DARK TRANQUILLITY, SINERGY & GRIFFIN

 - Highbury Garage, 18th Nov 2002

As it turned out I needn't have been concerned but I was surprised quite how many traditional alchemists there were here. Gamma Ray, Helloween and (gulp!?) Blind Guardian shirts were all in attendance while people were heard muttering the joys of the Running Wild back catalogue. This can only be a cool thing!

Firstly openers Griffin (superb name!) were perfectly at home with this audience peddling traditional metal with a slightly harder edge. Maiden are a strong reference point but the band on this performance have enough ability and talent to rise above this and stand on their own. A well paced, entertaining and hugely promising set from an act that won over the crowd by the end. Covering Ozzy's "Crazy Train" was also a touch of genius!

Sinergy on the other hand baffle everyone by having "Celebration" as their theme tune. For one minute I thought I was at the Car Wash at the Mean Fiddler! As a musical proposition they are equally somewhat difficult to digest. Sinergy is the band of Kimberley Goss (former backing vocalist of Cradle of Filth and barock metal act Therion). I once read in Terrorizer her vocals being described "as a size 6 foot in a size 12 shoe which sits uncomfortably with the music"; a description I can only agree with tonight. There are no exotic wails a la Cristina Scabbia or Jeff Walker style grunts a la Angela Gossow more air raid impersonations, and unfortunately only one person can do that and he fronts Maiden! That said she is determined to have a good laugh and works a stage as well as anyone, with constant self-deprecating humour which us Brits always love. When she asks if anyone has their debut album (they have now done three) and gets a muted response from everyone other than a dozen at the front she replies "ten guys in here kick ass!" and gets on with the job in hand. Lyrically and musically they are also a notch less impressive than the openers with titles like "Wake Up in Hell" leaving all to conclude that a bit more grey matter ought to be used. Kimberley states at one point that maybe the guys at the back are interested in being "dark and misanthropic" rather than getting their hands in the air and being cheesy, but maybe we just couldn't get our heads around it all.

Dark Tranquillity on their first show in five years in London, (the last being I believe an Osmose record label tour package), are quite simply inspired. They had freely wandered amongst the crowd prior to coming on and the permanent grin across vocalist Michael Stanne's face throughout the set is an absolute wonder to behold. He is genuinely chuffed to be here. He also throws everything into this performance bar the kitchen sick, hanging onto the ceiling of the stage on several occasions, stage diving, and even singing at one point while crowd surfing, He makes everyone feel a part of it.

Dark Tranquillity have always been slightly more "Dave Murray and Adrian Smith" than their other Swedish peers (God far too many Maiden references in this review!) and tonight Messrs Sundin and Henrickson put on flawless showings. They are also masters of light and shade although much remains in the realms of fast with carefully weaved and tossed guitars floating perilously on top.

Their new release "Damage Done" didn't make sense until tonight but now I can't stop playing it. The title track, "Treason Wall" and "Final Resistance" all get run-outs, but there is more than a hint of respect to the past as well. "Punish My Heaven" from "The Gallery" opus gets a storming rendition as well as "Hedon" (for all the suicidal angels in here"), "Insanity's Crescendo" and "Zodijackyl Light" from "The Mind's I". "Therein" from the more refined "Projector" gives Michael the chance to use clear vocals among the harsh but eloquent bellows. Finally several tracks from the "Haven" album ("invite the dark side in!") give keyboardist Martin Brandstrom - last seen performing with Tiamat here earlier in the year - a chance to add a darkwave electro feel to the bluster. To cap it all off they played "Single Part of Two" ("I never wanted you to lie, never wanted fragments of your day") a sentiment that hits so hard with me at the moment.

I really can't do this performance enough credit here. If anything it is even greater than In Flames monstrous appearance a month ago. Seeing a band on stage so totally wound up in their surroundings, loving every note, and giving absolutely everything for the cause and the 250 souls present, left me at one point close to tears. An outstanding show from a truly exceptional band.

home