REVIEW: Meshuggah, In Flames, Whitechapel bring punishing sets to Montclair, NJ
Photo: Meshuggah, fronted by Jens Kidman, play the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey. Photo by John Soltes.
MONTCLAIR, N.J. — There are many words that come to mind when experiencing a live concert from metal heavyweights Meshuggah: punishing, powerful, pounding, perfect. The Swedish band could attest to all those attributes when they brought their North American tour to the Wellmont Theater in downtown Montclair Sunday, Dec. 10.
Meshuggah had a lot to celebrate in New Jersey. For starters, they are still promoting last year’s exquisite Immutable album, and they are simultaneously honoring the 25th anniversary of their seminal release Chaosphere, a 1998 recording that took their international status a few rungs higher.
Vocalist Jens Kidman was in fine (and brutal) form for the night, banging his head along with the piercing guitar riffs that emanated from the Wellmont’s stage. Kidman often takes a stance next to an amp, places one foot on the equipment, and rocks his body back and forth to the onslaught of sound that comes from his bandmates. For the most part, the singer stays in his quadrant of the stage, and the same can be said of the other players in Meshuggah. There are no self-indulgent solos, no unbelievably complex theatrics, no overall collaborative spirit. Somehow they coalesce around a common denominator of metallic showmanship without interacting with one another too much.
Fredrik Thordendal on lead guitar reigned over the assemblage of metalheads with his intricate maneuvers on the frets, while Mårten Hagström matched his skill note by note on rhythm guitar. Dick Lövgren kept the ear-bleeding thumps pounding along on his bass, complementing the beating of the drums from Tomas Haake. Together, these four players and Kidman’s extreme metal voice made for a sonically put-together performance that was tight and unrelenting, with songs coming off with metal mastery and chaotic fury.
The band has been sticking to the same set list for this North American tour, offering a dozen selections and finishing their sonic takeover by 10:40 p.m. each night. That may feel decidedly uncool for an extreme metal show, but somehow Meshuggah makes an early ending seem fitting. Songs throughout the night included everything from “Broken Cog” to “The Abysmal Eye” to “Future Breed Machine” and “Demiurge.”
Opening the night on this triple-bill of extreme metal were Whitechapel and In Flames. They perfectly set the tone and had the sold-out crowd head-banging, moshing, crowdsurfing and stomping their feet to throaty screams and pulsating beats.
Whitechapel, taking the stage at 7 p.m. for a 30-minute set, is deservedly an in-demand metal band that has often played the part of opening act for a legendary, more established group. They are ready to break out even further because their songs are winning over audience members each and every night.
The band members, who are currently artists on Metal Blade Records, have a back catalog of albums that is nearing double digits. Metalheads know them from being a dedicated touring act (last year fans caught them opening for Trivium). Newcomers can check out their Kin album, their most recent release, and marvel at Phil Bozeman’s vocal prowess and the expert playing of his bandmates.
In Flames, a Swedish metal band, took the stage at 7:50 p.m. and played for nearly one hour. They are right up there at the top of the list of influential Swedish metal bands in the past 30 years, perhaps only eclipsed by Meshuggah. Vocalist Anders Fridén commanded the stage, jumping around and providing boundless energy for this rocking evening of metal. They offered a career-spanning setlist, which included “Cloud Connected” and “I Am Above,” among other selections, and the audience, offering their own form of controlled chaos, responded in kind.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Click here for more information on Meshuggah’s North American tour with In Flames and Whitechapel.
