Soilwork Dark Tranquillity / Hypocrisy Review

SOILWORK Dark Tranquillity Hypocrisy MNEMIC 4/6/05 (Chicago - HOB) & 4/7/05 (Milwaukee - Rave II) Reviewer: Karma E. Omowale Photos: Erika Kristen Watt

“The Scandinavian Apocalypse Hath Cometh!” 

April 6^th and 7^th of April 2005, the skies opened and manna poured from the heavens above, which befell the Chicago House of Blues and The Rave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin the following day. The symbolic secular reference may not have rained on us but three of Sweden’s more highly touted bands (Soilwork, Dark Tranquillity, and Hypocrisy) and one Danish group for good measure (MNEMIC) were at the helm. This invasion was history in the making as pure bliss befell both venues. Speaking of history these bands are riddled with it just with how long they have consistently been in the business and their respective side projects are concerned as well as…if not historical then groundbreaking! This bill was tailor-made; a tasty morsel for the seasoned death metal fan, a fan of NWOSDM or for that matter even for the newbie. This would mark Soilwork’s first headlining tour and merely on the second date in as they converged on Chicago. It has been a long time in the making but Soilwork fans would finally get a chance to see their band and heroes perform a 90-minute set. How cool is that? You get all of this metal mastery (sans MNEMIC) for an unprecedented $30. What more could you possibly ask for?

This two-day trek was rather interesting; this is how it all broke down:

Lineup: Peter Tägtgren – vocals, guitar; Mikael Hedlund – bass; Horgh – drums; Andreas Holma – guitar

Chicago: I have been patiently awaiting The Arrival (all puns intended) of Hypocrisy’s for the last couple of years now. However, I am sad to report my immense disappointment in their set; it was nothing short of lifeless. Oddly enough, they seemed nervous, holding back even. It did appear the band was experiencing technical difficulties. Since it is so early in the tour perhaps, they needed to work out some kinks. Having said this I cannot understand how such fine, accomplished musicians could schlep a set together a set like this. The band hardly ever moved during heir performance. Nevertheless, the crowd did not seem moved either. I will say one thing, drummer Horgh was ripping it up on the drums, cymbals were a flying. He was on like a light. After the conclusion of each song, an eerie silence befell the venue after the obligatory claps were issued, caused the band to not rest at all between songs. During “Buried”, how ironic, Tägtgren decided to address the crowd to spark audience participation. He asked how the crowd was doing. In return, the audience returned a lifeless, “Okay”. Hmmm.

Far more impressed with the configuration and accolades of the band as opposed to their performance, that’s for sure. As I said earlier, at the helm of this out of this world band is guitarist and vocalist Peter Tägtgren. He just so happens to be the owner of Abyss Studios in Sweden. Tägtgren is looked upon as one of the highly touted producers in the genre. He has worked with the likes of Susperia, Dimmu Borgir to name a few to his ever extensive and growing résumé. Tägtgren whom just so happened to have lived in the death metal capital of the world, Tampa, FL in the late eighties before returning to his fair land of Sweden in 1990, rather interesting, eh? Kinda sheds a whole new light on how he has cultivated the essence of the core of the death metal sound and made it his own. Mr. Tägtgren’s also joined forces with such bands as Bloodbath, Marduk, and Pain. The current configuration of the lineup involves some heavy hitting players such as drummer Horgh ex-Immortal, Grimfist and Pain. Bassist Mikael Hedlund used play in War and The Abyss as well. This represents years of solid experience, which made tonight’s show a hard pill to swallow.

Despite their bland performance, the band seemed to perk up “Eraser”, their final song in the set. That song majorly kicked a lot of paranormal ass (the basis of the band’s lyrical content and alien abduction for the last couple of releases). The band was at least able to corral and then captivate the attention of a many of stray in the audience. As soon as we got into it, they were done. This left a many of patron angry, you could hear them grumbling after the conclusion and into the change over of bands. Guessing it is better to go out with a bang as opposed to how they started off, with a thud.

