Killswitch Engage tears the roof off the Lincoln Theatre…
On January 17, 2008, Roadrunner Records band Killswitch Engage headlined the eighth show of their current tour with supporting bands Every Time I Die and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The other band that was supposed to support KsE, Parkway Drive, could not attend the show after having wrecked their tour bus in South Carolina. Despite missing one band from the show, these three powerhouse bands put on an amazing show.
The first band to hit the stage was Metalcore band, Every Time I Die. As this five-piece from Buffalo came out, the venue just exploded with cheers from all the fans who were there. Having not heard too much of their music, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from this band, but I was impressed with their material, talent, and their display of pure showmanship. Even having been changed to the first band to play this show, Every Time I Die put on a great show and definitely set the energetic mood for what was to come after their set.
The word “energetic” cannot even begin to describe the next band to take their deserved place on the stage. This second band to play was New Jersey’s own Metalcore band, The Dillinger Escape Plan. When I say “energetic” can’t describe this five-piece, I mean it. It was hard to keep up with these guys as they played. The band members were going everywhere and the crowd was going absolutely insane; this venue looked like a war zone as crowd members and band members alike were flying everywhere. Seeing vocalist Greg Puciato climb on top the of the venue speakers multiple times and guitarist Ben Weinman follow his lead near the end of the set was a spectacle that no one who likes Metal or Metalcore should ever have to miss out on. Having not heard too much of their material either, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was dually impressed with this band’s music and performance as well. And for a band to have music that was as energetic and changed as much as this band’s makes for quite a show; especially when the band’s and the music’s intensities match. All in all, an incredible band to witness live.
At last, Killswitch Engage took the stage by storm. The venue exploded with cheers and claps as they began their set. Hailing from Boston, MA, this five-piece band practically defines the genre Metalcore. Mixing the incredible vocals of Howard Jones with the extremely talented guitar riffs and solos by Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel, the heavy bottom by bassist Mike D’Antonio, and the powerful drums of Justin Foley, KsE has written and continues to perform great music that no one should never live life without hearing at least once. Having heard their music many times before, seeing them live once before, and viewing one of their live performances on DVD really set me up for the show, but you never know what will happen live. Playing through an incredible set including songs such as “Daylight Dies”, “The End of Heartache”, “This is Absolution”, and “My Curse” was another great experience for myself, but it did not completely satisfy audience members. Coming back for a 2 song encore, they played their awesome cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver” to end the whole night. Unfortunately, I was unable to converse with the band after the show, but if ever given the opportunity to see this band live again, I would take it any day.
To conclude what took place that awesome night, I have to say that if you’re ever given the chance to see any of these bands live (especially together), take it. Seriously. I promise you will regret not getting to see them if you turn it down.
