Communion Of Sirens At The Gas Monkey Live, December 13th, 2014

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Both OPETH and IN FLAMES alone would be worth the price of admission to see them live, but on this tour we get to see both of these powerhouse bands that have carved their name in the annals of metal performing as co-headliners on the Communion Of Sirens tour. The Gas Monkey Live was the perfect place to see this show. Not too large and not too small; just right. Normally the crowds tend to trickle in to continuously fill the venue until the main act(s) come on stage. Not tonight. The crowd was thick this evening with the pit area crammed full and also the area leading back to the bar from the start of the opening act, RED FANG. This was going to be a good night. There was a slight incline to get to the pit area, which was good during the show to look over the heads of the masses.

Kicking things off was RED FANG from Portland, Oregon. With their stoner style of metal, these guys put on one hell of show with their bass heavy riffs and down tuned guitars. Prior to seeing at this show, I had never heard their music before but quickly became a fan after seeing them live. Blending their own unique style with sounds similar to KYUSS or THE SWORD, these guys are destined for good things.

IN FLAMES hits the stage next. I have been waiting a long time to see these guys live and tonight is my opportunity. With blinding blue strobe lights pulsing a building hearbeat into the opening song "In Plain View", you can see just how packed the place is with every pulse. What a great choice to open the show and you can feel the energy emanating from their tight knit sound. After playing another song from their new album, “Everything Is Gone”, they go back to the earlier releases with songs like “Trigger”, “Only For The Weak” and “Cloud Connected”. The setlist was full of songs to please the newer fans by incorporating several more from Siren Charms, but with the older material thrown in as well, the diehard Jesterheads were appeased too. From the lighting, to the clarity of the vocals, to the overall sound, IN FLAMES sounded as good live as they do recorded, and were probably the best sounding band of the evening.

IN FLAMES setlist:

• "In Plain View"
• "Everything's Gone"
• "Trigger"
• "Cloud Connected"
• "Delight And Angers"
• "Paralyzed"
• "Through Oblivion"
• "Only For The Weak"
• "The Chosen Pessimist"
• "Where The Dead Ships Dwell"
• "Rusted Nail"
• "The Quiet Place"
• "The Mirror's Truth"
• "Deliver Us"
• "Take This Life"

Finally, the second headliner hits the stage: OPETH. While performing under a co-headlining tour is great to see both bands get equal time on stage, there is one drawback: If your songs are long, there is only time for seven in an hour and fifteen minutes. Opening their set with the first two tracks from Pale Communion, “Eternal Rains Will Come” and “Cusp Of Eternity”, OPETH live can only be described as pure serenity. The yellow and green lighting really set the mood for these two powerful songs and drew the crowd in like moths to a flame. Appeasing the fans of the older death metal style (myself included), OPETH take us back to the Blackwater Park days with “The Drapery Falls” and back even further with “The Moor” off of Still Life. Getting to see them play “The Moor” had to be the highlight of the evening for me as this song was the first I had ever heard from OPETH when it came out and was instrumental in steering me to the style of metal I listen to now. I’m not sure if it was where we were standing or the sound guys fault, but it was very difficult to hear Mikael sing the death vocal portions of the older songs and not be drowned out by the band. But that was a trivial point for the evening as OPETH delivered yet another amazing show. Now comes “The Lotus Eater” and it didn’t take much encouraging from Mikael for the pit to open wide, swallowing those who dared stand near the perimeter. Several “surfers” made their way over the crowd to the front, and with arms raised victory, were kindly escorted back to the masses by security. This epic song has to be one of the heaviest I can remember from their more recent material and just makes you want to break things. It was a great choice to include in the setlist for sure. “Deliverance” closes out the show and the moshing action resumes. Clocking in at over 13 minutes, what an ending to such an awesome show, with its blend of anger to get the pit going, and also its gentleness to show the beautiful craftsmanship of these highly talented musicians.

If you’ve never seen either of these bands live, I highly recommend it and you won’t be disappointed. IN FLAMES will be back in the U.S. this spring to play some of the big festivals, so look for them there and go support them.

OPETH setlist:

• "Eternal Rains Will Come"
• "Cusp of Eternity"
• "The Drapery Falls"
• "The Moor"
• "Windowpane"
• "The Lotus Eater"
• "Deliverance"

Check out some more photos from the show!
All Photos By "Metal" Mark Mihalo

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