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Dark Tranquillity Concert Review
After more than a month of concert inactivity, I was called forth to The Metro in Wrigleyville by the mixed bill of Dark Tranquillity, Scar Symmetry, The Haunted, and Into Eternity. The former two held significantly more allure for me than the latter, I admit, but I’ve had phases of addiction with those two as well, in my day, so I let my nostalgia get the better of me for a while for the sake of a good evening.
As has become a theme that I’ve noticed this season, the weather was abnormally cold once the day of the show came around (which I have decided to blame on the Scandinavian frostiness of the bands), so the walk to The Metro from my car was not a pleasant one. But, parking was free so I shan’t complain further on that. What was worthy of complaint, though, is what I discovered once I arrived at the venue, ten minutes before the show was supposed to start. Apparently, since the show was all-ages it had a 10:00 curfew, and to accommodate that deadline all the sets had been moved forward and cut short.
So, even though the doors had opened just 20 minutes before, Scar Symmetry were already three songs into their four song set, much to my (and everyone else’s entering at that time) chagrin. I ran up the stairs to get into the photo pit, but was barred entry and got the ‘first three songs only’ bit from the hulking security guard instead. Despite this disappointment, I did at least get to hear their closer, the successful single ‘The Illusionist’ from their remarkably successful second album ‘Pitch Black Progress’. The band themselves didn’t move around very much on stage, but seemed to be having as much genuine fun playing their instruments as I’ve seen any band have in quite some time. From bassist Kenneth (entirely new to metal) to guitarist Jonas Kjellgren (experienced veteran of such acts as Centinex and Carnal Forge), they all looked to be enjoying their time with the audience and each other on stage.
Christian sounded powerful with the growling vocals but seemed to have a bit of a difficulty hitting all his clean notes. Although the timbre of his voice was clean and deep as always, it was more an issue of undershooting during the chorus. A couple times, he pointed the mike out towards the crowd for them to sing the chorus for him, which I was very skeptical of, but a surprising number of voices were raised to support him, and I noticed more than a few people around me singing along to the verses as well. Considering how new the band is, I did not expect to see such strong support for them, but I suppose I should have expected it, considering how easy it is to get into their style of melodic death.
After ‘The Illusionist’, Scar Symmetry departed. They had played no more than 20 minutes and the crowd was quite vocal in expressing their displeasure, but fortunately no one took out the frustration on the band, and in fact gave them some of the night’s loudest cheers on their way out.
After they left, I made the first trip of many down to the merch table to try and set up my interview with them. Jens, or “Bobo”, was their manager/merch guy, a quaint and wry fellow of middling years, and he was very patient with me throughout the night as I tried to match schedules with the band. After milling about for a while I heard Into Eternity kicking things off back upstairs and returned to the photo pit.
Their most recent album, ‘The Scattering of Ashes’, I felt was a major step down from 2004’s ‘Buried in Oblivion’, and I admit to being no fan of new vocalist Stu Block, but I must also admit that they put on a pretty good live show. Tim Roth, guitarist and back-up vocalist, is the only remaining original member, and he put on an absolute clinic of shredding technique throughout their short set, impressively backing up his riffing with respectable vocals, both clean harmonizing and some lead growls. The rest of the musicians held their own with the upbeat, challenging material, but still felt, and were treated, I think, like session members. Other than Roth, the one I had come to see for Into Eternity was Stu. I’d heard his piercing falsettos and low growls on album and had to acknowledge his talent, so I also hoped that seeing him live might help me warm up to the new material. And, indeed, he certainly was powerful and managed to confidently hit nearly all the notes he went for; he sounded particularly comfortable on material from ‘The Scattering of Ashes’, which included ‘Endless Winter’ and the single ‘Severe Emotional Distress’ which really got the crowd going.
Still, Stu has this rankling aura around him that I just can’t shake. It could be that sleazy grin, his Mata Hari style head bobs, or perhaps his absurd ukulele air guitar—maybe some combination of all three. Whatever it is, I get an overly cocky vibe from him that just doesn’t feel right, and despite the obvious talent Into Eternity command, when Stu said something to the effect of, ‘…bringing you the absolute best in extreme progressive death metal!’ it came off as more arrogant than excited. Anyway, the band closed with ‘Beginning of the End’, perhaps the best song off of ‘Buried in Oblivion’, which both the crowd and I appreciated, the former for its mosh potential and I for how it showed that Roth hasn’t forgotten his (relatively old) roots.
Another 20 minutes, another four songs, another band down, another trip down to the merch tables, another strike-out for the interview. I did see some steady traffic headed to both the Scar Symmetry and Into Eternity tables, though, while The Haunted’s merch guy was standing quite alone in his own corner, staring into the screen of his laptop. I think throughout the entire night I saw him make maybe four sales, few enough for any band, much less the night’s headliners.