The Rave II: Again, we walked in on the conclusion of their set in Milwaukee, so it is hard to say what really transpired since we did not experience the set for ourselves. According to a couple of fans we had talked to in the audience, they all turned in favorable thumbs up. We had run into a pair of folks whom also attended last night’s show and they too thought Hypocrisy’s set lacked zest. In my interview with Tägtgren this evening, he too felt that last night’s performance was not their best and said, “I think we had some problems playing yesterday.” There you have it! I look forward to seeing the band performance will be better next time through especially since they are releasing a new album, Virus, which is scheduled to hit the shelves in the fall. In between the new material and brusque North American air, I am sure this will be enough to revive them.

• Click here for Interview with Peter Tägtgren and the rest of the band

• Here for a later Interview with Horgh

• Here for live photos of the band on Annihilation of the Wicked Tour

• Here for brand new Interview with Peter

Lineup: Mikael Stanne – vocals; Niklas Sundin – guitars; Michael Niklasson – bass; Martin Henriksson – guitars; Martin Brändström – keyboards; Anders Jivarp – drums

Chicago: The already restless crowd grew manic. Shouting, the band’s name in hopes it would make the co-pioneers of the Gothenburg Sound, Swedish Death Metal Masters better known as Dark Tranquillity grace the stage faster. Well suffice it to say, it did not work. The curtains opened no sooner than the band was ready to. However when the calico covered curtain did part, all hell broke lose. When the band finally took the stage, which seemed an eternity from the conclusion of Hypocrisy’s set. I must admit I too was impatient, as I had been waiting to see this band for a bare minimum of four years. The wait was worth every tortuous nanosecond. The best description served was being hit over the head with an anvil, the dizzyingly, maddening, happiness coursed through my veins as the band opened with “Treason Wall”.  The further along the band got into the song, my chest began to tighten at first I thought I was having an asthma attack… No, uh-uh no such thing. With the force of their performance, it is was easy to see how once could literally be left breathless. Either way you looked at it DT stole the show in Chicago. Never before had I witnessed this kind of magnetic energy the band emitted. It was down right noxious!

They have the best stage presence out of all of bands I have ever seen grace any stage, ever. It befuddled me at first because it’s not like they were doing anything out of the ordinary as far as stage antic go but you do not need smoke and mirrors when you are this good. Stanne got the crowd to clapping during “The New Build” and “Wonders At Your Feet”. One draw back of this magnanimous band is that they were a skosh loud. Thank god for ear plugs, pitied those without. I’m sure it would have been a lovely experience for the have-nots, they just would have been left with tinnitus, that’s all. Again, this band is all about talent, no frills, no fluff, just pure unadulterated skill. The band’s commanding leader Mikael Stanne stunned and commandeered the crowd very early on. He asked the fans whether or not they hey a copy of their latest mammoth release Character. A comment he did not use in Milwaukee; the crowd lost it! Must be something in the vatten i Göteborg, in order for a region to cultivate a sound this rich and forceful and soul stirring. The guitars of Niklas Sundin and Michael Niklasson were pristine and clear. Bassist Martin Henriksson put on quite a show as well, not to mention one could see him light up the venue in the dark. Literally, Henriksson’s fret lit up, adorned in red lights. It was quite the sight. Martin Brändström was nothing short of astounding setting the mood perfectly with eerie doom filled atmospheric sounds coming from the keys. Drummer Anders Jivarp should have been one tired puppy after bashing away on the skins and cymbals as if his life depended on it.

Speaking of Character, the band played a couple songs off the release along with incorporating other songs from previous releases of Haven and Damage Done. The band started off with “The Wonders At Your Feet”. What a way to rope in your old fans by sucking them in and then giving the 1-2 to follow with a new song, and current single, “Lost to Apathy”. The band did not perform **“My Negation” tonight due to technical difficulties. However I shall admit it was hard for me to notice the disruption, bottom line is I could have cared less! The band’s finale with “Final Resistance”  was the pièce de résistance! The crowd cheered wildly once the curtains closed hoping their heroes would return, but not tonight… We were left with an amazing memory and for me hands down one of the best performances I have ever witnessed.

The Rave II: Coming off the heels of an amazing show from leveling their audience a mere 24-hours prior, DT fell upon some hard times while performing. Even though Stanne’s performance was nothing less than stellar as well as the band’s performance was incredible, however Stanne began to lose his voice toward the middle to the end of the set. How horrible is this? They have an entire tour left as this is just day four into it. However Stanne struggled through and hung on to the end. Talk about being a trooper. No matter what the crowd was all about this band. Wildly throwing horns like never before to show the band they were there for them for the long haul. Support like this got to Stanne too. He seemed to be very appreciative with the outpour of love from his audience.

