How many concerts do sell out TWICE? Initially scheduled to take place at La Machine, the bill bringing together Dark Tranquillity, Moonspell, Wolfheart and Hiraes was so successful that the promoter Garmonbozia rescheduled them to the Bataclan, almost doubling the capacity... and they sold out again. The line-up, which brought together some legends and more recent up-and-coming bands, was sure to draw crowds, whether you were a fan of big, nasty guitars or soaring melancholy.
HIRAES
We're not ashamed to admit that Hiraes isn't exactly a band we're familiar with. The German band formed in 2020 and already has its cult, if the T-shirts in the crowd and the flags waving in the front rows of the pit are a good indicator. It's easy to see why: Hiraes has what it takes to win over their audience. The big clouds of smoke that shoot out from under the musicians' feet give them an infernal presence that's always too cool. Hellish smoke is always cool. Above all, singer Britta Görtz gives it her all. Over and above her merciless vocal performance, her broad, communicative smiles and her closeness to the audience, which she comes down to greet warmly and at length in the middle of a song, make her instantly friendly and nice. Despite the brutality of their melodic death metal, despite the smoke from the underworld, you'll come away with the impression of having spent a very lovely time : they were so cute!
WOLFHEART
Wolfheart not cute. Wolfheart not lovely. Wolfheart not happy. Wolfheart animal skulls on microphone stands. Wolfheart muscles. Wolfheart death. Wolfheart, who already accompanied Moonspell on their 2022 tour, shake us inside and out with the regularity and reliability of a wringer. Yet there are also orchestral and cinematic passages in their music that add welcome depth, and mysterious or horrific touches that we'd love to see more often. The Finnish band isn't here to distract us with ornamental baroque promises, nor to overemphasize the folk roots that lie at the heart of their project, but rather to throw their heavy, uncompromising, savage death metal right in our faces, mainly serving up tracks from their recent Draconian Darkness and their debut album, Winterborn. Unwaveringly consistent, the Finns cannot be accused of incoherence, and continue to explore their favorite themes ever more deeply, delving into a universe full of the north, dragons, wild beasts, fire, ice and darkness. Fans come away galvanized, but a little groggy too.
MOONSPELL
Moonspell always promises a good time, thanks to the charisma of its members and the enthusiasm with which Fernando Ribeiro, that great polyglot, addresses his audience in French. We wondered what the Portuguese were going to play for us, having released nothing new since the beginning of 2021... Well, we were treated to some kind of a best-of setlist, which unfortunately shunned the band's last two albums, the excellent Hermitage and 1755, which they had played live on previous tours.
It's a pleasant surprise to see how 2015's gothic Extinct continues to take pride of place alongside Irreligious. We're treated to the indispensable Opium, Breathe (Until we Are No More) and Night Eternal. When Ricardo Amorim plays a solo, all the spotlights are on him, but on the show side, we're torn between bassist Aires Perreira's obvious good-humored hair and Ribeiro's involved facial expressions, as effective a showman and leader as ever. His deep, warm voice has lost none of its power as his roars echo through the Bataclan, accompanied by the melancholy Mediterranean touches of Fado that give Moonspell's music its breadth.
True, Ribeiro has cut his hair and the gadgets are gone (no more lanterns, no more lasers and other gizmos), but for entertainment there's still Alma Mater. A great big anthem that the whole crowd sings in chorus as the lights in the hall enrobe us in green and red, the colors of Portugal. A bit of chauvinism, something that brings everyone together: Moonspell have their stadium anthem right here, before, of course, concluding with FullMoon Madness. It was great, as usual: generosity, power, darkness... Now we can't wait to see them again, with something new for us to hear!
DARK TRANQUILLITY
We could recycle the words above: Dark Tranquillity always promises a good time, thanks to the charisma of its members and the infectious enthusiasm of Stanne, the friendly, smiling frontman... who doesn't dare speak French. Since we haven't ventured into Swedish, that's fine!
Dark Tranquillity has spent the last few years changing its skin, and the Swedish band's line-up has been turned upside down around mainstays Mikael Stanne (vocals) and Martin Brändstörm (keyboards). After 35 years in the business, the band proved with the recent Endtime Signals (review) that they had lost neither their vigour nor their compass: the formula still works, and the new tracks fit in well with their elders such as ThereIn or The Final Resistance.
The band has gone all out for the show, with plenty of spotlights and screens, making for a real eye-catcher, and adding real value compared to recent festival appearances or even previous tours. Stanne roams and frolicks, bending down to greet his audience and proving that his clear voice can really shine when he puts his mind to it (his recent gothic rock side-project Cemetery Skyline left us in no doubt).
While Endtime Signals obviously shines, the setlist is generous, drawing from all corners to showcase the band's skills, from thrash influences to gothic spleens, such as Hours Passed in Exile and Not Nothing, all backed by Brändstörm's indispensable keyboards. There are a few surprises in store (Empty Me, rarely played by the band) and fans are well served, but don't say no to a little extra: dessert will be a finale in the form of must-haves with Misery's Crown, Lost to Apathy and The Wonders at Your Feet.
Dark Tranquillity put on a great show, giving their fans what they'd come to see, and even partly proving wrong those who used to say that Dark Tranquillity is always great, but it's always a bit the same. The pleasure seemed to be shared, and despite the size of the stage, the ambitious set-up and the impression that Dark Tranquillity could one day become a “stadium” band, what touched us the most was the mix of generosity and simplicity that the band exuded, this sincerity in the exchange. They have fun, they give thanks and they're never stingy with anything, their aura being much sunnier than their music. In the end, it wasn't very dark, nor very "tranquille", but it was very good.
