by Grace Kindred
– Columnist —
March 19, 2016 at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, MO. —
Killswitch Engage currently is on the road, touring in support of its new album Incarnate, which was released March 11. On this leg of its Northern American tour are guests Memphis May Fire, 36 Crazyfists and Toothgrinder.
ToothGrinder opened the concert with poor sound, bad lighting and technical issues for its lead guitarist. The band hails from New Jersey and defines its music as Progressive Metal. The band features Justin Matthews on vocals, Wills Weller on drums, Matt Arendorf on bass and Jason Goss and Matt Miekle on guitars. While suffering from the aforementioned issues, it wasn’t a deterrent for the group. Within the brief time allotted, the quartet preceded to deliver a very heavy, yet brief, set of songs. While Miekle battled with equipment issues, the rest of the band kept the action going. The music is extremely heavy, and the vocals are brutal Modern Metalcore.
Visit the band online: https://www.facebook.com/toothgrinder.usa/
36 Crazyfists took the stage next, and from the get-go, the sound improved immensely. These four lads come from the land of ice and snow, Alaska, that is. The group comprises vocalist Brock Lindow, guitarist Steve Holt, bassist Mick Whitney and drummer Kyle Baltus. The music is heavy, and, at time, it drifts in the realm of ‘70s Doom Metal. Vocalist Brock Lindow offers fans legitimate vocals; he actually sings for most of each song, but he does offer Metalcore screams within the confines of the band’s music.
Visit the band online: https://www.facebook.com/36crazyfists/
With Memphis May Fire’s newest release, which is its fourth album, Unconditional, the band gave a hard hit to Kansas City. The show became surreal within every song. They performed “Beneath The Skin,” “Prove Me Right,” “Legacy,” “Alive In The Lights,” “No Ordinary Love,” “The Sinner” and “The Vices,” which created a powerful reaction from the audience.
Memphis May Fire solidified the legitimacy of its music, showing that its live performance was as good as its recorded works. Lead singer Matty Mullins sang and screamed his heart out. Bassist Kellen McGregor provided the rumbling thunder on bass, while Jake Garland packed a heavy punch behind the drum kit. Both guitarists, Cory Elder and Anthony Sepe, offered fans heavy guitar shredding and some sick melodies. Memphis May Fire showcased its skills and gave the audience a rocking show.
Visit the band online: https://www.facebook.com/MemphisMayFire
The crowd was waiting with heavy anticipation for Killswitch Engage to take the stage. By this point, people were packed shoulder to shoulder with little breathing room. With the return of original vocalist Jesse Leach, who replaced Howard Jones on the band’s last album 2013’s Disarm the Decent, Killswitch Engage took to the stage in front the packed theater of fans.
Opening its set with a song from the new album Incarnate, the band launched into “Strength of Mind.” The group careened through a set of crowd favorites and performed several new songs from the new album. Offering concertgoers break-neck Metalcore anarchy, Leach directed the show, while fellow cohort guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz trolled across the stage, expelling his cartoonish antics.
Taking full advantage of the stage, the band was backed by a solid light show. At times, the mix was muddy, but it didn’t stop the crowd from feeding on the energy emitting from Killswitch. Closing the set with its hit songs, the group left the stage without returning for an encore. Leaving fans wanting more, it was perhaps the right way to close out the night.
Visit the band online: http://www.killswitchengage.com/
The North American tour, which began March 16 in San Antonio, will wrap up April 24 in Ladson, S.C.
