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Rating: Milan. Mazda Palace. October 22, 2006.
Unholy alliance chapter 2.
The gates open about twenty minutes late, but everything is normal.
Time to put the fragile things in the cloakroom (ach, it's a pity they didn't park my bones, besides the backpack), and we're inside... a somewhat diverse anticipation for Thine Eyes Bleed, some go to the bathroom, some for beer, some smoke, some wait for the "recommended" ones... but at 4:50 PM there's no more doubt: the concert has started.
And all in all, it's not a bad start, good reception for the band, which I still find a bit lacking in variety with their song style. However, even a good stage presence helped them not to be a burden, quite the opposite. And then, after a brief break, the Lamb Of God... and here perhaps a bit of disappointment. Because it was reasonable to expect a bit more from the lambs, because they did an epic sound check, and then one song was cut short halfway due to technical issues. Sure, this affected the setlist (which still seemed good to me, above average with "Laid To Rest" and "Now You Got Something To Die For"), but honestly, I expected a bit more. Great technical performance, nonetheless. After that, the "Children Of Bodom" performed, who had a huge following of fans, judging by the t-shirts. The entrance is hilarious: with swing music (I think it was the theme song from "The Naked Gun"), presented by an unlikely anchorman, Bodom takes the stage. It's a whole different story, the crowd's frenzy is evident from the audience's shoves. Good performance by the band, although many said it wasn't one of the band's best performances, and again, they had a song cut halfway due to technical problems.
So, we come to what I consider the highlight of the evening. The anticipation for the Swedish In Flames was palpable, though not excessive. Plexiglass panels had been placed on stage, and everyone wondered what they were for (from the right, I was told they bought the set design at Ikea to feel at home... from the left, they were thought to be separès), until the lights went down again. The panels turned out to be nothing but LEDs, and their function became evident when the "Supercar" music started in the background, and the panels lit up with oscillating red dots... a brilliant entrance, you have to admit. The Swedes offered an excellent performance, in my opinion. No technical problems this time, and they really reached very high points (emotional Come Clarity, The Quiet Place, but also Behind Space, Take this Life). They didn't shy away from playing not-so-new pieces (I can't remember which song they picked from 'The Jester Race', my apologies). At first, the vocals seemed a bit low, to the point that the opener "Pinball Map" was barely recognizable, but overall the performance was excellent, and the sound was very good (presumably, the initial lack was due to my position, squashed in the front row).
In Flames concluded, and for my part, I concluded the mosh pit experience because I really couldn't stay standing (and with a mosh pit of the Slayer, that's NOT a good thing).
So, I enjoyed the assassins from the bleachers. The set includes two inverted crosses made of amps on the sides and a screen with a projector at the back. The last performance begins with "Darkness Of Christ", immediately followed by "Disciple"... what can I say, they have their age, but they still prove to be immense stage animals. Simply perfect, although more than a few people fell asleep on the bleachers. They played excellent pieces from their classic repertoire, with some new additions ("Cult", for example). Clearly, classics from "Reign In Blood" like "Angel Of Death" and "Raining Blood", where the delirium truly reaches its peak. Needless to say, a Lombardo alone was worth the ticket price. Magnifique.
In conclusion, a great concert, except for some technical issues (really annoying) that slightly penalized the bands involved. The peak, in my opinion, was reached with In Flames, but as they say, de gustibus...
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