Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineFebruary 28, 2025gallery, live, melbourne, Odin Imaging, Nathan Goldsworthy, odin imaging, Solkyri, Lune, Angelmaker, Sylosis, Max Watts

Dark Tranquility + Eye Of The Enemy + Run @ Max Watts 26-02-25

Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineFebruary 28, 2025gallery, live, melbourne, Odin Imaging, Nathan Goldsworthy, odin imaging, Solkyri, Lune, Angelmaker, Sylosis, Max Watts

photos: Nathan Goldsworthy @odin.imaging

Max Watts stood like a sentinel in the heart of Melbourne, its concrete bones vibrating with the low, hungry growl of amplifiers and the restless pulse of a crowd teetering on the edge of something primal. The air was thick, heavy with the sour stench of spilled beer, the burnt-metal tang of scorched guitar strings, and the low, electric murmur of anticipation. They had come for Dark Tranquility, the Swedish architects of melancholy, Their first time hitting our shores in 11 years.

First to take the stage was Run, emerged like something summoned from the shadows, Lochlans growls cutting through the dissonant riffs and jagged melodies like a serrated blade. Their sound was a storm—post-black metal colliding with stadium-metalcore ambition, sharp and precise, a sonic assault that left the crowd momentarily stunned.

Then came Eye of the Enemy, and the atmosphere shifted, grew darker, heavier. Frontman Mitch Alexander prowled the stage like a predator, his growls weaving through the sharp, unrelenting riffs that seemed to claw at the air. Their sound was a brutal blend of symphonic black metal and groove-laden fury, each song a razor-edged anthem. Alexander’s voice cut through the noise like a knife. He demanded they join their union, and the audience answered, a sea of fists raised in solidarity. Their set built to a thunderous crescendo, the floor trembling under the weight of stomping boots, the air thick with sweat and rage.

And then, Dark Tranquility took the stage, and the venue seemed to hold its breath. The first chord struck like a hammer, and the crowd erupted, a wave of sound and motion that felt less like applause and more like a release, a collective exhale after too long underwater. Mikael Stanne’s voice soared above the chaos, a perfect blend of anguish and precision, a testament to the band’s decades-long legacy. The setlist was a masterclass in balance—icy melancholy paired with anthemic fury, each song a blade that cut deep. The mosh pit became a whirlwind, a living thing, while the balcony crowd swayed like a dark, undulating ocean. And then, in a moment that felt both surreal and inevitable, Mikael performed a “shoey,” drinking from a shoe in an ancient Austrlain ritual. The crowd howled, a sound that was equal parts delight and delirium.

Run’s raw intensity and Eye of the Enemy’s relentless fury had set the stage, but it was Dark Tranquility who owned the night. Their music, a blend of icy melancholy and anthemic rage, left its mark on the sweat-streaked walls and the trembling crowd.