Review: The St. Vitus Battleground
Initially, the Unearth & Fit for an Autopsy show was supposed to start on November 3rd, the same night Behemoth played at PlayStation Theater. However, by some miracle on the same day that the tour was announced, it was moved to November 2nd at Saint Vitus. I was truly blessed because I never try to miss Unearth or FFAA live in NYC on Friday, November 2, 2018 . Two extremely cogent bands that I highly recommend you see live.
This co-headlining tour also features The Agony Scene and Traitors as support. With I AM joining later portions of the tour. This is a package that fans of metalcore and deathcore will truly love. Unearth has been around since 1998, as they were part of the huge New Wave Of American Heavy Metal Movement that featured bands like Lamb of God, 3 Inches Of Blood, Killswitch Engage, The Black Dahlia Murder, Chimaira and many more phenomenal bands. Unearth is a band that will never stop touring as well. Especially since they’re fresh off their most recent run on the 2018 portion of the Vans Warped Tour that took place this summer. The dedication that this band follows to always get back on the road ASAP is a true testament to their legacy. Unearth are also incredibly good friends with Fit for an Autopsy, as both bands have done a couple of tours together in the last two years. Fit for an Autopsy has been around since 2008 and renowned producer and guitarist for FFAA, Will Putney, has produced some fine albums for many bands such as Vein, Body Count, Exhumed, The Amity Affliction, Knocked Loose, Impending Doom and much more. FFAA have successfully toured with their own genre heavyweights Thy Art is Murder & After the Burial. They’ve even managed to play with groups outside of the deathcore genre with bands like Crowbar, Trivium, Pathology and Aborted. Both of these bands truly have so much history behind their backs.
Unearth never ceases to amaze me, (pun not intended) as a second wave metalcore band. They have all of the elements that add up while going above and beyond just about every band in their class. Incredibly proficient guitar riffs and vulgar breakdowns. So many beautiful sweeps and the occasional solo make this band stand out as well. The crowd was absolutely out of control. As soon as the first song “Incinerate” came on, people were both slamming and shoving into each other in the mosh pit at full force, one of the most chaotic pits Saint Vitus has seen in a long time. Vocalist Trevor Phipps roars out every word in most extreme way possible. He let fans get every chance they could get to scream out some of the lyrics with him.
Modern day classics like “My Will be Done”, “Giles”, “This Lying World”, “Zombie Autopilot” and much more were featured on this incredible setlist. Unearth has a discography that has so many standout tracks. With the new album Extinction(s) coming out on November 23rd, there’s no better time to get into Unearth.
It’s an absolute shame that technical issues prevented FFAA from properly starting on time. It took them nearly an hour to start their set, as their samples weren’t working properly. However, they still managed to press on, this was probably the most raw set the band has ever played. At first, it was a little jarring to hear the intro to “Hydra” without the sample, but as soon as the first riffs hit, nothing else mattered. Either way, Fit for an Autopsy is now probably one of the most accomplished deathcore bands in our scene right now and I feel like they’re only just getting started. Vocalist, Joe Badolato screams at the top of his lungs to deliver a message about why our world is suffering. Songs like “Black Mammoth” and “Heads Will Hang” truly explain those topics to a bloody pulp. A new song called “Shepherd” was also premiered at the show that night. Those massive breakdowns really add up to the message that this band is trying to get across right now. People were so headstrong in the mosh pit it was unreal to see. Fit For An Autopsy does not slow down for anything and you can truly see that at their live shows.
The Agony Scene at one point, broke up in 2008 but they’ve been making a strive to return fully since 2013. As another band that was part of the second wave of metalcore, it’s great to see a band like this return. Vocalist Mike Williams does a style that’s like a mix of Atreyu & Eighteen Visions vocals. But in an extremely unique way. The occasional cleans are added in that relish in the mid 2000’s metalcore era, but everything else is so incredibly heavy. This band is also super fast paced with their riffs, as you can tell these guys do not want to skip a beat.
Traitors is a deathcore band that broke up for a short time in 2017, but they’ve stuck to the grind and now I’m happy they are on such a great bill. This band is known for being extremely solid to a lot of deathcore fans in the underground scene. With a sound that rectifies the true definition of how heavy deathcore can be. Vocalist, Tyler Shelton roars so loudly, it almost sounds like a nuke is going off in the background. Shelton wants everyone to get involved and go insane at all of their shows. They are definitely one of the most intense warm up bands I’ve ever seen, a force to be reckoned with.
Fit for an Autopsy went through a minor struggle that night. But it legit didn’t stop any of the fans from having a good time. Also, to see Unearth play a full blown setlist that featured some new songs and a few classics was a wonderful experience. Unearth is a band that has unquestionably defined a generation of metalcore fans. For twenty years straight, these guys have been reinventing the formula and this show was proof that they’ll continue to stay strong for a long time. Great to see two amazing bands sell out Saint Vitus in NYC. The fans truly got what they wanted from this show.
Check out the remaining tour dates and make sure to go to a stop near you!
w/ Fit For An Autopsy, The Agony Scene and Traitors:
11/2: Cambridge, MA @ Sonia
11/3: Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus
11/4: Halethorpe, MD @ Fish Head Cantina
11/5: Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage Lounge
11/6: Fayetteville, NC @ The Drunk Horse Pub
11/7: Ocala, FL @ The Alchemy Ballroom
11/8: Margate, FL @ O’Malley’s Live
11/9: Orlando, FL @ The Haven
11/10: Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
11/12: Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
11/13: San Antonio, TX @ Alamo City Music Hall
11/14: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
11/15: Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
11/16: St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird
11/17: Joliet, IL @ The Forge
11/18: Detroit, MI @ The Magic Stick
w/ Fit For An Autopsy and The Agony Scene:
11/19: Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club
11/20: Springfield, MO @ The Complex
11/21: Merriam, KS @ Aftershock
w/ Fit For An Autopsy, The Agony Scene and I AM:
11/23: Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
11/24: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
11/26: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
11/27: Portland, OR @ Dante’s
11/28: Sacramento, CA @ Holy Diver
11/29: San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick
11/30: Los Angeles, CA @ Union
12/1: Mesa, AZ @ Club Red
Phil Ryabkin-
