Machinehead, In Flames, Lacuna Coil and Unearth bring an intense and devoted crowd to MTELUS

Machinehead, In Flames, Lacuna Coil and Unearth took over MTELUS on April 27th, 2025. Machinehead is a groove thrash metal band hailing from Oakland, California. Formed in 1991 by vocalist Rob Flynn, they’ve been growing in popularity ever since, quickly taking over the thrash metal scene after their debut album Burn My Eyes hit commercial and critical success straight out of the gate. Their sound has evolved over the years, with each album being different from the last, and even a 1999 foray into nu-metal. They’re a band that’s never strayed away from politics, with anti-war lyrics, public condemnation of the racism in metal, and even what appears to be a Keffiyeh in their official band photo.

Even before the show started at six, a crowd was lining up to get inside MTelus. I was cutting it close, and was anxious to be inside before the first band. Even at this hour, there was a line for In Flames merch. They’re a band that’s hugely popular in Quebec, a province known for being a fan of the melodeath genre of metal. Even more people were waiting on the floor, minutes away from the beginning of Unearth’s set. There was a buzz and energy to the crowd, many older fans in their thirties and forties, as well as some newer fans, and even a few kids. You don’t always have large crowds for the opening band, so it was nice to see the numbers early on.

Metalcore band Unearth, from Boston, Massachusetts, was up first. Unearth opened with “My Will Be Done” off of their 2008 album, The March. Their set was loud, fast, with mosh pits and fans chanting the lyrics. Their brand of metalcore involves rapid-fire riffs with metallic guitar sweeps and chunky breakdowns. They played mostly older songs, with a Black Sabbath riff inserted into “This Lying World”, from their second album, The Oncoming Storm. They also played some more recent ones, and the title track from their new album, The Wretched; The Ruinous. The set was bouncy, high energy, and ended on a great note, with “The Great Dividers” as the closing track, a personal favourite.

Next up was Lacuna Coil. They’re a band with strong aesthetics, wearing corpse paint and elaborate, gothic costumes. It was a lot of fun to dance along to, and the band members seemed to be having fun as well, with lead vocalists Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro singing along to each other’s parts. There was an obvious playfulness and chemistry that resonated through the whole group. The crowd was into it as well, moshing harder than the music called for, with many fans singing the lyrics. 

For myself and many other attendees, In Flames were the reason they were there. With the merch line wrapping around the staircase since opening and more In Flames t-shirts than any other type, their popularity in Montreal can’t be overstated. The crowd was dense and energetic, with a group of us waiting on the floor after Lacuna Coil to secure good spots. Today’s In Flames has a solid lineup, with superstar Chris Broderick from Megadeth on guitar, Tanner Wayne on Drums, Dillinger Escape Plan’s Liam Wilson on Bass, and OG members Bjorn Gelotte on guitar and frontman Anders Friden. They were all looking in good spirits and interacting with the crowd, and the lighting was imposing. The set itself was incredible, with thirteen tracks, including many that they rarely play live, some from older tracks, as well as newer songs, and ending with the iconic closing track “My Sweet Shadow”. Their sound was bright, cyber and metallic, and Anders’ voice was the best it has sounded in years. Anders also seemed in a great mood the whole time, joking around with the crowd; it’s clear he’s at ease as a performer. He also took a moment to talk about how crazy the world was, though saying he didn’t want to get political, but that we all need to love and respect each other. An important message in times like these. I just hope In Flames comes back as a headliner soon.

Headlining the night was Machinehead. They’re a four-piece band, with frontman Rob Flynn acting both as vocalist and guitarist. They had a designed visual setup, with spotlights and visuals, different ones for each of the albums. They played one track from almost all of the albums, as well as three from their 2025 release, UNATØNED. The newer tracks feature a different vocal style, with fast–spoken lyrics rather than singing, and shorter track lengths. Their sound is crystal clear, and all the members have a real mastery of their instruments. It was popular with the crowd, which was moshing and singing along nonstop, with the floor remaining packed until the end of the encore song, “Halo”. Frontman Rob Flynn brought hype to the floor, throwing full beers into the crowd (that people actually managed to catch) and telling us that we were the wild ones drinking on a Monday night (it was actually a Sunday, but hey). In all regards, besides knowing the day, Machine Head 100% delivered.