The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 11, 1999 - 15 A 'In Flames sets fire to Detroit vAdlIn Rosli Y Arts Writer The last In Flames album w " Colony." If the band has it its Saturday, Detroit's metal scene wi part of its colo band invades t City with its headbanging In Flames sound. Founded in -Rock originally calli Saturday at 7 p.m. selves Ceremor In Flames has u numerous lin stylistic chang its last couple o however, the 1 managed to con own and has be nized as one of top melodic metal acts. Melodic isc the keyword here, as displayed on The band has a strong sense of how memorable music progressions via thrashing guitars, bass and drun metal scene singer Anders Friden guides the listener through the proceedings. as called Friden confided that fans of metal are way this never sure of how to describe the group's 11 become music. Its not a subject that Friden will be ny as the losing any sleep over, however. "We are a he Motor Heavy Metal band," he said. "I don't really melodic, give a shit. We just do what we do and if peo- metal ple never heard the music then you tell them what we sound like or whatever but we don't 1993 and think about it." ng them- "We listen to a lot of stuff you probably nial Oath, wouldn't believe. Our bass player is a big ndergone Tom Jones fan and I like Portishead and stuff e-up and like that. And of course extreme metal as es. Since well," said Friden. He continued, "Early f albums, influences of course are Iron Maiden and band has Judas Priest and German bands like Hellion ne into its and Guardian." en recog- These influences have only served as a ref- Sweden's erence to the group however. Anders said, definitely "Of course, when you are a kid you want to "Colony." be like your heroes, but now I think we have v to make found the In Flames sound." its loud The bands name may seem obvious to metal ms. Lead fans. It must be a reference to hell or Satan or dY Courtesy of Nucear Blast in Flames will bring metal to 1-Rock in Detroit on Saturday night. something like that, ri hand, explained that stumbled upon and w given too much thougl about it, someone jus thought it was cool so "It was actually a forn with the name and I d( ght? Anders, on the other the name was actually as not a matter that was ht. "I never really thought t said In Flames and we we stuck to it," he said. ner guitarist that came up on't know why we kept it, but I think it's memorable." While the heavy music scene in the United States is quickly being saturated with rap/metal bands trying to become the next Korn or Limp Bizkit, Friden said the scene in Europe is greatly different. "I don't know about America but we have had this Heavy Metal boom here in Europe. '80s-styled music is coming back," Friden said. Whether this resurgence occurring in Europe will find its way stateside remains to be seen. In the meantime, metal fans looking for a night of entertainment worthy of pap- ing fists shaped in the sign of the nil should look no further than In Flaines' Saturday evening engagement at I-Rock. Dull plot, predictability weaken 'Magical World of Leprechauns' www.michigandaily. com By Anika Kohon .Daily Arts Writer Romeo is a Leprechaun, Juliet, a fairy, and basically you have the plot of "The Magical World Of Leprechauns," a two part mini-series that aired on NBC Sunday and Magical Monday nights. Wor cld o Randy Quaid, a World of disillusion citified Leprechauns New Yorker, Jack * Wood, comes to NBC, Nov. 7 8 Ireland to exploit the land and falls in love with a Irish bathing beauty. He later saves S e a m u s Muldoone's life, and the "head" of the Leprechauns befriends him. Whoopi Goldberg makes a couple of cameos as *the Grand Banshee who lives in the Hotel Splendide and curls her hair. (If Goldberg's affiliation with this banal story surprises anyone, remember she was in "Theodore Rex.") The central conflicts of the narrative are thematically related. The star- crossed lovers and the lovers separated by national identity and priorities both struggle to find harmony and unity in a prejudiced world. After a buggy race, Jack proves himself to Kathleen and they begin a love-affair despite her brothers' strong disapproval. The long- standing feud between the Fairies and the Leprechauns escalates into a full- blown war after Mickey Muldoone and his friends transgress societal bound- aries by attending the Fairy ball. Mickey and Princess Jessica fall in love, Mickey kills her cousin, Grogin, and the families go to war despite the Grand Banshee's warning that the feuding must end. The first part of the mini series ends as the war begins, and Kathleen and Jack begin fighting over his return to New York and his assignment to exploit the land in Ireland, Since the war preoccu- pies the Fairies, they are not able to reg- ulate nature while they are fighting, and violent storms rage, paralleling the emo- tional turmoil the characters are experi- encing. This metaphor works narratively and visually, and it is one of the better elements of the story. In the second part, the war brings Kathleen and Jack back together as they help Jessica and Mickey end the conflict. There are original moments when the Leprechaun and Fairy Queens bond by discussing their husbands' inability to take instruction, adding flavor and depth to the weak, pirated plot line. Is it any surprise that by faking their deaths, the lovers end the war? Ultimately, the story is about tolerance. The conflict nearly destroys Mother Nature, and the Grand Banshee makes them emphatically declare their desire for peace before she will bring the lovers back to life. It's TV! What did you expect? The lovers can't die! Even Jack and Kathleen get married. Despite the shortcomings of the plot, the art direction is aesthetically pleasing, and the dance sequences are well-chore- ographed and entertaining. The Leprechaun tap dancers and the Folksie Irish music add nice regional flavor to the story, while the contemporary music at the Fairy ball is out of place and ruins the ethereal mood of the gala. "Leprechauns" has fleeting moments of interest, but the predictability factor, acceptable in a more comedic genre, hurts the story. Drawing upon two important manuscripts of early English music - the Worcester Fragments and the Fountains Abbey Fragments - Theatre of Voices presents a dazzling mixture of medieval and modern polyphony, in which the old is heard afresh and the University Musical Society - 764.2538 Drop the remote and step away from the TV. Pick up" the phone and get out of town on Amtrak®. Because right now you'll save 10% just by flashing your student ID. If you're a member of Student Advantage® you'll save even more. Better hurry, this offer ends soon. Cad I-800-USA-RAIL or check out www.amtrak.com. Trains depart from the Amtrak station at 325 Depot St. Not valid on peak weekday Metroliner® Service, Auto Train@ Service, joint Amtrak@MlA Rail Canada services to or fronm,, Ontario, Canada. Not valid on certain Thruway Service. Not valid with promotions, discounts. North America Rail Pass, or' Amtrak Vacations. Fares and routes subject to change without notice. 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