Speaking of the crowd, Mr. Stanne was all about audience participation tonight as well. In general the band was heavily into making them participate even more than last night’s decimation of the HOB. Stanne got the crowd pumped on “Through Smudged Lenses” and “The New Build”. At first the audience seemed hesitant, I am guessing because these songs are new (as in off Character) but once he got them going, they loved every minute of it. The obstinate audience dropped their reservations and some dropped their folded arms to embrace the new material. It was a glorious sight.

After witnessing tonight’s show, Dark Tranquillity gained the utmost in respect from me. A class act through and through. Whenever this band will come ashore to your city, you better make sure to see this band. Be prepared to get blown away, this band packs the wallop of a Category V hurricane! It’s definitely something about the Gothenburg Sound that stirs your inner most being. Even though the band played to a sold out crowd last night the love was the same in a crowd not as large in capacity but filled to the brim with emotion for their heroes.

Whenever Dark Tranquillity graces the shores of the Americas again, do yourself a favor and go see this band they are so worth it. In an interview I had with Evergrey’s axemen, they said the band “Sucks”, well, I disagree with them wholeheartedly; see this inimitable band for yourself, therefore you can be your own judge!

Setlist: The Treason Wall, Lost to Apathy, Through Smudged Lenses, The New Build, The Wonders At Your Feet, Punish My Heaven, Monochromatic Stains, *My Negation*, Final Resistance.

• Click here for Interview with Mikael Stanne

• Here for Photos / Review of Dark Tranquillity on the Ghost Reveries 2006 Tour

• Here for photos of the band on the Metal for the Masses Tour 2007

• Here for new interview with Mikael

Lineup: Björn “Speed” Strid – vocals; Peter Wichers – guitar; Ola Frenning – guitar; Sven Karlsson – keyboards; Ola Flink – bass; Dirk Verburen - drums

Chicago: Soilwork finally graced the stage on their first headlining tour however a lot of the audience left, they were there to see Dark Tranquillity. The crowd remained healthy minus a mass exodus. The task was close to impossible as Soilwork had a tough act to follow. Did they succeed? Well, they came pretty close. The biggest problem lied within the vocals, of Bjorn “Speed” Strid; his vocals were distorted muffled at best, when utilizing his death metal vocals. The clean vocals were just that, fresh and clear to boot. Sound issues is something rarely experienced at the HOB. It was more about the laser light show. The stage glistened as the band played, was an explosion of a multitude of light play and smoke. Obviously the band brought their own lighting gear, things must be going well for the band.

The band played a varied set that spanned the expanse of their seven year career. The crowd lost it when they opened with “Stabbing The Drama”. Talk about a new trend, older fans rarely fancy new material of an established band, however there were a lot of new fans in attendance as they could easily be spotted. The newbies stuck out like sore thumbs because they were only able to sing along to songs from the band’s newest release, Stabbing the Drama. The seasoned Soilwork fan seemed just excited as the newcomers. They all enjoyed the performance in unison. Guitarist Peter Wichers was all over the stage. In which Wichers was rather enjoying grossing a couple people out in the front rows by spitting in the air and catching the stream with either his face or mouth, the lead singer of Cattle D’s does the same, but much worse. As for Mr. Wichers’ performance, he and fellow guitarist (and uncle) Ola Frenning formed a tight sonic string section along with bassist Ola Flink. Sven Karlsson (ex-Evergrey) was masterful on keys. Newcomer Dirk Verburen was amazing on drums, it was an eruption of cymbals and double bass kicks. He seemingly settled into his new role well.

During the band’s performance, Michael Bøgballe MNEMIC’s vocalist filmed the band from the rafters in back of the stage area. Later he decided to come down as he wound up at the front of the stage half way through the set. The fans along the railing (which separates the band from the photo pit and the audience) lost their minds. They cheered and flailed their hands, shortly thereafter, a pit erupted, which of course never makes the security staff at the HOB happy campers. At least a good three or four more bodies were propelled to the front of the stage past that point.

Soilwork has worked their way into the hearts of the hundreds of thousands and damn near becoming a household name all since 1998 as well as acquiring legions of fans in the industry. The band won a ton over tonight by dazzling the dwindled crowd which remained from the previously packed, sold-out House of Blues tonight.

