Arch Enemy, Double Dragon @Fowler's Live, Adelaide,(19/10/06)

Mon 30th Oct, 2006 in Gig Reviews

Fowler’s Live was pretty well jammed with people, something I didn’t expect, given the recent Cannibal Corpse show. Metalheads in Adelaide aren’t notorious for the amount of ready cash they have!

Double Dragon kicked off this all-ages show, and drew a mixed crowd. Having not seen Double Dragon before, I was happily surprised. They played faster and heavier than I expected and, probably in a bid to impress the band they were supporting, really lived it up. Playing tracks from their latest release Scars of Fire, including Dead but Still Killing and The Skulls of Fallen Conquerors, both of which were more brutal live, this band was energetic and did their best to work the crowd. As with many Adelaide shows, the crowd made the band work hard – but towards the end of the set, with the brutal Inflictor, the crowd didn’t want to let them go.

Between bands, the time crawled towards the stated start time for the Swedish metallers, and the crowd grew increasingly restless. Many abortive attempts were made to chant them out onto the stage. In the end, Arch Enemy didn’t so much emerge as explode onto the stage, diving straight into it, to a screaming crowd.
Double Dragon was an excellent support for Arch Enemy, energetically and stylistically, but there is no way they could match the fervour and polish of Arch Enemy’s set. The set that Arch Enemy played was energetic, brutal, triumphant. I adore extreme Swedish metal: it never disappoints! Arch Enemy bring the catchy rock back to metal, and growl and scream through an amazing set. I was stunned by Angela’s vocal ability the first time I heard the band, but it was nothing compared to her live performance, which was just amazing.

Thrashing through Enemy within, Bury me an Angel, My Apocalypse, Dead Bury Their Dead, Ravenous, and many more, plus guitar and drum solos, Arch Enemy played to a sea of horns. Working the crowd effortlessly, guitarists Michael Amott (ex-Carcass) and Fredrik, and bassist Sharlee didn’t stop for the whole set. These dudes and Angela make an awesome unit, and the crowd responded accordingly. The band didn’t let the minor sound issue during the second song affect the rest of their set.

Angela told the crowd that last time they toured, they didn’t know whether people in Australia liked them or not, but that now they know that we like them. This show was simply amazing. Let’s hope they come back soon!

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