Tonight I get to witness another amazing performance

In 2004 the world of heavy music was changing. Grunge had come and gone and metal was once again on the rise.  Specifically, the New Wave of American Heavy Metal (NWOAHM).

I lived in Chicago at the time.  We had this kickass radio station 94.7 "The Zone".  It was almost a resurrection of "The Mighty" Rock 103.5.  Anyway, "The Zone" leaned heavy.  You'd hear Shadows Fall, Damageplan, Pantera, and the like during daytime hours.  They even had "The Extreme Zone" overnight where it'd just be straight metal for six hours. 

One song that was played continuously on this station was a song from the Resident Evil: Apocalypse soundtrack.  You all might know it.  It's called "The End of Heartache".

Fuck.  Howard Jones has such a powerful voice.  Soaring cleans. Great growls. I fell in love with Killswitch Engage the first time I heard that song.

A few months later, touring behind that album I saw them live for the first time.  Opening for Slayer at the Aragon Ballroom.  Being an opening slot, they only played six or seven songs.  But the way they commanded the stage was incredible.

It would be fifteen years before I saw them live again, and this time Jesse Leach had been back in the band for quite awhile.

This time they were touring Atonement, and the venue was "The Farm" in Manchester, Tennessee.  The same farm that hosts the annual Bonnaroo Festival.  This was a one and done festival called Exit 111.  And it was incredible.  The first night alone I saw Anthrax, Slayer, Black Label Society and Killswitch Engage.

Killswitch headlined the second stage, and I ended up about fifteen feet from Adam D.  They put on another killer show, and this time I got the full experience.  19 or 20 songs. Adam cracked jokes while Jesse commanded the crowd.  There was someone in a panda suit all weekend.  He (or she) crowd surfed during KSE and I'll never forget Adam cracking "Mosh fuckinnnnnng Pannnnnndaaaa"! Amazing experience.

In 2025 they played about an hour away from me the day before my birthday.  I bought vip tickets for my best friend and I. We met the band.  I thanked them for their music, as their lyrics have gotten me through a lot of dark times in my life. Jesse even wished me a happy birthday. Then we enjoyed the show from the rail... While protecting our KSE/Simpsons posters.  It really sucked to have forgotten the tubes. Amazing experience meeting the guys and being so close to the action.

Tonight, I'll be seeing Killswitch Engage for a 4th time. And I really can't wait. Their songs are so powerful, so emotional, and so easy to relate to.  A lot of the time it's as if they pulled what's going on in my life out of my head, and wrote the songs specifically for me.

Machine Head, Rivers of Nihil, and Judiciary will be in support.  It'll be my third time seeing Machine Head dating all the way back to Ozzfest 97.  And my first seeing Rivers of Nihil and Judiciary. It should be a great night of Metal.  A review will follow.

Until next time...

If somebody falls in the pit, pick them up and keep the circle moving.

-Dittohead.