Being from Massachusetts-where a majority of high-profile tours come when they roll through New England- I don't attend shows in other states very often. On the off-chance a tour doesn't come to Massachuetts, Rhode Island is typically the place they end up playing. The last time I went to a show in Rhode Island (Black Dahlia Murder/Skeletonwitch/Fallujah last October) it ended up being one of the best shows I attended in 2013. The Killswitch Engage/Unearth/After the Burial show at Lupo's in Providence last night was not only one of the best shows I've been to in 2014 so far, but one of the absolute best shows I've ever been to.
The fact that this show ended up being so memorable is pretty amazing considering how the night started off. There was a series of complications that occurred a couple of hours before the show which caused my friends and I to leave later than we'd planned to. Our delayed departure caused us to miss Code Orange, which kind of bummed me out since I've never seen them before and I've heard nothing but great things about their live show. Thankfully, they're coming to Massachusetts in early October on a co-headliner with Twitching Tongues, so I'll hopefully get the chance to see them then.
By the time we arrived, After the Burial was about to go on. As always, After the Burial put on a tight and extremely energetic set. Vocalist Anthony Notarmaso and lead guitarist Trent Hafdahl are an absolutely lethal tandem. Notarmaso is an elite vocalist whose low and high-pitched screams have equal bite while Hafdahl has a level of precision and technical flair that few in the genre possess. The set was even split between material from their last three records Rareform, In Dreams and Wolves Within; which gave the band ample opportunity to show off their propensity for frantic guitar solos and crushing grooves. It was great to see Wolves Within standout "Pennyweight" in the set and "Berzerker" never fails to be a shitload of fun live. The only lowlight of the set was Hafdahl's guitar briefly going out during the middle of the solo in "My Frailty". Of all the OG Sumerian death/metalcore bands, After the Burial is easily the best live act and I really hope I can see them play a longer set before the touring cycle for Wolves Within is complete.
Unearth was up next. I just saw these guys a month and a half ago on their 10th anniversary tour for The Oncoming Storm and it was a pleasure to get to see them again in such a short window of time. While they weren't quite as sharp this time around as they were on that tour, they still put on a hell of a show. The consistency and intensity of their shows is a big part of the reason why Unearth has achieved such longevity in the scene. Aside from the pleasant surprise of "Last Wish" from Darkness in the Light, the setlist wasn't particularity adventurous with the staples from The Oncoming Storm once again dominating the set. The lack of variety in Unearth's set is certainly a valid cause for aggravation for people that have seen them a lot over the years, but it really doesn't bother me that much. Tracks like "The Great Dividers" and "Endless" are amongst my absolute favorite songs by them and they're always amazing to hear live. Of course, I would love to hear some lesser-played cuts from III: In the Eyes of Fire and The March, but given the fact that I've seen them so many times without much variation in the setlist, I know that's probably not going to happen. Unearth crushed as always and I'm pumped for their new record to come out in October.
After about an approximately half-hour wait, it was finally time for Killswitch Engage to take the stage. Of the four times I've seen Killswitch Engage, this was far and away the best. The combination of guitarist Joel Stroetzel having to miss the show due to a family emergency and this being Jesse Leach's first show in his hometown of Providence since he rejoined the band in 2012 gave this show a massive emotional edge. The band went above and beyond to pour every ounce of their heart into their performance. You could tell that Stroetzel's absence was making them distraught and they wanted to go out there and put on the show of a lifetime for him. Let's just say they succeeded in that goal and then some. The entire band exuded an unreal amount of energy for the 75 minutes they were on-stage and somehow manged to collectively sound even better than usual. The setlist was beautiful with material from their two best records, Alive or Just Breathing and End of Heartache, making up a vast majority of the set. Classics like set opener "Fixation on the Darkness", "My Last Serenade" and "A Bid Farewell" were awesome, but it was the leaser-known tracks that really impressed. Alive or Just Breathing deep cuts "Vida Infra" and "Temple From the Within" were totally unexpected and it was incredibly satisfying to actually hear them live after all these years. I actually made a comment before they went on saying how great it would be if broke out rarities from Alive or Just Breathing like "Vida Infra" and "Temple from Within", so it was really surreal when they ended up actually playing those tracks. The most striking moment of the evening and the tipping point for the show's highly poignant vibe was Disarm the Descent ballad "Always", which was dedicated to Stroetzel and his family. Leach gave his best performance of the entire night and I was almost moved to tears with the sheer power and heartfelt delivery of his vocals. "Always" has struck a chord with me recently with its themes of losing someone close to you after one of my best friends died in a car accident last December. He was a huge Killswitch fan and it was one of the first songs I listened to after he passed away, so hearing it live was a beautiful and gut-wrenching moment for me. Hearing "Always" live on such an emotional night for the band was a beyond powerful experience that I will truly never forget. Making Killswitch's performance that much more special was the insane reception they received from the crowd . Both After the Burial and Unearth got an excellent reception, but the room was absolutely on fire for Killswitch with just about every person in the room losing their minds and singing along at the top of their lungs throughout the set. This was a special set for Killswitch Engage and I feel truly blessed to have been able to witness it.
Side Notes:
-Killswitch played the first 10 songs as a four-piece then had Ken Susi from Unearth join them as a second guitarist for the last six songs
-Matt DeVries from Fear Factory filled in on bass for Unearth
Scores:
After the Burial 8.5/10
Unearth 9/10
Killswitch Engage 10/10
Setlists:
After the Burial:
A Wolf Amongst Ravens
My Frailty
Berzerker
Pennyweight
Aspiration
Your Troubles Will Cease and Fortune Will Smile Upon You
Unearth:
Watch it Burn
New Song
This Lying World
Last Wish
The Great Dividers
Endless
Giles
My Heart Bleeds No Longer
Zombie Autopilot
Black Hearts Now Reign
My Will Be Done
Killswitch Engage:
Fixation on the Darkness
Rose of Sharyn
In Due Time
Life to Lifeless
Take This Oath
No End in Sight
Breathe Life
The New Awakening
Vida Infra
Temple From the Within
Always
My Last Serenade
A Bid Farewell
Numbered Days
My Curse
The End of Heartache
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