Live Review: Trivium, In Flames, Lo!

The majority of the audience wouldn’t have recognised a Lo! song if it broke into their house and trashed it, punishing sludge and noticeable presence instead greeted by many folded arms. The energetic Sydneysiders nonetheless applied themselves, even if it wasn’t their ideal environment.

Melodic metallers In Flames presented an intriguing proposition. A slew of new devotees have embraced the Swedes during recent years, and from opener, The Quiet Place onwards this was an hour focused largely on less-inspired, albeit popular latter-day recordings. Conversely, scant reference to vital early releases would have been galling for those who have remained loyal for a couple of decades. Any grumbling long-time supporters were vastly outnumbered by those who writhed and sweated to crowd-pleasers Cloud Connected, Trigger and Delight And Angers. Although the second half lagged hearty interaction helped, vocalist Anders Fridén not-so-subtly encouraging punters to disregard the “no crowd-surfing” signs and inviting one fan on stage to film the crowd during Only For The Weak.

Concluding this heavyweight metal double-bill, likeable frontman Matt Heafy acknowledged Trivium’s sizeable debt to their predecessors. Waxing lyrical about their life-changing impact on him was agreeable respite from otherwise rather clichéd banter. Considering the vociferous response the American quartet has had a similarly incendiary influence on a new generation. Their efficient display may have rarely reached grand heights, but welcome points of difference were set-list alterations from previous visits, such as incorporating the accessible Dying In Your Arms and sing-along favourite, Anthem (We Are The Fire). The former fell somewhat flat though; the latter couldn’t have been cheesier if it arrived in a Kraft packet. Breakthrough hit, Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr’s surprising absence aside, the masses appreciated cuts like gigantic Down From The Sky, while In Waves sent all and sundry home sporting grins you’d have required a sandblaster to remove.