Killswitch Engage with August Burns Red
Words: Sean Moore / Photos: Kenneth Coles
The Atonement Tour, originally scheduled for 2020, finally made its way to the State Theatre in Portland after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When August Burns Red took the stage they did not mess around. After acknowledging the crowd, they broke right into “The Truth of a Liar”. The moshing, headbanging and fist pumping matched the energy of lead singer Jake Luhrs. Luhrs described the atmosphere by saying “what we have here is community.” Metal crowds, for the most part, are not there to hurt each other; they take care of one another. That community was on full display in the mosh pit and by taking care with crows surfers.
It felt strange to be in a crowded venue, with sweaty bodies moshing to every riff and beat of the drums, but also mildly relieving that we have returned to some sort of semblance of normalcy. And after 22 months of the pandemic, an August Burns Red set was exactly what everyone seemed to need. There were smiles and back pats, high fives, screams and yells of excitement throughout. The band was on point and hitting every note with perfection. With the guitarist constantly swapping positions on the stage, getting a feel for the crowd in front of them from each side of the stage. At one point, one of the guitarists and the bassist switched instruments for a couple of tunes. A highlight of the evening had to be what’s become sort of a staple of their live sets, though, with Luhrs leaving the stage and the rest of the band playing “The Legend of Zelda” theme song with such brutality and heaviness.
The band really hit their stride with “Provision” and followed it with “Invisible Enemy.” Luhrs was directing the band with his arms in the air, fingers waving as if telling his two guitarists to keep bringing the heat with their chords and riffs, breakdown after breakdown. I noticed Luhrs touching the drummer’s cymbals, stopping them from moving, exchanging smiles and laughs with the drummer each time, as if it was an inside joke between the two of them. The comradery within the band was evident throughout the entirety of their nearly hour long set.
For a band that’s been doing their own headlining tours for years now, they certainly did not seem to mind being the lead-in band for metal giants Killswitch Engage, and they knew exactly what their role was for the evening- get the crowd hyped, energized, sweaty, and ready to throw their entire bodies into Killswitch Engage’s set.
Killswitch came out with intensity, playing off the energy built up by the last set. With such a long legacy and catalogue there was never a lull. They started out early with “My Last Serenade” and “My Curse” and kicked it up from there. Frontman Jesse Leach, jumped around the State stage that had been transformed into a multi-level production like a kid.Mike D’Antonio threw his head and guitar around like the iconic photos taken of him throughout the years and Adam Dutkiewicz smiled, joked and laughed with everyone he made eye contact with.
As if the metal heads in attendance weren’t already on an amazing nostalgia trip, they were gifted with a surprise special guest. Former lead singer Howard Jones entered the stage to perform with the entire band. The crowd erupted and the performance hit another level. The band members shared witty banter and fed off the energy.
It was a night the people of Portland needed with the ongoing pandemic and the brutal cold of winter. Some pent up energy was let out and long time fans made new amazing memories.
