In Flames / Gojira / Sonic Syndicate

Despite being a laughable example of melodic death metal to some and a guilty pleasure to others, Swedish new kids on the block Sonic Syndicate have amassed an impressive following in a relatively short time. In all fairness, they are a solid live act and the vocal interplay between frontmen Richard Sjunnesson and Roland Johansson is used to its best effect at the packed-out Astoria, with each chunky riff and guttural growl only affirming the band's status as the Diet Soilwork of the 21st century. And besides, 'Denied' is a pretty cool tune and their bassist is pretty hot.

Gojira on the other hand are the heaviest act on the bill by some margin, and they do not fail to live up to such a prestigious position. The French bruisers blow London right off the map with a series of crushing numbers that leave their audience split into two sides: those screaming for more and the few who are stunned into a respectful round of applause and little else. By the time 'The Heaviest Matter of the Universe' brings their mosh-friendly set to a thunderous close, one can only wonder how In Flames – a band that has influenced so many modern metal acts that this venue still seems far too inadequate for them – can match such brutality.

Well, the simple answer is that they can't, but luckily for the band and their followers, they really don't need to. Often accused of being a predictable live act, they immediately dissolve any preconceptions by opening with 'The Chosen Pessimist' – the longest and slowest song they have written in their 15 year-plus career, taken from this year's 'A Sense Of Purpose'. Potentially live suicide for some bands, the Swedish veterans pull it off stunningly, as a huge sheet covering the entire stage drops during the song's epic climax, drawing a deafening cheer from the crowd and ensuring that everyone's full attention is gained when the band launch straight into another newie – the much faster 'I'm The Highway', which sounds arguably better live than on CD.

In fact, much of the evening is spent either debuting picks from the new album or digging into rarely-played classics such as 'Satellites And Astronauts', which is a dazzling reminder of just how creative In Flames have been over the years. Many of the usual suspects are here – 'Trigger', 'Pinball Map', 'System', and 'Take This Life' are inevitably aired – but the MIA status of 'My Sweet Shadow' and trademark anthem 'Only For The Weak' underlines just how determined the group still are to keep their live shows fresh and interesting.

This notion is only compounded a few songs into the set, wherein a huge backing screen is suddenly unveiled in all its psychedelic glory. The addition of such a luxury adds a new depth the to visual impact of the melo-death kings - not least during the anthemtic 'Cloud Connected', during which a 'Matrix'-esque wall of black and green only adds to the sweaty pandemonium of the heaving mass that the crowd has become. However, it is arguably during acoustic ballad 'Come Clarity' that In Flames truly show their eminence, as the voices of each and every fan in the building drown out the efforts of Anders Friden, who can only look on and smile at the beaming faces in front of him. It has taken far too long to happen, but finally, it seems that In Flames' status matches their musical prowess.

FUTURE GIGS

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