After nearly 20 years in the business the original death metallers from Sweden return with a new album and tour, this was my first In Flames live experience, which sitting here now writing this is amazing, what have I been missing ? I tell what ive missed, a band with a real quality live performance, on their entrance to the stage a huge drop covers the crowds view, with silhouettes projected on said drop the crowds intensity grows.


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With the drop removed the band begin their assault on the rammed Birmingham crowd , the lights are amazing, it seems every angle has been covered in beams with the strobes power blinding the poor fans, let alone my camera, I catch one photographer muttering something like, I cant blah de blah and scratching his head, it was loud and I too was struggling with the conditions, musically its quality, after 9 studio albums its no wonder, the intensity is crazy, the crowds intensity is crazy, I don’t normally warm to death metal, but, I've gota say, live, in flames are a completely different animal, once again due to my age.

I remember the big noise made early in their career with albums like 'the jesters race' especially the artwork but I never ventured anymore than just reading the articles, as with a lot of quality things they mature with age , 'soundtrack to your escape' and last years “come clarity” have increased the bands popularity, up to the point of winning metal hammers best international band award, the latest offering is 'a sense of purpose' in which the title sums it all up, In Flames do have a purpose, that is to constantly lead the way for their peers and to show how a live show should really be, intense !

Review by James Hope