Through The Thorns Tour Visits Anthology in Rochester, NY
The Though the Thorns Tour visited Anthology in Rochester, NY on Tuesday. The packed venue hosted August Burns Red, We Came as Romans, Hollow Front and Void of Vision. With a lineup as stacked as this one, metal fans were in for a night of heavy breakdowns and aggressive vocals. Being only the 4th stop on this massive tour the energy promised to be fresh and fulfilling. The venue was humid but that didn’t stop the crowd from piling in early to secure a spot near the front. Merch tables were busy with fans grabbing their bands favorite gear and chatting with local friends.
Australian natives Void of Vision wasted no time getting the attention of every fan in the venue. The Melbourne band formed in 2013 and have been an important platform in the industry since. Lead singer Jack Bergin encouraged the crowd along as he paced the stage, unifying the room with his electric energy. The band exploded with a metalcore sound while throwing in some elements of electronica into the mix. Even Bergin’s outfit changes were a crowd fave with a sea of leather and steampunk googles. The bands sound paired dark and beautiful together and had the floor of the venue filled by the end of their set.
Hollow Front graced us with their presence next. A scene of chaos ensued as the band took the stage, led by frontman Tyler Tate. Tate’s dark and edgy voice matched nicely with the energy of the crowd. Lyrics that talked about war and mental health hit the ears of fans, and were all too relatable to current times. The immensely powerful growling and brutal themes behind every song singled out the hardcore Hollow Front fans. The crowd hung to every song and soon enough the room was exploding with shattering breakdowns and crowd surfers. Make sure to check out their newest album The Price of Dreaming!
We Came as Romans plunged right into their first song. Lead singer Kyle Pavone wore the biggest grin as their set took off. “Darkbloom,” “Tracing Back Roots” and “Cold Like War” were just a few songs that these metalcore vets pumped up the crowd with. Fans hung onto the bands every dark lyric as the experiences of haunting dark times and personal growth were revisited. At one point Kyle leaped down into the crowd, giving everyone in the front row a night to remember. Fans crowded around the singer, holding tight as Pavone moved the microphone back and forth between him and the crowd. Crowd surfers started to overflow the barricade as a scene of strobe lights and vicious breakdowns erupted. Singles from their upcoming album Darkbloom made their appearance much to the crowds pleasure along with veteran fan favorites.
Having never seen August Burns Red live I was curious to see what their opening song would be. A cover of System of A Down’s very own “Chop Suey” was their song of choice and man was it incredible. In all the concerts I’ve been to I have never seen every single person in a venue, including security and staff, sing along to any band’s cover of a song. The atmosphere in Anthology exploded and the crowd lost it. Lead singer Jake Luhrs wasted no time introducing the song “Vengeance” into an already eager audience. “Vengeance” comes off their latest album which proves the band still holds strong in terms of creative metalcore content. The band played the perfect blend of old and new. “Invisible Enemy,” “Bloodletter,” “Composure”, and “King of Sorrow” were just a handful of songs off their impressive setlist. The flow of the night complimented each band members unique talent making for the perfect blend of simmering melodies and piercing vocals. Rochester was completely engulfed in presence of clean vocals and harmonizing rhythms. The band is made up by Jake Luhrs, JB Brubaker, Dustin Davidson, Brent Rambler and Matt Greiner.
The Through The Thorns tour runs through August so there is no excuse as to why you would miss it. Make sure to also be following ConcertHopper on Facebook and Instagram!
August Burns Red Setlist:
Chop Suey
Vengeance
Paramount
Invisible Enemy
Beauty in Tragedy
Back Burner
Dismembered Memory
Ties That Bind
Bloodletter
Ghosts
Meddler
Defender
Composure
King of Sorrow
Marianas Trench
White Washed