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Machine Head with In Flames in Winnipeg
On a night that felt more like a full-throttle metal festival than a typical concert, Winnipeg’s Burton Cummings Theatre played host to an all-out assault on the senses. Machine Head headlined an unforgettable evening on May 5, delivering a crushing set that shook the historic venue to its core. With a powerhouse lineup that included Swedish heavyweights In Flames, gothic-metal mainstays Lacuna Coil, and metalcore veterans Unearth, the energy was intense from start to finish. Fans poured into the theatre, ready for a night of riffs, roars, and unrelenting adrenaline—and they got all that and more.
From the moment the lights dimmed, it was clear that this wasn’t going to be an average Monday night. The crowd, a mix of long-time fans in faded band tees and newer converts eager to experience their first wall of sound, packed the venue shoulder to shoulder. There was an electric buzz in the air, the kind that only comes from knowing you’re about to witness something truly heavy.
Unearth
Unearth kicked things off with a no-holds-barred performance that set the tone for the rest of the evening. The Massachusetts-based band wasted no time unleashing a barrage of thrashy grooves and breakdowns that had heads banging and fists in the air. Their tight, aggressive playing got the crowd moving early, and even those unfamiliar with their catalogue were soon swept up in the energy. Vocalist Trevor Phipps stalked the stage like a man possessed, urging fans to push forward and let loose. It didn’t take long for the first pit of the night to erupt.
Lacuna Coil
Up next, Italy’s Lacuna Coil brought a darker, more atmospheric vibe to the theatre, layering haunting melodies over thundering riffs. Vocalists Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro were a commanding duo, trading clean and harsh vocals with ease and intensity. Scabbia’s stage presence was magnetic—cool, powerful, and completely in control. The band’s unique blend of gothic flair and metallic crunch captivated the audience, offering a slight shift in tone without losing an ounce of momentum. Their set felt theatrical and immersive, a perfect contrast to the brute force of Unearth.
Lacuna Coil’s dynamic lighting and moody visuals helped elevate the performance even further, wrapping the crowd in a dreamlike, shadowy haze. It was a reminder that heaviness can take many forms, and theirs was as emotionally resonant as it was bone-rattling.
In Flames
When In Flames took the stage, the energy surged again. A wall of strobes and smoke heralded the arrival of the Swedish legends, who have long been at the forefront of melodic death metal. Their set was a masterclass in controlled chaos, blending technical precision with sheer raw power. Vocalist Anders Fridén was in rare form, whipping the crowd into a frenzy with his guttural roars and sarcastic charm between songs.
Guitarists Björn Gelotte and Chris Broderick delivered tight, melodic riffs that danced atop punishing rhythms. The pit expanded, drawing in a fresh wave of headbangers eager to throw down. Winnipeg showed up for In Flames in a big way, and the band responded with a ferocious set that pulled zero punches. It was loud, it was fast, and it was everything a fan could hope for.
Machine Head
By the time Machine Head took the stage, anticipation had reached a boiling point. The lights dropped, the room exploded in cheers, and Robb Flynn led his band into a performance that felt more like a siege than a set. From the first riff, it was pure, unrelenting power. Machine Head doesn’t do anything halfway, and they proved it once again in Winnipeg with a jaw-dropping display of musicianship and ferocity.
Flynn’s charisma and authority as a frontman were undeniable. He controlled the stage—and the audience—like a conductor, orchestrating circle pits, singalongs, and bursts of pure chaos. Guitarist Wacław “Vogg” Kiełtyka tore through solos with surgical precision, while the rhythm section—Jared MacEachern on bass and Matt Alston on drums—held down a thunderous foundation that made the floor feel like it was going to split open.
What stood out most was how tight and powerful the band sounded. Machine Head has always prided itself on delivering a live show that’s just as intense and immersive as their studio work, and they delivered that in spades. The sound mix was dialed in, letting every crushing riff and guttural scream hit with maximum impact. The band was clearly feeding off the crowd’s energy, and vice versa.
The visuals were equally intense—blinding white strobes, deep red backlighting, and bursts of fog that gave the entire stage a hellish glow. But there were moments of connection, too. Flynn took time to shout out Winnipeg, calling it one of the loudest crowds on the tour, and the roar of approval nearly took the roof off. Whether it was a brutal breakdown or a slower, brooding groove, Machine Head kept the energy at eleven the entire time.
For fans of heavy music, this wasn’t just another concert—it was a celebration of everything that makes metal such a vital, visceral genre. Each band brought their own flavor to the evening, yet the show flowed seamlessly from act to act, like chapters in one epic saga. Unearth delivered raw aggression, Lacuna Coil added elegance and atmosphere, In Flames brought seasoned power, and Machine Head tied it all together with a finale that was nothing short of cataclysmic.
It’s not every day Winnipeg gets a lineup this stacked, and the fans showed their appreciation with nonstop energy, chants, and mosh pits that never quit. There was a camaraderie in the crowd—a shared love for the volume, the passion, the community. Even as ears rang and sweat soaked through shirts, people left the Burton Cummings Theatre grinning and buzzing.
In an era where many bands rely on gimmicks or backing tracks to enhance their live performances, it was refreshing to see four acts deliver the real deal—no fluff, no pretense, just pure, unfiltered metal. This night will be etched into the memory of every person who showed up, threw horns, and screamed along.
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