Gigantour featuring Megadeth, In Flames and Children of Bodem Entertainment Art Aragon Ballroom Chicago, Ill. May 6, 2008

While Job For a Cowboy and High on Fire put on the first two sets, it wasn’t until Finland’s Children of Bodom took the stage when the majority of fans entered the Aragon. The band’s mix of melodic death and power metal, mixed in with the surprising sounds of the keyboard from Janne Warman, put on a crunching yet melodic performance. Coming off their recent album Blooddrunk, guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho, guitarist Roope Latvala, bassist Henkka Seppala and drummer Jaska Raatikanien played a tight, 45-minute set including such hits like “Hate Me!,” “Angels Don’t Kill,” “In Your Face” and “Downfall.” However it was their performance of “Six Pounder,” which drew the biggest reaction from the audience. While the majority of the audience seemed to be loyal fans, I found their high-pace aggressive performance, to be a welcoming introduction to their music. Who knew the keyboard could sound so good with metal!

Swedish death metal band In Flames took the stage next and put the audience through a blistering 45-minute set with songs like “Move Through Me,” “Graveland” and “Take This Life.” Like Children of Bodom, In Flames played off their recent release, A Sense of Purpose, their ninth studio album. While largely unknown in the States, In Flames popularity has soared in Sweden where they have won numerous awards. While their early songs consisted mostly of growled singing, they have been making steady use of cleaner vocals. Anders Friden makes for a great front man, as his voice projected a rough, yet high-powered quality to the already deafening sound of the band around him. With guitarists Jesper Strombland, Bjorn Gelotte, bassist Peter Iwers and drummer Daniel Svensson, In Flames may have actually stolen the show from headliner Megadeth. While opening for the legendary band on this tour, In Flames could potentially headline their own tour across the States.

Megadeth of course closed the show with the longest performance. While some fans have complained that Megadeth’s set list hasn’t changed in years, with such hits like “Sleepwalker,” “Gears of War,” “Burnt Ice,” “Wake Up Dead” and others, the fans didn’t seemed to mind and were rocking out to every piece of these songs. While Mustaine remains the only original member of the band, new band mate Chris Broderick (lead guitar) did a fantastic job, often joining Mustaine in playing resonating solos. Shawn Dover (drums) kept things pounding with his double-bass drum setup and James Lomenzo backed up on the bass. Megadeth played barely paused between songs which made their performance seem a little rushed. While some could appreciate the flawless transitions from one song to another, some fans also look for more of an interaction with Mustaine and the band. Nevertheless, the audience seemed to ignore this, threw their devil hands up, banged their heads in unison, kicked backed and enjoyed the show.

Write Comment
Name:	Guest
Title:
Comment:
Code:*

Powered by AkoComment 2.0!