Killswitch Engage

Live Review By Jennifer Pinckney

The Atonement Tour is finally here! Originally scheduled for 2020, it only took 2 years to get this tour on the road — halted, like so many, by the pandemic.

Doors for the Fillmore Auditorium opened promptly at 6:30 pm and thousands of screaming metalheads poured into the recently renovated venue. It didn’t take long for the beautiful room to fill up from wall to wall.

Light the Torch was first to take the stage. Everyone knows the lead singer, Howard Johnson, from his time with Killswitch Engage. His energy was contagious, constantly running from side to side, and he kept fans on our feet. The crowd gave it back ten-fold, screaming along and packing the floor with front-row rockers.

August Burns Red followed, always bringing the fire when they take the stage. Their energy, interaction, vocals, and especially their lighting effects made this stand-out performance a personal favorite of theirs. Crowd surfers flooded to the front by the hundreds, and the mosh pits and headbanging never stopped. Vocalist Jake Luhrs kept the crowd on fire with his signature vocal prowess and mic-swinging stage tricks.

Finally, our headliners Killswitch Engage took the stage and blew our minds! They played old and new material, and even brought Howard Johnson back out to sings a few songs. And while fans could have expected the pair to share the stage on this tour, it’s still very cool that they made that moment happen. Despite the delay, this tour is every bit worth the wait.