By this time, the show was in the extraordinarily uncommon position of being ahead of schedule. Yet, instead of going ahead as soon as possible to afford each band a longer set, everyone seemed to loiter around waiting for their designated time to start, as if they were unsure what else to do. If I had any complaint about the technical crew this evening, that would be it—when extra time is given, take advantage of it, I say. Aside from this, though, the sound and running crew were professional and experienced, as were the security guards in maintaining order, so I tip my cap to them in the end.
Even if they did start on time instead of early, Dark Tranquillity still had an hour to play, which was more than I had expected after those first two sets. After a few minutes of light synth backing tracks to set the mood, the lights went out and each member came out one by one, starting with Anders (drums), the new member Martin (keys), Michael (bass), guitarists Martin and Niklas, and finally Mikael Stanne himself, dancing out for his verse as the band kicked into their opener. Immediately, I was struck by how fluid they all seemed, how comfortable with their positions and instruments. Most of them tended to stay in their spots, moving their heads or gesturing to the crowd from time to time, but they still conveyed a lot of power and passion without having to get riled up like teenagers.
The real catalyst for this energy was Mikael, who now has me thoroughly sold on his status as one of metal’s premier frontmen. I have always respected his artistic ability, but after seeing his live performance I’m only more convinced. Looking the consummate European in a long-sleeved black button-up and with curly hair down about his shoulders, he slid from side to side, belting out those massive growls out his with ease and smiling all the while. Strangely, in watching him I couldn’t help but be reminded of the last time I was at The Metro to see Converge and Jacob Bannon. Jacob is a far fiercer and more abrasive presence, both vocally and visually, but something about Mikael’s loose body flow—how he would posit one arm behind his back then throw it up into the air, bounce up and down from a crouching position—reminded me of Jacob’s own style. Just as present in my mind as Jacob, though, was Roy Khan of Kamelot, perhaps the smoothest lead singer in all of metal today, both in terms of vocals and on-stage presence. The combination of the two in this towering Swede is an odd one, but he pulled it off with individuality and style.
The band’s set tended almost exclusively towards new material—‘Damage Done’, ‘Character’, and a few tracks from the new album ‘Fiction’, such as ‘Focus Shift’ and ‘The Lesser Faith’. All were received with appreciation from the crowd, and Mikael at one point asked whether they all sounded familiar; many in the crowd cheered in the affirmative, to which he laughed and replied, ‘You damn pirates…’. He quickly followed with a casual, ‘That’s cool, though’, and professionally avoided the opportunity to berate the downloading villains. He also did a good job integrating the rest of the band, addressing Anders on the kit a number of times to introduce songs with his count-offs and conceding the spotlight to his band-mates when their featured sections came up.
The songs from ‘Damage Done’ seemed to get the most response from the crowd and certainly were called for a lot, but I had hopes for more older material. Finally, with about 15 minutes left in their set, Mikael said, ‘So, you’re all familiar with the new stuff, but what about the old? Like…the really old? We’re talking mid-90’s, here.’ Once that was said, I knew what was coming, as did we all, so when he thrust the mike out at us we all yelled, ‘Punish My Heaven!’ and away they went with it. Martin had a rack of guitars off to the side where he had traded one in for this song and the difference was clear. Listening on album to ‘Character’ and ‘The Gallery’ back-to-back is one thing, but experiencing it live is really more powerful. Even beyond the change in music, you could tell the difference in posture and attitude of the band; not that they didn’t enjoy what they were playing, just that it was different to them, different songs from a different time.
Although late in the set Mikael’s growl lost a bit of its edge, he managed the line of clean vocals in ‘Punish My Heaven’ quite well, all things considered. Featured guitarist Niklas also showed his stuff, handling all his leads and solos with an easy grace. He didn’t spend as much time with the audience, but he was clearly attuned to what he was doing, mouthing the words to himself as Mikael sang them and looking rather calm and introspective throughout. The most involved member of the band, aside from Mikael, was Michael the bassist. On record, his presence is often overwhelmed, but for the show his bass was high in the mix, which really showcased his talents and tasteful supporting melodies. Interestingly, the most energetic member of all was not Mikael but rather Martin, the new keyboardist. Hunched over his synth, he would stab at a chord and thrash his head wildly from side to side, so energetically that I thought he might fall over or lose his place in the song. Fortunately, though, he did not, and provided an essential, ironically stabilizing atmospheric element to their set.
Whether involved or introspective, once the end of the set came every member was looking outwards and bowing, looking just as thankful as ever after all these years to each and every fan. From the lengthy cheers the crowd gave them, it was clear that Dark Tranquillity could have easily headlined this show and then some, and I must say I’m confused as to why they did not.
After they were done, I made yet another unproductive trip down to the merch table where I bummed around for a while longer, slowly coming to the conclusion that my interview was not going to happen. A few minutes more and it was 8:50, so I headed back upstairs to get in position to shoot for The Haunted.
