Hollow Front and Archers form a line out of the door for an evening of metalcore in Michigan

By Byron Morris

I showed up to Elevation in Grand Rapids early, to avoid bad weather in the area. A line had already formed outside the doors. It’s a good feeling to see people coming together, being excited about a metalcore show in 2024. The room had a sense of angst as the floor filled up.

Sever The Crown, “the locals” started things off with a Hometown feel. Harsh, heavy vocals with a nice mix of clean singing that kept it musical and entertaining. The band kept me interested, wondering where they were going to take things next. I was surprised by the level of production that even the locals had for this show.

Pennsylvania’s If Not For Me took things to another level with a calculated, heavy stage presence right from the beginning. I couldn’t help but wonder what bands inspired these guys. A nostalgic blend of modern sounds but with evident influence from the metalcore forefathers before them. A seamless performance, with a particular nod to the vocal performance.

Archers needed no introduction, the room definitely knew these guys. They came out to applause and erupted as the room came alive. With heavy but somewhat routine pop-like production, they capture the audience with their discography of metalcore based in nu-metal roots. They kept things very polished.

Hollow front coming to the stage felt like the crowd welcoming an old friend home, they almost couldn’t wait for the band to take their places. The band is debuting a new sound, and you can really see that they’ve taken the time to polish it. Front man Tyler Tate is unapologetic in taking control of the room. The new sounds are heavy but have a way of getting stuck into your head. The room had made it apparent they were ready for the energy the band was bringing with their new music.

The tour acts as a cohesive show and not just a string of bands, Grand Rapids, MI is the second stop, with Indianapolis next up June 23rd. Things wrap up on June 30th in Bufallo NY.