The Parisian transports did not allow us to arrive in time for the performance of
Tag My Heart which opened the gig, we have no other choice than to make up for it during our next visit to Paris!
APRIL ART
All dressed in red, the young German quartet founded and led by the sparkling
Lisa-Marie Watz settles without waiting and starts to send its joyful and positive alternative rock. In a mixture of youthful ardor and real pleasure to perform in front of this growing audience, the musicians don't seem to force themselves to simply have a great time and give it all in the short time allotted to them.
With their only album "Ben Juelg" released in 2019, which they were able to defend as it should be, they still had the delicacy to offer the audience a song that will be present on their next opus "Pokerface" to be released on June 27. While Chris Bunnel and Nico Neufeld, respectively on rhythm guitar and bass, have fun like kids with an obvious complicity, Lisa-Marie occupies perfectly the stage that she masters wonderfully.
Close to an efficient alternative metal and with lyrics that transmit a positive energy, the band plays one track after the other without a break, with only a few words to maintain the atmosphere. Even though they came to applaud bands with a stronger metal sound, the audience paid a nice tribute to the band that we will be happy to see again!
ENSIFERUM
Short break before the first act of this co-headliner comes to put in tune the atmosphere that had already taken well with the performance of April Art. Except that with
Ensiferum, there is this pagan side that the fans came to applaud, this folklore as colorful as joyful, on riffs sometimes dancing, sometimes heavy and largely dominated by the growls of a masterful Petri Lindroos.
After a solemn entrance, Petri and his band devote themselves to their most raw and colorful art and contrast with the rather impassive and concentrated frontman, a Sami Hinkka on the bass in great shape, alternating zany scenes, and other expressions worthy of a Devin Townsend, seen the next day in the first part of
Dream Theater, or a Markus Toivonen always smiling or a Pekka Montin on keyboards, who alternates between his instrument and the front of the stage.
After a few years without a keyboard player, it was the opportunity for us to discover this musician who also provides a nice part of the clear and high vocals that perfectly balance the growl of Petri.
The setlist, extremely well felt, goes on at high speed, without interruption. Performing in the first part of the set their last tracks from 'Thalassic' released in the middle of the health crisis, the Finns then pick their best tracks from each album, and offer a kind of medley sweeping the whole of their discography, where each track is acclaimed by the audience who have fun mimicking the rowers of drakkars in rhythm with the music.
The band, who are having fun, don't let themselves be disturbed and the intensity goes up a notch when Petri brandishes his giant sword as an introduction to 'In My Sword I Trust' that the audience chants.
An excellent moment spent with the masters of pagan who knew how to find the right balance both in the setlist and in the sounds. The second part of the headliner is now highly anticipated...
Setlist :
Rum, Women, Victory
Andromeda
One More Magic Potion
Into Battle
For Sirens
Run from the Crushing Tide
Treacherous Gods
In My Sword I Trust
Lai Lai Hei
From Afar
DARK TRANQUILLITY
The doyens of the evening, masters of ceremony despite a shared show, it is
Mikael Stanne and his comparses of
Dark Tranquillity to close the concert. Well, his 'new' companions should be specified, because the band has seen some of its historical members move on to new projects. This is the case of Niklas Sundin, who used to play the 6-string and who now devotes himself to his activity as a graphic designer, and who has been replaced by the two guitarists
Johan Reinholdz (Andromeda, NonExist or Skyfire) and
Chris Amott (unfortunately held back at home in order to welcome his newborn son, who has been replaced by Joey Concepcion, an American freelance guitarist), or Martin Henriksson, who was replaced shortly before the release of "Atoma" by Anders Iwers. Are you lost? It's normal, we are too...
Fortunately, Mikael is well there, always equal to himself, with a generosity, a sensitivity, a humility and an incredible talent.
At the end of 'Phantom Days', the first track played by the Swedes, here is a still Mikael, as if petrified by the emotion hile the audience feeds its applause in unison, preventing the frontman to continue. Then become spectator of this ovation, he will release a 'I knew that I missed you, Paris... but not at this point! Before continuing with a 'Transient' well felt.
It is then that the slams follow one another, that some fans go up on stage to benefit some moments always received, helped, and welcomed by this Mikael who adapts, always smiling.
It is obviously on the tracks from 'Damage Done', 'Character' or 'The Gallery' that the audience unleashes. As an introduction to 'Punish My Heaven', Mikael takes the time to dedicate the track to Fredrik Johansson, guitarist and main composer on the first albums, who passed away at the beginning of the year after 3 years fighting against cancer. The applause of the audience, still very strong, touched Mikael even more, who could not hold back his emotion, the pain of which could be read on his face. The intensity of the title will make a very beautiful tribute to the musician.
As if galvanized by this emotional elevator, it is the whole band that comes out as united, despite the rather distant horizons of its new members, who remain discreet compared to the charisma released by the frontman who already fills the stage well. With his mastery, he makes his fans travel through almost 30 years of music before ending on a sumptuous 'Misery's Crown'.
It's already time to thank the fans before retiring, but Mikael is unable to do so, one last time caught by the clamor of the audience that keeps him on the side of the stage, once again a spectator with his arms crossed, holding his chin, almost incredulous. He will withdraw only after long minutes.
Huge emotional slap inflicted by this last performance, as much to the audience as to the band itself, the return of Dark Tranquillity still at the top in Paris after 2 years of forced stop will remain engraved in the memories... Can't wait for the next one !
Setlist :
Phantom Days
Transient
Focus Shift
Monochromatic Stains
Forward Momentum
Terminus (Where Death Is Most Alive)
The Dark Unbroken
Punish My Heaven
Atoma
The New Build
Identical to None
Encircled
Lost to Apathy
Misery's Crown