The crowd had thinned out a bit at this point, but the venue was still respectably full both on the floor and on the balcony above. Considering that The Metro can pack in 1100 people, that sort of crowd for a Wednesday night show was quite respectable. After the looming, clearly foreign looks of Dark Tranquillity, The Haunted looked downright American by comparison. For the most part, at least—the Björler brothers (twins, even) both rather middling in height and stocky, and Peter Dolving on vocals dressed like a skater type in high school (sneakers, shorts, black t-shirt, Mohawk and all) with the stage presence to match. He bounced around, making obscure thrusting gestures, and perching on the PA’s with his mike cord wrapped in his fist as he belted out screams. The only really European looking type in the band was rhythm guitarist Patrik Jensen, wielding his camouflage-patterned guitar.
The music was not particularly European either. They began with material from ‘The Dead Eye’ before reaching back a little bit to ‘rEVOLVEr’ for the familiar crowd-pleaser ‘99’, which I must admit sounded pretty rousing in concert, and Dolving is a persuasive choice for the aggressive mosh-pit type anthems. It was still a little disappointing, though, to see guys like Jensen and the Björler brothers playing along, knowing that much greater things (Satanic Slaughter, Witchery, At The Gates) lay within their fingertips. Regardless, it was worth the experience just to see those relative legends in action and see the young folks in the crowd having at one another for a while.
After a few songs, I did get a little antsy and decided to check again downstairs for Scar Symmetry. No one was there when I arrived, but after waiting around for a while I finally lucked out. One of their guitarist, Per, came in from backstage, and Jens took a second from the merch table to put us together. After a brief conversation and a couple autographs for some young teens with his picks, we headed backstage.
The Metro, despite its nice layout and professional décor, has a rather rudimentary backstage: a couple couches in a main seating area and a small hall off to one side with even smaller cubicles designated for each band. Per took me to Scar Symmetry’s, where we happened upon a buffet of drinks—water, bottled beer, cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, and, interestingly enough, orange juice—but did not find any of the other members. Yet, the backstage being small indeed, simply turning around revealed Dark Tranquillity’s dressing room where we found the rest of the band and a handful of Dark Tranquillity. Per and Jonas chatted for a bit about who might do the interview, and after that brief exchange Per took me back to their own dressing room where we conducted the interview.
Everything seemed rather normal for a while, about the first fifteen minutes or so, but soon enough heads started poking in the door. At first they were accidental—Kenneth looking for something, forgetting that we were talking, and retreating again; a tech crew member looking for Into Eternity—but after a while the door opened again and Jonas stepped in, completely drunk and blissfully happy. He joined our discussion, quite loudly, and soon enough we had the entire band in that small little room, except for Christian. He, as Jonas told me, had gotten sick and was sleeping it off, which would explain why he had seemed a little off during their set and hadn’t moved around too much, though he still sounded good despite the illness.
From that point the interview was completely derailed. Conversation spiraled off into entirely unrelated fields and included such conversation gems as Jonas’s extended a cappella version of a breakdown, Henrik recounting his Google discovery of Scar Symmetry’s relation to breast implants, the generally confirmed consensus that life amounts to tits and ass, and hints all around at great things to come for the band (including what Per and Jonas half-jokingly called “the greatest metal song ever written”) as well as for all their respective projects.
Jonas in particular had some interesting comments about a new idea he has entitled ‘Savage Beast’, which he described as “King Diamond mixed with Satanic black thrash metals”. Apparently, Horgh of Immortal heard what he had written and demanded to play drums on the album, but Jonas said that he had other plans. Although Jonas was seriously drunk at the time and said all sorts of silly things, any project that had Horgh begging to get on board is one that I’ll take seriously. If it is to be recorded, it may be occurring something later this year, so keep an eye out.
After more than an hour of this madness, the band’s Danish crew chief (apparently batshit crazy) started rounding up the band to get the gear back on the bus. After extended farewells and numerous handshakes, I finally took my leave. I had missed the rest of The Haunted’s set and got in the way of at least four roadies loading up gear on my way out, but for a conversation like that it was worth it.
And by the look of things, it might only have been the beginning, as towards the end of our discussion Jonas mentioned that Scar Symmetry might be playing Chicago Powerfest next year. They were potentially going to play it this year as well, but the timing of the dates didn’t work out quite right so they had to back out. At the rate they’re going, by this time next year they’ll have another full-length released just as good if not better than these last. Add in a healthy Christian on vocals and I’m sold, cold weather or not.
Ultimately, it was a night of ups and downs. Into Eternity and The Haunted were not quite the juggernauts I had once thought them to be, but every band gave the audience their money’s worth, with Scar Symmetry and Dark Tranquillity making especially impressive appearances. If this tour for some reason came back through Chicago on their way back overseas I’d be more than willing to stop in again. Well, maybe. Kick out the minors and drop this curfew business, and then we’ll talk.
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