There have been whispers around the metal community since the release of Killswitch Engage’s most recent album, Atonement, that the metalcore trailblazers are now treading water. Even that they are regressing slightly. Time then, for the band to respond to these claims the way they’ve always done best, in a live environment.
Tenside are up first, playing a brand of metalcore that probably wouldn’t exist without the headliners. They’ve made the trip over from their homeland in Germany and look thrilled to be here. What they may lack in originality they certainly make up for in catchiness. They get an early mosh pit going and go down reasonably well in the eyes of the Barrowlands crowd.
Revocation are the evening’s main support and their message is simple: ‘We are Revocation and we have come to play death metal!’ Why beat around the bush? They tear through a set made up almost entirely of material from their most recent album, The Outer Ones. They’re full of confidence, they are obscenely heavy at times and they certainly whet the appetite of an audience who seem, at large, to be oblivious to their existence. Their ferocious, breakneck speed death metal anthems sound great as well – noteworthy when you consider this is a sub genre of music that can often struggle live and fail to portray its technical intricacies.
Not the easiest act to follow, but it’s no ordinary live band following them.
Within seconds, Killswitch Engagehave silenced anyone who dared show signs of scepticism. Opening with the first track from their new album, Unleashed, they blow a moshpit-sized hole in the middle of the room. Undoubtedly one of the strengths of the set is how well the new songs come across. They sound colossal and vocalist Jesse Leach delivers them in vicious fashion. He demonstrates his tremendous range of screams and balances them with his wonderful soaring melodies. Many people will have left feeling they perhaps need to give Atonement another spin. There was much to enjoy before that time came though. A setlist containing almost all the big hitters from across their discography had people grabbing their friends and yelling the seismic choruses at each other. From the beauty of Always to the pre-chorus stomp of My Curse, Killswitchhave Glasgow eating out the palm of their hand, with a side dish of some of their own words.