PHOTO COVERAGE: In Flames in Raleigh NC at The Ritz
The Swedish metal band In Flames finally made a Raleigh NC appearance this past weekend, at The Ritz, and with the help of US metal band All That Remains there was quite the Sunday night crowd.
This metal show was highly anticipated because it is not often that In Flames makes an appearance in the US and I am not sure if they have ever been to Raleigh; at least not that I can remember or find online. The metal veterans are on tour in the US ahead of their upcoming album I, the Mask which is due out on March 1, 2019. Along for the tour is All That Remains and All Hail The Yeti, both US based bands, which definitely helps draw more people out to the shows.
The night began with All Hail The Yeti, and being the lesser known of the three bands there was actually already a good crowd filling the room for the opening act. The stage was set with a candlelit alter type display where the vocalist would perch himself on top of. With this display I was expecting a much darker and heavier sounding band, but they fit it in very nicely with the other bands on the bill.
After All Hail The Yeti came All That Remains which had the room really wake up. All That Remains was one of the more popular bands of their genre in the mid 2000s, their album The Fall of Ideals was one of the CDs that I had on regular rotation in my car. While I haven't listened to them in a long time, I was very pleasantly surprised to hear them play a few older songs off of The Fall of Ideals.
 
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One of the more exciting things about All That Remains' performance was the newest addition to the band, guitarist Jason Richardson. The extremely talented guitarist, most notably as a former member of Chelsea Grin and Born of Osiris, joins the band to fill-in after the death of guitarist Oli Herbert. Just a couple weeks ago the band officially announced Richardson will be a permanent member, and I am excited to see what he brings to the band in terms of song writing.
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All That Remains of course had a huge response from the crowd and played a really amazing set. I am not sure if it was just nostalgia of the band for me, but I really enjoyed their set and may just find my way to another one of their shows on their upcoming US headlining tour.
Setlist:
1. Chiron
2. Whispers (I Hear Your)
3. Everything’s Wrong
4. Wasteland
5. Six
6. Fuck Love
7. Blood I Spill
8. This Calling
9. Two Weeks
Once All That Remains finished their set, the stage really opened up with all equipment being removed, almost like the show was over; however, In Flames was still yet to play. All that was left on stage was the drum set sitting on a riser in the center of the stage, and single guitar cabs on either side of the stage. It was odd seeing just a drum set on and two guitar cabs on stage, but I guess when you're from Sweden you want to tour in the US with as little as possible.
In Flames came out to a huge roar of the crowd and went right into one of their new songs, "Voices". The band played so flawlessly as I had always expected them to when I finally got my first chance of seeing them live, and I couldn't believe that that first chance was in 2019. True masters of their craft.
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As the band played through songs from their entire discography, the energy the room kept growing and growing. The crowd surfers began to really pick up there seemed to be a pretty constant moshpit that circled around the pillar in the center of the venue. The highlight of the In Flames' set for me was when they played "Leeches" off of their 2006 album Come Clarity.
Unfortunately, their guitarist Niclas Engelin was advised by doctors to stay home and so he was not with the band during this US tour. But while fans may have been slightly disappointed to see the band in partial form, there was a very special treat as ex-MEGADEATH guitarist Chris Broderick.
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In Flames will remain in North America through mid-march until they head back overseas for a UK and European tour. For more information about upcoming tour dates and new music from In Flames, head over to their site www.inflames.com to get all you need to know.
Setlist:
1. Voices
2. Everything's Gone
3. Pinball Map
4. Where the Dead Ships Dwell
5. Monsters in the Ballroom
6. All for Me
7. (This Is Our) House
8. Here Until Forever
9. Leeches
10. Colony
11. My Sweet Shadow
12. The Truth
13. I Am Above
14. Cloud Connected
15. The Mirror's Truth
16. The End