The Rave II: Soilwork came out with bang for sure tonight, they seemed to have kicked it up a notch too. Another thing that was noticeable was the set was scaled back, light works  and smoke were considerably toned down from last night’s show. However the set may have been cut back but they were not in short supply of songs. I think they performed more tonight than they did last night. The packed crowd of well over 200 were mesmerized by their fearless leader, Strid. He made good usage of his captivated audiences attention as well. He announced pretty early on that the Milwaukee crowd was “the best so far” and that he and Wichers “corroborated” together to come to the conclusion. I would concur, not to mention the audience tonight was way into the band. Too bad the same level of enthusiasm could not have been said of Wichers ironically enough. He had the enthusiasm of an amoeba, he probably wasn’t able to rejuvenate himself or recharge his batteries from last night’s stellar performance.

Strid seemingly ran into the same vocal problems as he did last night, clean vocals were clear and where as his cookie monster vocals were close to inaudible and indiscernible. It was a shame because I think tonight’s sound issues were worst than last night. Despite the vocal issues, I think the band was MUCH better tonight than yesterday. This band definitely fed off the crowd’s immense energy. Toward the end of the 90-minute set, the crowd had considerably thinned out from the time we left left watching the band (due to interview with Dark Tranquillity). However for those that remained, they were high in spirits. Speaking of spirits, it is said that the basement is filled with paranormal activity…lovely. We wound up leaving directly after Soilwork’s set (having a long journey ahead of us back to Chicago) so we cannot confirm nor deny those rumors but we can tell you that we would not be caught dead down there (no puns intended) if a show or a many of other live soul were not down there. On the scale of 1/10 it receives an 11 on the creepy scale. You could feel the energy shift the bodies (pun not intended there either) started to vacate the premises. It is hard to say which show was truly better since some performances were better than others.

Make sure you see Soilwork at Ozzfest this summer, check Hypocrisy out as they will be back in the States in the fall in support of their upcoming album, Virus. It goes without saying that you need to check out Dark Tranquillity for yourself and MNEMIC will undoubtedly be touring the U.S. before the end of the year as well.

Overall, the show in Milwaukee may have won out. This was a hard call considering I think the HOB is one of the best venues in the city of Chicago to check out a show, however the staggering uncharacteristic sound problems left us all amiss. Well this now concludes our travel/music journal for the past two days, until then or as they say in Sweden, på aterseende!

Setlist (in no particular order for both cities): Overload, Rejection Role, The Distance, Chainheart Machine, Room No 99, Like An Average Stalker, Bastard Chain, Nerve, Needlefeast, Follow The Hollow, Song of the Damned, As We Speak, Figure Number Five, The Flameout, Stabbing The Drama, Sadistic Lullabye, Million Flame, Natural Born Chaos, Light The Torch, A Predator’s Portrait.

Click here for interview with Peter Wichers

&

 Here for photos of the band during Ozzfest 2005

Soilwork 2005 Headlining Tour Dates

with supporting acts Dark Tranquillity, Hypocrisy, Mnemic

04/05 The Buffalo Icon - Buffalo, NY
04/06 House of Blues - Chicago, IL
04/07 The Eagle's Club - Milwaukee, WI
04/08 Granada Theatre - Lawrence, KS
04/09 Gothic Theatre - Englewood, CO
04/10 Lo-Fi Café - Salt Lake City, UT
04/12 Graceland - Seattle, WA
04/14 The Pound @Pier 96 - San Francisco, CA
04/15 House of Blues - Anaheim, CA
04/16 Key Club - West Hollywood, CA
04/17 Venue of Scottsdale - Scottsdale, AZ
04/19 The Back Room - Austin, TX
04/20 Engine Room - Houston, TX
04/22 Al Rosa Villa - Columbus, OH
04/23 The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
04/24 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
04/26 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
04/27 The Social - Orlando, FL
04/29 Jaxx - West Springfield, VA
04/30 Webster Theater - Hartford, CT
05/01 BB King's - New York, NY
05/03 Le Capitole Theatre - Quebec City, QC
05/04 The Medley - Montreal, QC
05/05 Opera House - Toronto, ON
05/06 Odeon Concert Club - Cleveland, OH
05/07 Harpo's - Detroit, MI

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