Two years ago this tour was suppose to happen at what would have been the newly opened Radius in Chicago, then COVID hit. Through uncertainty and tours not happened Killswitch told fans this lineup would remain intact and still happen when it was safe to do so. On a chilly Monday night in Chicago it was deemed safe to do so as the tour had resumed and fans in attendance would set for a show well worth the wait.
Kicking off the show was ex Killswitch singer Howard Jones band Light The Torch. Blowing through a set of their brand of melodic metalcore Jones and company were clearly happy to be back in Chicago and back on stage. It was clear as well that with a massive crowd showing up for the first band to play that fans knew who they were coming to see as well.
Next up was metalcore elite August Burns Red. After seeing them numerous times over 10+ years the band just continues to not only be one of the best out there but seemingly get better. Blazing through a 50 minute set with songs from their entire career the band made fans new and old know their name and what they do. Frontman Jake Lurhs continues to be a force to be reckoned with on stage commanding it with his voice as well as mic swings that would fit right in with a rodeo. It should be spoken highly that a band can get a crowd to crowd surf at alarming numbers during an instrumental metal cover of The Legend Of Zelda theme too.
Finally the moment that was years in the making was happening. The legends of metalcore themselves Killswitch Engage were walking on the stage and going straight into “Unleashed” off of their latest album “Atonement”. For being a band 20+ years in you’d never guess it. The band moves around stage with the energy and aggression that bands a quarter of their age would kill for.
With a huge 18 song set list including hits from every album, even the 2009 self titled, their set covered the bases of hits and even some deeper cuts. Jesse Leech since his return has never sounded better and it showed here with his voice being just as iconic as ever. Guitarist Adam D, while roaming with his pizza guitar, commands the stage with energy in a comedic manner thats become legendary with him. He can still play circles around most however and has the death metal growls to back it up.
To make the evening even more memorable the band has enlisted ex KSE frontman Howard Jones to close the set out with a 3 song set that sets the crowd ablaze. Seeing Jones back on stage with his ex bandmates performing songs that clearly mean so much to the fans is a sight to behold for sure. If this tour is coming near you its a must see.
