Lamb of God demolish Indy on Resolution Tour

by Reggie Edwards This review is dedicated to the memory of Suicide Silence singer Mitch Lucker, who was laid to rest on the day of this concert. Though his music will live on, Mitch will be greatly missed by everyone, may he rest in peace. Randy Blythe’s first shows back after being released from prison were the two-date inaugural Knotfest this past summer. Those shows were pure insanity but nothing could compare the what was in store when Lamb of God took to the road for their first full tour with Blythe since Knotfest. Not only was Lamb of God on the bill, which always promises a top-notch show, but throw in Hatebreed, In Flames and Sylosis and you’ve got a few things coming your way- brutality, larger-than-life pits and maybe some hearing loss. The Indianapolis stop of the Resolution Tour didn’t disappoint and lived up to every expectation I could have had. Syslosis got the party started right, which is more than I can say about the dismal performances of the openers at the last show I attended at the Egyptian Room. I wasn’t too familiar with Sylosis going into the show but when they left stage I was just blown away. These guys really know how to set the stage. Next up was legendary metal outfit Hatebreed. I saw them last year in December on the Share the Welt Tour with Lamb of God and All That Remains. They were crazy then I couldn’t wait to see them again. They came out firing on all cylinders in Indy and were at the top of their game too. Jamey Jasta always puts on a badass show and this night was no exception. Jasta, dawning a Suicide Silence shirt in memory of Suicide Silence frontman Mitch Lucker, who was laid to rest that same day, couldn’t have been more interactive and thankful to the fans for coming out. “There’s nothing I love more than a crowd of people who all hate the Patriots,” he joked. “Look at the person next to you and if they aren’t rocking out, just pretend they’re a fucking Patriots fan!” Jasta is the definition of a showman and Hatebreed, who are releasing their first studio album since 2009 in January (that’s four years, my friends), haven’t lost a step over the years and that couldn’t have been more evident in Indy. “On that last song I saw some people fall down and get picked back up,” Jasta told the crowd. “That’s what it’s all about! If someone falls, we pick them back up! Unity and respect, unity and respect!” As Hatebreed left the stage, the posed for a picture with the crowd right behind them, as most bands do. Jasta left us all with one more thought: “If you wake up in the morning and you still have a voice, I didn’t do my job tonight,” he announced. “This is for Mitch Lucker, may he rest in peace.” As if it couldn’t get any better, Swedish metallers In Flames were up next and they kept the party rolling with an amazing performance. In Flames were probably my personal favorite on the night. Their stage set-up was impressive with multiple lights on each side of the stage, almost blinding, but it gave a great effect to the performance. They ran through a great set that combined old classics with new favorites and they joked with the crowd a few times, the one that stuck out the most was frontman Anders Friden poking fun at Americans taking a liking to crap beers as Swedish people prefer heavier darker beers. They absolutely loved the crowd too, with Friden asking his band mates if they could “pack them into a trailer and take them back to Sweden” with them. Talk about being down to earth, In Flames were amazing. If you take out the energy surrounding Randy Blythe’s return, In Flames put on probably the best set of the night. I’m not officially a huge fan of In Flames. What Friden told the crowd before they left stage pretty much sums it up- “Lamb of God is up next. You’re all in for a beating.” The atmosphere leading up to Lamb of God taking the stage couldn’t have been emulated anywhere else. I can’t even describe it in justifiable words.The lights went up after In Flames left stage and almost simultaneously the crowd began chants of “Lamb of God! Lamb of God” and “Randy Blythe! Randy Blythe!” Unlike some Falling in Reverse fans last year in Des Moines after Eyes Set to Kill left stage, the Lamb of God fans didn’t mean any disrespect to In Flames, they were just that excited to see Blythe and Lamb of God. Then it happened…The lights went down and two screens on each side of the stage showed some text…”Thursday, November 8, 2012.” It…had….begun. After an intro drum solo the sound of “Desolation” came over the PA and it was on. The band took the stage followed by Blythe and I don’t think I’ve seen a crowd lose it more than these fans did in Indy on November 8. Blythe followed the band on stage and the crowd erupted as the band breezed through an impressive setlist that included “Walk With Me in Hell,” “Set to Fail,” “Ruin,” “Now You’ve Got Something to Die For,” “Redneck” and of course, “Black Label.” Blythe interacted with the fans quite a bit, telling them on numerous ccasions how great it felt “to be back in the United States of America.”  He also talked about reading a review a show from a few nights prior and the main complaint the writer had was that Blythe used the word “motherfuckers” too much. “Well, my friends,” Blythe said, “If I offend you, I apologize, but that’s just the way it is, motherfuckers…” classic Randy Blythe!  Needless to say, Lamb of God destroyed it and they didn’t just live up to every expectation set in front of them…they annihilated every single one.   We had a chance before the show to sit down with In Flames bassist Peter Iwers. Listen to the full interview below. Preshow interview with In Flames\’ Peter Iwers In Flames