On April 20th the Killthrax tour made its way to Tempe, Arizona. It’s been quite a while since I have seen the Marquee packed as it was. It was incredible to see all the different generations at the show. From young teenage kids to even little old ladies. The line stretched far down to the end of the venue filled with young eager drunken and high fans. This tour was very special as it was a grand combination of styles and bands. The wide variety of bands and hyped fans was sure to make a recipe for a great night.
Up first we had Code Orange hit the stage. I have never heard of seen theses guys live before but I was pleasantly surprised. The guys were filled with a lot of energy and their musical style was all over the place. Every track and every rift they played left you with a feeling of confusion of what to expect next. It was a very interesting show their unique energy and music won over the crowd. To see all of them play was definitely an experience.Their set was short but left a lasting impact on the crowd. We were all left wanting more.
The Devil Wears Prada was next and the guys came in with an immense high raw energy about them. Every song they played was very powerful and frontman Mike sang with so much emotion and you could see him exhume all this power off stage. Their music had a certain aura to it that was very much entrancing. Their whole entire set was filling with mesmerized fans, all the guys did a really great job.
It was time for the legendary Anthrax turn to play. The energy in the room shifted and the venue grew hotter as all the thrashers started to push their way to the front. I have seen Anthrax live on countless occasions most recently I was able to catch them in England at Bloodstock Festival and I noticed it doesn’t matter how large the stage or how big the crowd you can not deny the excitement, energy and history all the guys bring to the stage everywhere in the world they play. I as well as everyone else was ready and anticipating their arrival. Finally the moment had come and shit got nuts! From classic tunes we all love that are near and dear to our hearts to new tracks off their latest album it felt like there wasn’t enough time to hear them all. The crowd went crazy as expected and the crowd surfers and moshers began to destroy each other in the pit. The stage interaction the guys displayed was phenomenal. They really love their fans and try to make a connection with all the people in the front. From Joey constantly throwing guitar picks to young fans he saw and pointing to the tiny old 60 year old lady in front of me. He clapped his hands and bowed in respect amazed and surprised such a elderly lady still out here to rock. It’s been decades since Anthrax has existed but they blew us all away. Everyone was headbanging and running as if for that small moment of time nothing else in the world existed but us and them.
Finally the show was coming to a close and we had the mighty Killswitch Engage take it home. As soon as all the guys stepped out you could feel their aggressive attitudes which radiated off clearly. I have never seen the guys live but to my surprise their ability to captivate the crowd was uncanny. Every single fan sang every single lyric and raised their hands when told so. I have not seen such a dedicated group of people in a while. What I enjoyed about their set was that they were able to switch between songs from something heavy fast and brutal to something very emotional heartfelt and endearing. The constant switch of tempos, crowd participation and their extreme aggression really made it special. As I stood in that venue I could look around and see every face staring forward. Their music was a switch after hearing the thrash classics from Anthrax but the guys had a very large following.
Over all the Killthrax tour was absolutely killer. The weird variety of styles and diverse group of fans that it brought out was phenomenal. The adrenaline was pumping the crowds got crazy people got hurt but most of all we all had a good time with genuinely amazing music.