IN FLAMES, Noctiferia

30.09.2011, Hristov Botev hall, Sofia - Bulgaria
words byВ Stefan Topuzov, photo: Рњihail Kilsarski

I'm sorry – I ran out of fiery wordplay when Pyromania reunited, so I won't be using any of that. I will however share my opinion about In Flames' recent musical direction – they haven't released an album I could bare to listen to all the way through since “Clayman”, and I beg for Mr. Jason Petroff's pardon, but I consider their latest one the lowest point so far. Turns out this is entirely my problem, though.

On Friday night, just like the last time the band played in Sofia, I am once again amazed how songs whose studio versions give me a headache from boredom could actually blow me away at a show. In Flames are simply awesome live!

First however are Slovenia's Noctiferia who come on stage at 8 PM. They have already played in Bulgaria – supporting Samael in 2009 and Venom and Mayhem in 2010 – and are once again in the unenviable position of an opening act no one came to see. And even though their music – some sort of a mix between electronic euro-metal and Sepultura's “Roots” – leaves me completely indifferent I see a lot of people around me enjoying the band's set.

The sound quality doesn't help Noctiferia either, because during their performance it is so muddy I'm actually afraid I'd be having to write a report just likeВ the oneВ for Therapy?В and Napalm Death...

… In Flames who come on stage at 9:30 PM shatter all my fears of that kind to dust, starting their set with the title track from their last album 'Sounds of a Playground Fading.' The sound quality, as hard as it is for me to believe it, is just alright. What's happening on the stage and in the hall is way more interesting than my thoughts, though.

The band goes through the first three songs from their new album before they bring us a few years back with 'Trigger.' And even though the 1500 people who came to Hristo Botev Hall for the show seem somewhat too few for that band, all 1500 of them seem to have a pretty good idea why they are here – 1500 voices fill the hall when Anders Friden leaves it to the crowd to sing the song's chorus.

Anders himself seems to be in pretty decent form. He not only sings way better live than on the band's latest recording and demonstrates a maniacal stage presence, running and climbing all over the place, but he also manages to achieve contact with the audience.

He points out fans from the audience, asks them questions and actually listens to what they reply. It seems like it is not yet another mundane night for him that he wants to be over as soon as possible – the man is making an effort to bring the crowd closer and this is really awesome.
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Before they play 'Ropes' he says the band would be sorry if they mess it up but this is the first time ever they are playing the song live. After the show I speak to a fan who met the band earlier during the day and he tells me he asked them to play the song and they were like “it is not impossible.” There's no way you don't feel special after that, is there?

I do feel more special when they play older songs and there's a few of them in the setlist – 'Colony' (Anders mentions that it is off a truly awesome record), 'Insipid 2000', 'Swim', 'Hive' and 'Only for the Weak'.

Everyone should be happy, right? Seems they are – the “In Flames! In Flames” chants between songs don't stop until the end of the show. “Shut up, I must speak now,” jokes Anders.

And after all the ice between the band and the audience has been melted, there's no place for games of “we pretend we walk off the stage, you shout and bring us back, we tell you how awesome you are and then we play the same encore that we play on every single date from the tour.”

The final punch is 'Take This Life' – and I must point out the song sounds way more brutal live – during which the band puts on the drums a Bulgarian flag someone from the crowd threw on stage. A suiting finale for an amazing concert.

GALLERY