LIVE: A SKYLIT DRIVE – March 11, 2014, Pontiac, MI @The Crofoot

Venue: The Crofoot

City: Pontiac, MI

Date: March 11, 2014

Review by: Mike Hubbard

Metalcore veterans A Skylit Drive are currently on the “Unconditional” tour with headliners Memphis May Fire, along with The Word Alive, Hands Like Houses, and Beartooth.

Beartooth opened the show, and front man Caleb Shomo proved why he was recently named by Alternative Press as one of the top 15 screamers in metalcore.  The intensity of their set was so high that bassist Nick Reed actually dislocated his shoulder during the set, leaving Shomo to finish the last song on bass.  https://www.facebook.com/BEARTOOTHband

Up next was Australian band Hands Like Houses.  HLH dialed down the intensity, but still had the crowd grooving to their unique brand of post-hardcore rock.  https://www.facebook.com/handslikehouses

Third in the line-up was the band I was there to see: A Skylit Drive.  Some of their longtime fans were disappointed with the musical direction they took with their latest release, “Rise”, but I for one was excited to see how the changes played out live.  And they did not disappoint.  Their set list consisted of seven songs, six from “Rise”, along with the title track from their first album, “Wires and the Concept of Breathing.”  They opened the set with “Crazy”, and immediately the crowd did just that; went crazy.  Vocalist Michael ‘Jag’ Jagman had the audience eating out of his hand from the get go.  And the feeding continued through the rest of the set.  The band ripped through the songs “Said & Done”, “Save Me Tragedy”, “Unbreakable”, and “Pendulum”, before taking a brief departure to their back catalog to satisfy us long-time A Skylit Drive fans with “Wires and the Concept of Breathing”.  ASD closed their set with the title track from their latest disc, “Rise”.  This was a perfect closer, demonstrating all of the traits that set ASD apart, from Jagman’s soaring vocals to bassist Brian White’s searing unclean vocals to the insanity of drummer Cory La Quay’s percussion and flying dreadlocks.  Overall A Skylit Drive delivered a tight energetic set that was worth the price of admission.

Setlist: Crazy – Said & Done – Save Me Tragedy – Unbreakable – Pendulum – Wires and the Concept of Breathing – Rise

https://www.facebook.com/ASkylitDrive

But the show was not over.  Next up was The Word Alive.  Like Beartooth’s Shomo, TWA’s front man Telle Smith was also listed in AP’s list of top 15 screamers in metalcore, and like Shomo, Smith lived up to the billing.  TWA’s set featured songs from both of their full length releases, as well as a song titled “Play the Victim” from their soon to be released next album.  If this song is any indication of what is coming next from TWA I can’t wait to hear it.  https://www.facebook.com/thewordalive

Closing the show was headliner Memphis May Fire.  The first four bands had been outstanding, but from the start of MMF’s set it was clear why they were the headliner.  Everything, from the lights to the stage presence to the intensity of the crowd was a step (or three) up from everything we had experienced so far that night.  Not to be outdone in the screaming department, MMF’s Matty Mullins is also in AP’s list of the top 15 in metalcore.  MMF played 10 songs in their main set, and even after a two song encore, the crowd was still asking for more.  One of the highlights was the ballad “Miles Away”, with ASD’s Jagman joining MMF’s Mullins onstage.  MMF provided a fitting climax to a night of some of the best current music in the metalcore genre.  https://www.facebook.com/MemphisMayFire

Category: Live Reviews