Machine Head Leads a Heavy Metal Blitz at MTelus in Montreal [Photos]

I have heard it said that culture is the heartbeat of a city. Should that be the case, then the city of Montreal might have needed a quick trip to the emergency room this past week. The combined sonic assault of Unearth, Lacuna Coil, In Flames, and Machine Head would have easily had the city’s heart racing over 100 beats per minute. There was a driving beat coming from the MTelus in Montreal as the building had been taken over by four of the loudest bands touring at the moment. The fans did their part to up the decibel level to floor-shaking levels as well.

This was one of the biggest metal shows to hit the city this year. After a long, cold winter, the weather was finally warm, and the Montreal Canadiens were about to play game three of their playoff series against the Washington Capitals. Despite that, several thousand people ignored the sun and playoff hockey to get their socks rocked off. All four bands have been here several times in the past, but this time joined together with the common goal of blowing the roof off of the MTelus.

Up first was the veteran metalcore band from Boston, Unearth. They took the difficult 6:00 pm start time and made the people who came out early to see them not regret the decision. Singer Trevor Phipps got the circle pits going early and often as the fans took his requests, or should I say demands, to heart. Unearth was the only band on the bill that I had not seen play live before, but they were a powerful musical force to be reckoned with and did their job by whipping the crowd into an early frenzy.

Up next, direct from Italy, was Lacuna Coil. This was my second chance to shoot the band, and I was happy to have a chance to redeem myself. I was relatively new to the concert photography business last time they were in town, and never felt satisfied with my photographs of that show. The Rolling Stones might not be able to get any satisfaction, but that was not the case on this night for Lacuna Coil’s fans. The two-headed beast of singers Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro, along with their awesomely face-painted friends, played mostly songs from their brand new album, Sleepless Empire, along with a few other favourites. Their time was criminally short, but they made the most of it.

The first of our double headliners, In Flames, was next to hit the stage. Though the band has been around for close to 35 years, it was the performance of two of the newest members that mostly caught my attention. Guitarist Chris Broderick has officially been with the band since 2022, though he began touring with them before that. He was just wailing all night on the guitar, showing the crowd why he has earned the reputation as one of the best players out there today.

The other was bassist Liam Wilson, who officially joined the band last year. It seemed like every time I lifted my head, he was there, just rocking out all over the stage. From behind the mic, next to the drums or off in space on his own, it was fun to try and seek him out. Singer Anders Fridén is still in great voice, and it is easy to see why, after 14 albums and 35 years on the road, In Flames is still considered amongst the best metal bands that Europe has to offer.

Even after all of that, the crowd was still buzzing with energy to spare. They had been headbanging and moshing for a good three hours up to this point, but there was still one band left. And not just any band, but rather the kings of the new wave of American metal. As the banner on the video wall read, it was time for Machine Fucking Head! Played to the stage by the melodic sounds of Ozzy Osbourne, things quickly turned fast and aggressive as the band played “Imperium” and the crowd went apoplectic.

Heads were banging at breakneck speed, and the first crowd surfer had gone by my head before the beginning of the first chorus. Up on the stage, orchestrating the madness and looking every part the heavy metal hero, was singer Robb Flynn. This maestro of mayhem was singing and wailing on the guitar from the first note, and still took the time to flash the horns to any crowd surfer that found their way down to the pit.

Guitarist Reece Scruggs was a tornado of energy and hair while on the bass, band veteran Jared MacEachern watched over the land with a scowl that would bend the knees of any who dared to look crossly upon him. Together, the band bulldozed through a set that featured several songs from the latest album, Unatoned, which was released just two days prior to the show. The rest of the set was a vintage selection of their hardest-hitting hits, ending with the one-two punch of “Davidian” and then, as an encore, “Halo.”

Those who survived the Machine Head onslaught walked out of the MTelus a little battered, somewhat bruised, but smiling from ear to bloody ear and ready to do it all over again. Machine Head, In Flames, Lacuna Coil and Unearth are ending their tour soon, but all four bands deserve to be checked out when they hit a town near you.

Machine Head (w/ In Flames, Lacuna Coil, & Unearth) @ MTelus (Montreal, QC) on April 27th, 2025

39 photos