Tonight was the turn of Leeds to get an injection of brutality in the city and this time it was the turn of Killswitch Engage, Hatebreed, Fit For An Autopsy and Decapitated, and they absolutely crushed the Academy to its core.
So the night started off with some Polish technical Death Metal and the masters of the trade Decapitated. From the moment they hit the stage they absolutely battered us, the vocals were guttural and powerful, the guitars were technical and piercing and the thicker strings and drum work resembled titanium carcasses on which the other limbs hung. The set was fairly short but was brutal and barbaric throughout and the crowd absorbed it and duly repaid the efforts on stage with their own physical signs of appreciation with bodies flying and pits spontaneously combusting over the whole floor. The vocals from Bodde were ferocious and his stature on stage was enforcing and charismatic while the strings from Vogg were mesmeric with every chord and riff that he dispatched. Pasek struck his usual trademark stance and battered his bass with technical precision and overflowing passion and ‘Spheres Of Madness’ seemed to be a catalyst for the Decapitated machine to step it up a level which the venues hordes then reciprocated in a demonstration of mutual appreciation for the art which was being constructed above them. As the set drew to a close it left many a soul battered bruised and completely drained and that was just the first course, the amouse bouche if you will, of this decadent Extreme Music banquet that we were feasting upon.
Next up was a segment of Deathcore and the might of Fit For An Autopsy and the aural typhoon that they brought with them was impressive to say the least. From the moment Badolato opened his lungs and expelled his vocal duties it was like all hell had been unleashed, they were guttural and crisp, battering and luxurious and they absolutely tore the whole place to shreds. The twin attack of six strings was enchanting and hypnotic while the bass shook the very foundations of the historic structure to the floor. ‘Hostage’ was barbaric and ‘Pandora’ was elegantly savage but the highlight of the set for me was reserved for ‘Far From Heaven’ which was colossal in its stature and absolutely perfection in its construction. FFAA are a band who simply have to return to our shores in the not too distant future so as to entertain us and treat us to another gig and one with a much, much healthier set time next time fingers crossed.
Hatebreed, a name that is synonymous with carnage and absolute devastation for any city and venue that they set foot in and tonight was no different. From the opening chords of ‘I Will Be Heard’ to the fading out riffs of ‘Looking Down The Barrel Of Today’ it was controlled aggression and measured violence all the way. Jamey Jasta was like a man possessed, stalking and hunting around the stage as if searching out his next kill and the crowd paid him back in waves of appreciative dedicated pits opening up in constant explosions. ‘This Is Now’ and ‘Destroy Everything’ were a double blast of hyper venomous decadent viciousness and a real advert of just why Hatebreed are Hatebreed, muscular vocals, intricate and dexterous fretboard management and absolutely detonating drum scores which were magnificent and unrelentingly brawny. An absolutely stellar set and one which was seemed to be one of the main reasons for attendance tonight judging by the amount of Hatebreed shirts walking around the venue, and we most definitely were not disappointed.
So as the lights dimmed for one last time and Killswitch Engage infiltrated the stage with absolute gusto, the energy coming from these guys was reminiscent of that of a tornado ripping through a quiet American town. ‘Strength Of Mind’ was the perfect opener, toxic and corrosive while unleashing vast amounts of energy upon all that stood in their way. ‘Reckoning’ and ‘Aftermath’ were absolute audible tyrants and Jesse Leach looked hungry with a desire for brutal perfection, his vocals were abrasive and velvety in equal measures while D’antonio manipulated his bass with muscularity and passion as if it was a dance partner and they were completing a toxic waltz. As the set progressed Dutkiewicz seemed to be enjoying it more and more (if that was even possible to increase from the expression of fulfilment that he had worn from the very start of the set) and the crowd duly obliged with firing their appreciation back at the stage. This set had it all, even incurring a stage diving Leach early on in the party, and it was a headline set that potentially may see them in bigger venues on their next cycle around. Killswitch are rapidly growing their fanbase and based on tonight’s performance you can undoubtedly understand why.
