ‘Graveland’ captured the essence of the show beautifully while tracks such as ‘Scorn’ and ‘Leeches’ triggered a lot of second winds as the night went on.

The atmosphere in the room was electric despite being somewhat empty. A Lot of space was present which only allowed those wanting to dance and mosh more freedom to do so. ‘Wallflower’ received a beautiful performance on the night which really stood out to me as a real highlight of the evening. Not wanting to waste any time, In Flames opted against the generic encore and played right the way through their time ending off with a colossal trio of ‘The Mirror’s Truth’, ‘I Am Above’ and finishing off with ‘Take This Life’.

As a whole, the night was one of celebrating both the old wave and new wave of Swedish metal. In Flames used their platform to introduce their fans to some newer talent while also treating them with some familiar faces as well. This may not have been the busiest night in Brixton Academy’s lifetime but it sure as hell is one it wont forget!