Fit For an Autopsy Gives Atlanta a Taste of What the Future Holds
Purgatory at The Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia was recently the scene of an incredible lineup of metal bands who were poised to bring their own blends of blistering music to the sold out venue. Fit For an Autopsy, Ingested, Enterprise Earth, Signs of the Swarm and Great American Ghost were the five bands on the lineup prepared to melt the faces of those in attendance and they did not disappoint. There was also a unique and inspirational coincidence that occurred where a ton of love was shown for a band playing the larger venue on the Masquerade campus - Heaven as Texas very own I AM was playing with the bands showing their love and support.
First to take the stage was Boston’s Great American Ghost. Watching them perform live was truly an absolute pleasure. Full of energy and with a passion that was evident, the band tore through their set list. The fans that had arrived early enough to witness the spectacle were not to be disappointed. It was long before the cellphones came out to take video of the energetic performance, but Ethan Harrison (vocals) gave them footage to remember as he would often pull the phones up to his face, ensuring a truly unique perspective for the fans to remember the performance.
Next to take the stage was Pittsburgh’s own Signs of the Swarm. For those out of the loop in the metal community, particularly with deathcore, there’s been a groundswell since the onset of the pandemic where metal bands have experienced surges, thanks in no small part to the video platform TikTok. Signs of the Swarm is one of these bands who have benefitted from this brand of social media. The band brought their personal brand of this new wave of metal music to the stage and seemed to relish in the moment, encouraging crowd participation including stage divers. Seeing these bands in venues of this size where there’s no barricade and fans are encouraged to participate responsibly is something that’s unique to this genre in my experience and it’s always fascinating and a pleasure to behold.
Next up to take the stage was Spokane, Washington’s Enterprise Earth. For metal historians, Enterprise Earth is one of the bands that is iconic in the metal scene. There’s an interesting dynamic where the studio lineup and the live lineup are not the same. Despite this, Enterprise Earth did not disappoint. The performance, like all of the bands that night, put on an incredibly energetic performance. It wasn’t long before vocalist Travis Worland had shed his shirt. From there, the party had begun in earnest as the band ripped through their impressive set list and reminded fans of why they are beloved in the deathcore community.
Hailing all of the way from the United Kingdom, Ingested was next to take on the now capacity crowd. Proclaiming themselves the “kings of British death metal” the band certainly put on an impressive performance. Vocalist Jason Evans wore the traditional “uniform” of black metal vocalists, corpse paint and had an armband that was wrapped in black barbed wire. From there, the band slammed through their set list as the fans slammed around, moshing and stage diving in appreciation for the show they were witnessing.
Finally, the headliner, Fit For an Autopsy was up to bat. Fresh off of their release of their critically acclaimed album Oh What the Future Holds, the band seemed excited to bring an amazing setlist from their entire catalog including the latest album to the masses. With guitarist Patrick Sheridan now residing local to Atlanta, the locals here have seemed to embrace the band as sort of a “hometown” act. There was one lady that we spoke to at the show who first saw the band on tour with Hatebreed back in 2019 and now considers them her favorite band. The crowd was littered with people who shared her passion for the band and this all played out with the band leaving everything on the stage. Afterwards, vocalist Joe Badoloto hung out in the merch area, posing for photos and signing merchandise in a sea of fans and with the other bands doing the same nearby. The entire show had a very familial feel to it and this is something that makes the metal scene special in my eyes.
There’s not much left of the tour and Fit For an Autopsy is set to depart for a European tour in the spring but you can find the remaining dates below:
2/10 — Worcester, MA — The Palladium
2/11 — Hartford, CT — Webster Underground
2/12 — New York, NY — The Gramercy Theatre
As always, please feel free to browse around ConcertHopper’s website (including checking out our full photo coverage featuring all of the bands from all four days of the festival) further and to check out our articles covering a wide variety of topics. Please also check us out on social media on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Life is a beautiful thing and music only adds to that beauty, make some time to get out and celebrate beauty and life with a community of like-minded individuals at a concert soon, it’s always worth the price of admission.