This autumn, extreme music is set to rock the capital. Before seeing Sepultura and Jinjer, then Kreator and Anthrax at the Zénith de Paris, the Salle de La Villette opened its doors to another double-bill concert. On Tuesday October 8, 2024, In Flames and Arch Enemy took center stage in the capital's 19th arrondissement.
Initially scheduled to take place at the Olympia, the show was moved to the Zénith in Paris in response to strong demand. It has to be said that these two Scandinavian bands set the standard for melodic death metal.
On the one hand, there's In Flames. Formed in 1990 in Gothenburg, the band's original line-up includes guitarist Björn Gelotte and singer Anders Fridén, as well as Tanner Wayne on drums, Chris Broderick on guitar and Liam Wilson on bass. With 14 albums released since 1994, In Flames has contributed to the emergence of melodic death metal alongside such pioneers of the genre as Dark Tranquility and At The Gates.
On the other hand, there's Arch Enemy. Hailing from Halmstad, Sweden, the band features guitarist Michael Amott (Spiritual Beggars, Carnage, Carcass, Candlemass), impressive drummer Daniel Erlandsson (Carcass and Brujeria) and bassist Sharlee D'Angelo (The Night Flight Orchestra). The band also owes its reputation to charismatic Canadian vocalist Alissa White-Gluz, who joined in 2014.
And so, on Tuesday evening, at the Zénith de La Villette, two teams went head to head. " Who are you more of a fan of? " could be heard in the Zenith hall last night. Many were recognizable by their t-shirts, bearing the effigy of one band or the other. In the end, the two teams engaged in a bit of good-natured, humorous competition for much of the evening.
But before attending this musical match, Zenith fans were able to warm up with the opening act, Soilwork. And you had to get there early, as the set started at 7pm. They too hail from Sweden, Helsingborg to be precise. Equally at home in melodic death metal, it didn't take long for Soilwork to kick things up a notch, both in the pit and in the stands.
Soilwork can count on the power of its imposing lead singer Björn Strid. With his shaven head and sleeveless jacket, Björn Strid never ceased to move to the front of the stage, as if drawing energy from the audience before giving it back to them. While a number of recent tracks were played on Tuesday evening, Soilwork also chose to perform some good old hits such as " Distortion Sleep ", " Exile " and " Stabbing the Drama ", as well as the explosive " Spirit of No Return ", recently unveiled. After 45 minutes, Soilwork offered a final collective salute before retiring with a smile on their faces.
The lights come back on and a curtain comes down. While the technicians are busy changing stages, the audience takes the opportunity to chat about metal music, while others head for the refreshment stands. The queues are impressive, even discouraging at times.
As previously announced on the venue's social networks, In Flames took to the Zenith stage at 8.10pm to thunderous applause. Some fans made no secret of their disappointment, however, and would have preferred to see their favorite band go on last to close the evening.
But no matter. In the end, the pleasure of seeing these 6 big guys on stage at the Zenith is total. And the Scandinavian band gets off to a strong start with the powerful " Cloud Connected ". Old and new tracks follow. And some of the tracks have the audience on edge. These include the powerful " Take This Life ", the excellent, bubbling " Only for the Weak ", the explosive " Meet Your Maker ", driven by heady riffs, the exhilarating " Deliver Us " and the electrifying " My Sweet Shadow " to close the set.
Live, the Swedish combo has no shortage of energy, with Anders Fridén in top form. With his black cap screwed on his head, the singer takes full advantage of the stage and doesn't hesitate to call on the audience on several occasions to create a few wild circle pits. His voice is incredibly powerful and brutal, making most of the audience headbang furiously.
The set design is simple but well thought-out, with ultra-careful lighting and a change of backdrop twice, before the arrival on stage of the face of the monster featured on the latest opus,"Foregone".
For around 1h20, In Flames delivered a powerful and invigorating set, doing our ears and eyes a world of good.
After warmly thanking the audience for coming, In Flames left the stage, making way for their compatriots Arch Enemy.
Once again, a curtain is lowered to hide the backstage area during the set change. The curtain reads " Pure Fucking Metal ". The tone is set for what's to come. After a 25-minute wait, the lights go out once more, to make way for the arrival ofAlissa White-Gluz and her bandmates, as Motörhead's " Ace of Spades " blares out.
The singer and her 5 musicians hit the ground running with " Deceiver, Deceiver ", followed by the explosive " The World Is Yours " and " House of Mirrors ". The drummer's powerful, ultra-fast playing technique is a real eye-catcher. For her part, Alissa White-Gluz is impressive. With her long blue hair and guttural vocals, she's a real eye-catcher. Moving from one side of the stage to the other, the singer also has fun juggling her microphone, while several smoke machines projecting CO2 delight the audience and a pentagram illuminates the back of the stage.
Throughout the set, euphoria is at its peak. One slam followed another in the pit, while plastic cups (empty or not) flew over the heads of the spectators.
It has to be said that the setlist had plenty to delight fans, with old and new tracks played, such as " Dream Stealer ", taken from"Blood Dynasty", due in stores in March 2025. Fans were also able to go wild on Tuesday night on " The Eagle Flies Alone ", " Handshake With Hell ", " The World Is Yours " and the hit " Nemesis ", during which balloons were thrown into the pit.
Like In Flames, Arch Enemy delivered a successful, ultra-energetic set, buoyed by the muscular vocals ofAlissa White-Gluz. After four hours of metal music at the Zénith in Paris, some metalheads seemed tired, but conquered and happy to have experienced this evening dedicated to melodic death metal!
Location
Paris Zenith
211 Avenue Jean Jaurès
75019 Paris 19
Access
M° Porte de Pantin
