Killswitch Engage / The Civic Hall / Wolverhampton

A trip to the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton to catch Massachusetts metalcore natives Killswitch Engage on their 2025 UK tour.

A packed line up with four bands on show tonight, and somewhat surprising to see the incredible Decapitated opening the night. I thought they might have been higher iup the order. But even so, Decapitated got the night off to a roaring start with what was probably the heaviest set of the night. The set seemed to focus more on the 2022 album “Cancer Culture” with some of their fan favourites thrown in for good measure.

The intensity was off the scale, the riffs were brutal and the drums fast and furious and crushing, and yet there is a intricate nature to their sound too which shines through. Earth Scar followed by the classic Spheres of Madness went down a storm with the crowd, before the set was rounded off by a brutal rendition of Iconoclast.

Setlist

Cancer Culture

Just a Cigarette

Earth Scar

Spheres of Madness

Suicidal Space Programme

Iconoclast

Up next were New Jersey deathcore merchants Fit For An Autopsy. Always at the forefront of the genre, pushing boundaries they didn’t disappoint with an energy packed set, which had the crowd bouncing. Opening with Lower Purpose they then delivered a stunning version of new track It Comes For you, delivered at neck breaking speed pumping up the energy levels to max. It may have been the catalyst for the sudden rush of crowd surfers suddenly started coming over. Wave after wave to keep security busy for a bit.

Singer Joe Badolato leads the line well, and there is a real sense of unity in the band, each in sync. Pat Sheridan and Tim Howley on guitar shine with their performances in Saviour of None and Hostage, and delivering a delightful guitar intro to the final track Far From Heaven. The heartbeat of the band comes in the form of Josean Orta on drums who had the fans headbanging right through the set.

A new live band for me tonight, and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

Setlist

Lower Purpose

It Comes for You

Hostage

Pandora

The Sea of Tragic Beasts

Savior of None / Ashes of All

Far From Heaven

I was so pleased to see Hatebreed on the line up tonight. The Bridgeport, Connecticut metalcore band were first up on stage with Slayer in the summer in Cardiff, but I missed almost all of their set due to an over-eager sniffer dog  Night I’d get to see a full set, and I couldn’t wait.

And it was worth the wait, as they turned the energy levels up to a Spinal Tap 11, ‘cause that’s one louder than 10. The opened the set with fan favourite I Will Be Heard which set the bar for what was to follow. Jamey Jasta on vocals with his iconic bandana was on fire and right from the off was chanting and urging the crowd on, who duly obliged and joined in. They followed this up with the lightning-fast pace of new releasae Make The Demons Obey. There’s a rawness to Hatebreed style and it inevitably results in crowd energy feeding off this attitude.

That energy reaches fever pitch with the aptly named Destroy Everything which got a wild reception. At one point Jasta pays tribute to guitarist Wayne Lozinak, who has recently undergone brain surgery for a brain tumour, and the crowd cheer and roar in approval, before they end the set with Looking Down the Barrel of Today.

A defiant, powerful and bold set. Worth the wait !

Setlist

I Will Be Heard

Make the Demons Obey

To the Threshold

Destroy Everything

This Is Now

Smash Your Enemies

Seven Enemies

Proven

In Ashes They Shall Reap

Perseverance

Looking Down the Barrel of Today

Finally, its time for tonight’s headliners, Killswitch Engage, formed in 1999 in Westfield, Massachusetts, who became one of the driving forces in the genre through the 2000’s and they released their ninth studio album “This Consequence” earlier this year to critical acclaim.

They opened the set with Strength of the Mind taken from 2016’s “Incarnate” which got us started. Jesse Leach commands his stage and struts with confidence, interacting with the crowd and encouraging them to move and shout jumping down into the pit and up on the barrier to engage with the eager fans. Killswitch are a visually enjoyable band, with Mike D’Antonio on bass, moving round the stage his long hair flowing whilst Adam Dutkiewicz on guitar, with sweatband round his head, has a goofy style to him, as he also moves round, pulling faces and leaning out into the crowd. But its not all showmanship, the skills are absolutely there too, especially some brilliant riffs from Adam on the likes of This Signal Fire and In Due Time.

It all matters, it builds a relationship and a closeness between band and fans and I love it.

Alongside the well known fan favourites, the new material from “This Consequence” fit in perfectly to the live environment, especially the likes of Forever Aligned and Broken Glass which hits hard with its message about abuse survivors.

Jesse was on brilliant form, and demonstrated his great vocal range and ability, switching easily from hash raw vocals to crisp clean tonal vocals. They ended the set with three classics My Curse (from “As Daylight Dies” 2006), The End of Heartache (from “The End of Heartache” 2004) and finally My Last Serenade (from 2002’s “Alive or Just Breathing”). These classics raise the roof to another level resulting in more surfers coming over, heads banging at the barrier, and voices raised as if feels like everyone sings along.

With the release of “This Consequence” Killswitch Engage have shown that they are as relevant today as ever, and their live show is up there with the best. And what a selection of support bands ! Each a headliner in their own right on another night.

Setlist

Strength of the Mind

Rose of Sharyn

Reckoning

Aftermath

Numbered Days

This Is Absolution

No End in Sight

Broken Glass

Hate by Design

Forever Aligned

The Signal Fire