In Flames with Killswitch Engage, Protest The Hero, and Between the Buried And Me

The lone Canadian band on the bill, Protest The Hero were a technical tour-de-force, with vice-tight finger tapping and double bass blast riffs that seemed more geared for the musicians in attendance. It's obvious these guys have been playing together since they were 12 years old (they're now about 22). Vocalist Rody Walker did his best to get things stirring in the pit, with some success, but it was apparent the crowd was saving their energy for later. Although the band was technically solid, and heavy as a truck, they seemed more concerned with pulling off their songs flawlessly than acting like rock stars. Granted, bassist Arif Mirabdolbaghi may just have one of the most laidback and in-the-groove stage presences of any metal bass player I've ever seen. He put on a great show by himself, just tappin'/slappin/shredding faces off with a big ol' smile on his face the whole time. Maybe he was laughing to himself because he knew what happened to barefoot Rody's socks and shoes, and was waiting for him to step on a tack or something.

I think I'd rather see these guys in a smaller venue with better sound, but it was great to see them rocking the Coliseum.

Then came that strange, anxious silence.

Well, as silent as the Coliseum gets with about 3000 people waiting to see one of the most energetic and infamous live shows in rock, anyway.

From the opening strains of "My Last Serenade" to the post-ironic cover of Dio's "Holy Diver", KSE's power grooves and intricate melodic metal had the Coliseum under their spell for what could be considered the better part of the night. Despite a rumored case of bronchitis and walking pneumonia, singer Howard Jones delivered powerful, sweeping melodies and gut-wrenched growls from one end of the stage to other, up the stairs to the rock-star podium walkway behind drummer Justin Foley, and back again, grinning ear-to-ear throughout. It's obvious these guys are having a blast up there, and their energy was contagious. Minutes into the set, the charismatic frontman took a moment to bask in the roar of motorbreath and answer a fundamental, existential question. "This...." he beamed, raising his hands, "..is why we are here", as he proceeded to announce that this was already the best crowd they've ever played to in Vancouver, which is obviously what the fans all wanted to hear. Interesting tactic, Howard.

And it apparently works: as my buddy Josh, who had never seen them, or the "Wall of Death" before, put it: "Like a Metal Moses, Howard parted the moshing sea with some inspiring words then the band dropped into a thundering power groove and the masses rushed each other into a massive pit. Awesome!!!"

If there's anything KSE can be criticized for, it's their over-the-top enthusiasm onstage, which dangerously approaches goofishness. Throughout the set, guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz pulled off every rock guitarist cliche in the book: air-splits, foot on monitor, flapping the tongue around, and demanding to see "titties". These antics can be forgiven as showmanship and having a good time, but it was the dangerously high-cutoff jean shorts and bright yellow cape that he was wearing that had me considering heading to the stands. With every lap around the stage, the cape would billow a foul wind of B.O. that engulfed the first 10 feet of the pit and added to the already maxed-out sensory onslaught of their show. Maybe that's the point, but Adam: please wash that thing before you come back, ok?

In Flames is one of the hardest working bands out there, and refuse to let a minor setback like a guitar player in rehab stop their epic touring schedule. With the merry-go-round of guitar players and various band members who've come and gone through IF, you're unlikely to find too many fans who can agree on which era of the band ruled and which sucked, but it was obvious the crowd was there to take whoever they can get. They put on a powerful set that seemed loaded with songs from the "A Sense of Purpose" album ("Disconnected", "Delight and Angers", "Alias", "Mirror's Truth"), and didn't play anything older than "Embody The Invisible" (from 1999's "Colony").

While not as engaged with the crowd as KSE, Anders Fridén took a few moments to elicit some crowd reaction:: "This is the last time you'll see us.....for awhile. We're heading home to write a new album", a comment that inspired a loud BOOOOO!!!! that swelled into a roaring approval. He would later take a lucky fan's camera, place it on the drum riser, and record the next song for the YouTube audience. While many of the fans seemed pretty tired by this point, there was still a respectable mosh pit featuring a bikini-top clad fan who may have been somewhat distracting to the mostly young white male-dominated crowd. That said, In Flames doesn't really strike me as a band who give a f**k if the fans mosh or not. They seemed more interested in just rocking their set with a minimum of theatrics. The stage was clean, stripped-down, with nothing but an array of simple but highly effective light racks neatly arranged in place of amps.

All in all, a brilliant night featuring some of the best of what metal has to offer and what its future holds.