One of 2022;s biggest and most anticipated metalcore tours hit the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago for a sold out Saturday night of sing alongs and circle pits. Featuring a triple co-headline with Ice Nine Kills, Motionless In White, and Black Veil Brides with special guest Lilith Czar, this stacked lineup had fans going from the first note of the opening to the final note of the closing band.
Kicking off the evening was Lilith Czar, making a room full of people into new fans. Singalongs did happen though, from not only Lilith’s own material, but also the included covers of Juliet Simms and Stevie Nicks songs. Lilith Czar will be pretty big – and soon.
Motionless In White were up next and whipped the crowd into shape, giving the first moshpits and crowd surfers of the evening. It’s clear to see with a set that featured some music spanning the band’s career just how much their sound has advanced throughout the years. Mixing melodic moments and screams in a perfect manner, the band even gave fans their latest single “Cyberhex” from their upcoming album, which is clear to be a set staple for a long time to come. MIW fans have followed the band through all stages, and the band took a moment to talk about all venues they’ve played, and how each time have gotten larger and larger, but also thanked the other bands for helping a show of this size happen.
Next up was the band I was most unfamiliar with, Black Veil Brides. Never having been a fan before the band was clearly a fan favorite blasting through a set even featuring shows from their original albums. The least heavy of the 3 main bands of the tour, BVB took blazing guitar solos instead of breakdowns. With a sound that mixes everything from metalcore to hair metal the band had fans singing loud the entire night while also cheering the band for the technical abilities.
Closing out the night was the band whose merch I saw worn most in the crowd, Ice Nine Kills. Though the band has always had roots in horror, the last two album have shifted the band into massive stars and given them a more theatrical type showing with their “Silver Scream” albums. Playing a set primarily of “Silver Scream 2” songs with a few from the first album, the band blew through the set in a matter that made it seem effortless. The band has also incorporated live elements involving members of their touring staff to come in during certain songs playing characters that relate to the material. This made it so much more than just your average live set from a band. Its clear from the band’s progress and popularity spike from these last two albums that we’ll be seeing them headline this venue on their own in no time.
