Toronto once again hosted a brilliant metal extravaganza featuring Swedish melodic death metal pioneers Dark Tranquillity and Finnish giants Amorphis, alongside Fires in the Distance. Fresh out of their performances at ProgPower USA, Amorphis, and Dark Tranquillity are once again touring in tandem, with twenty-six days across Canada and the US. This time around, the venue was the Opera House, which was acquired by Live Nation last year, and continues to host metal artists of all shapes and sizes. Yes, it’s challenging to fill out a room on a Tuesday night, but Torontonians came in droves and proved their passion for heavy music.
Opening the night was Fires in the Distance, an American quartet making their Canadian debut. Their performance was nothing short of impressive. Despite having a relatively small discography and limited touring experience, this band from Connecticut brought an emotional and atmospheric sound that caught the audience by surprise. Blending doom and melodic death metal, Fires in the Distance delivered a short but emphatic set, with songs like “Harbingers” and “Idiopathic Despair” leaving fans wanting more.
Next up was Helsinki’s own melodic metal institution Amorphis, and the energy in the room was palpable. The band kicked off their ultra-melodic, vibrant, and visually stunning set, immediately captivating the crowd. Their stage setup, bathed in colorful lights, perfectly matched the progressive and dynamic nature of their latest material from albums such as “Halo” and “Queen of Time”. They opened with a one-two punch of “Northwards” and “On the Dark Waters,” which seamlessly blended into older classics like “My Kantele” from their earlier doom-laden era. Amorphis managed to fuse their more progressive recent material with their earlier doom and death metal roots, and the crowd responded in kind, almost crushing the floor section with their energy.
Vocalist Tomi Joutsen led the charge with a commanding presence, effortlessly navigating the balance between growls and clean vocals, while the band was sharp, on-point, and deeply connected with their fans. Highlights like “The Moon” bathed the band in a wash of purple and blue, while the heavier “The Wolf” brought a crushing intensity to the proceedings. The plodding “Wrong Direction” was another high point, with evocative landscapes and echo-laden guitars, coming as close as it gets to a perfect blend of pop and death metal. It was clear by the end of their set that Amorphis had once again cemented their place as one of the genre’s most versatile and enduring acts. The band will soon start working on a long overdue successor for 2022’s “Halo”, and one can hope they make it to these shores once again, hopefully as headliners.
Closing the night was Dark Tranquillity, one of the three pillars of Gothenburg’s melodic death metal scene, and they did not disappoint. After a slight delay, the band hit the stage with “Shivers and Voids” from their latest album “Endtime Signals,” immediately drawing fans into their dark, yet deeply melodic world. The production values were clearly a step above Amorphis, with projections on the screen behind the band adding to the immersive experience. Vocalist Mikael Stanne exuded charisma, engaging the crowd with his intense yet heartfelt delivery.
Although understandably skewed towards their most recent release, the set was a masterclass in blending old and new, with newer songs like the heavy and emotional “Not Nothing” mixing seamlessly with fan favorites like “Empty Me” from 2007’s “Fiction,” which got its live debut on this tour. The response from the crowd was overwhelming, with circle pits that resembled those of pure death metal shows and fans singing along to every word. Dark Tranquillity had the entire room in the palm of their hand, and Stanne, visibly touched by the warm reception, fed off the energy, delivering an impassioned performance from start to finish.
Cuts like “Unforgivable” and “Misery’s Crown” showcased their range — from brutal, crushing death metal to the soaring, melodic elements that make them stand out. The keyboard-driven “Phantom Days” was another climax of the set, with an almost pop feel and razor-sharp guitars. While “Nothing to No One” amplified their death metal roots, with blast beats included, “Atoma” explored their pop sensibilities. With a jam-packed venue, the fans’ dedication and enthusiasm fueled the night, and by the time the band closed their set, it was clear that Dark Tranquillity won’t take long to return to Toronto’s shores.
Amorphis and Dark Tranquillity share not only a Scandinavian connection but also a deep bond through their melodic death metal roots and the involvement of members of both bands in the supergroup Cemetery Skyline, which only added to the night’s significance. Blending old classics with newer material and keeping the energy high on stage, all three bands delivered stellar performances. For anyone with even the faintest appreciation of melodic death metal, this was a night not to be missed.