In Flames/Opeth with Red Fang

Red Fang

This was my first opportunity to witness Red Fang in concert and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Based out of Oregon, Red Fang, was a solid compliment to In Flames and Opeth on this tour. If you aren’t familiar with Red Fang, you really should check out “Prehistoric Dog” on YouTube, it’s one of the funnier videos I’ve seen in quite some time.

[Show slideshow]

In Flames

I felt like In Flames kind of stole the night. In Flames has gone through it’s share of changes over the years and they have long since said goodbye to their melodic death metal days in favor of a more alternative metal core-ish sound. I may be a bigger fan of their latter music, having missed their earlier work entirely the first time around. The show at the Warfield was, as expected, a high energy show that did not disappoint. While they joked about the danceability of their songs and about the crappy quality of cellphone videos that would later end up on YouTube (a tongue and cheek commentary on those that forget they are at a live show). In any case, even given the banter, they were very aware of the selfie culture of today’s fans even inviting one to record the show from the stage.

[Show slideshow]

In Flames Set List
In Plain View
Everything’s Gone
Trigger
Cloud Connected
Delight and Angers
Paralyzed
Through Oblivion
Only for the Weak
With Eyes Wide Open
Where the Dead Ships Dwell
Rusted Nail
The Quiet Place
Ropes
The Mirror’s Truth
Take This Life

Opeth

Opeth, to this day, is a bit of an enigma. While they also share some of the same roots as fellow Sweedish band, In Flames, Opeth has not so much abandoned their death metal roots as they have embraced doing whatever they want. For fans, this means their concert can be a hodgepodge of everything from their early music, growls and all, to their current stylings on Pale Communion which is definitely more progressive in nature. By their own admission, they aren’t much to look at, however musically they are something to behold. I can’t think of too many bands out there other than the two covered here that can change so drastically and keep the core of their fans at the same time – whatever that means, few have the balls to try something really new the way that Opeth has and survive. If the lines outside the Warfield in San Francisco were any indication at all, Opeth has done just that and more including closing with their 13 minute classic “Deliverance.”

[Show slideshow]