Like a mini-festival on tour, it was not one or two but four headliners that graced the stage of L’Olympia in Paris this November. Whoever had the brilliant idea of gathering them together has to be thanked for this memorable evening, and no doubt a memorable tour.
Perhaps a bit darker than their comrades, Nailed To Obscurity still won the audience with their beautifully melancholic Death/Doom Metal. In the city of Baudelaire, their Metal version of the romantic spleen was flawless and reached a peak with the orchestral ending of their set. Jan-Ole Lamberti and Volker Dieken on the guitars managed to give an aerial twist to the music.
Nailed To Obscurity had already opened for Amorphis and Soilwork during their last tour and it seems the association of the bands still works really well.
Dark Tranquillity had also been touring in France in April with Ensiferum, but it’s worth noting that despite keeping their key songs in the setlist, they made the effort to dig up some gems from their abundant discography. No one expected to hear renditions of “Cathode Ray Sunshine” and “Hours Passed In Exile”. The audience was particularly eager and literally made the ground rock. While the other bands had chosen huge hangings, Dark Tranquillity had a screen with absolutely gorgeous animations, especially during the songs from Moment, their latest album. A small downside of an otherwise brilliant show: Mikael Stanne’s clear vocals were somewhat inaudible.
The ground was still very much shaking when Amorphis entered the stage, in front of a gigantic and magnificent artwork of Halo. Amorphis live shows are as reliable as clockwork. With a big emphasis on their heavier work, the setlist was, however, sadly unsurprising. Halo being an outstanding album, their time on stage only allowed for the big hits and the band had no opportunity to dive into less-known songs and explore the depth of their discography. Only “Into Hiding” was unearthed from Tales Of Thousand Lakes.
Even so, the show proved once more if needed, how distinctive and inventive Amorphis is: sharp guitars and melodies with keen orchestrations. Regarding the vocals, Tomi Joutsen mercilessly crushes any possible concurrence. As always “House Of Sleep” concluded the show like a well-oiled piece of machinery.
L’Olympia is not exactly a recent building, so there was some legitimate concern about the floorboard remaining intact (and not breaking like a Metal version of “Everybody wants to be a cat”) when Eluveitie hit the stage. While Chrigel Glanzmann’s growls are not a match for Tomi Joutsen, the multi-instrumentalist was on a particularly good day. While his sidekick Fabienne Erni, a modern siren on dry land, seduced the audience in a single note.
They articulated their setlist around their big and heaviest hits. But “Piper Tunes are not for sale” (as Skyclad would put it) and each musician had their time under the spotlight. “Ambiramus” really set fire to the place but perhaps the most memorable was “L’Appel Des Montagne” in the French version. The three encores were still too short and when the last notes of Inis Mona resonated, the electricity, good mood, and energy had not yet disappeared.
So, if you have the opportunity, do not miss out on these four great bands around Europe!
Eluveitie – Setlist
Exile of the Gods
Nil
Deathwalker
Epona
Anu
A Rose for Epona
Thousandfold
Ambiramus
King
Breathe
L’appel des montagnes
Encore:
Aidus
Ategnatos
Inis Mona
Amorphis – Setlist
Northwards
On the Dark Waters
Death of a King
Silver Bride
Into Hiding
Wrong Direction
The Moon
Seven Roads Come Together
Black Winter Day
My Kantele
The Bee
House of Sleep
Dark Tranquillity – Setlist
Identical to None
Lost to Apathy
What Only You Know
Atoma
Cathode Ray Sunshine
The Dark Unbroken
Hours Passed in Exile
Phantom Days
Misery’s Crown
Nailed To Obscurity – Setlist
Black Frost
Protean
Liquid Mourning
Clouded Frame
Desolate Ruin
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