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Killswitch Engage Cements Themselves As Metalcore Best In CT

Killswitch Engage Live at College Street Music Hall

I’ve said it for years, and after my 20th or so Killswitch Engage show, it remains my opinion that Killswitch Engage is one of the best metalcore acts to ever exist. Don’t argue whether the Howard or Jesse era is better; the only point that matters is, this band f**king rules!!!

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The guys are fresh off the release of their first album in six years, This Consequence, and they’re on tour raging with fans all across the U.S. We caught the April 8th show in New Haven, CT’s College Street Music Hall. Fun fact: I’m from New Jersey and have spent the better part of my life in New York City. The fact is that New Haven has some of the best pizzas in the world, and I’ve also learned they have great concert venues!

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Texas Metaler’s Kublai Khan TX got the crowd moving the whole set with insane levels of energy as vocalist Matt Honecutt barked and marched around the stage, commanding the full attention of the crowd. It was my first introduction to the guys, but the crowd clearly knew the band and soaked up every ounce of the performance. Crowd members flew over the pit barricade, making security work overtime. 

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Fans were sweaty and enthusiastic, chanting along to the songs. It was like the room all became one. Kublai Khan owned the stage and was the perfect direct support act for Killswitch. “Theory of the Mind” and “Darwinism” were a collective effort between band and crowd. I look forward to seeing what these guys do next, as they’re definitely carrying the metal torch of those who came before them. 

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Headlining the night was the one and only Killswitch Engage. To say these guys are legends in the game is a complete understatement and maybe even an insult. Killswitch did what they always do: brought absolute chaos and carnage to the stage. Within a minute of the band taking to the stage, singer Jesse Leach jumped from the stage into the photo pit to interact with the fans. 

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Leach, with fierce eyes, shared the microphone with the crowd, kicking off the set with “Strength Of The Mind” before hopping back on stage for “Rose of Sharyn” before revisiting the crowd again for “Reckoning”. The energy was intense and pulsating throughout the room. I’ve seen a lot of Killswitch shows, but this one was different. The band and Leach are revitalized, having fun again and leaving it all out on the stage for fans. It feels like the massive metalcore band we know and love is back and back at the top of their game! 

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They bleed for their music and fans, and their passion is never absent from their shows, but for 18 songs, it was like whiplash. The New Haven crowd was also treated to a surprise guest appearance from former vocalist Howard Jones for their track  “The Signal Fire” which for me as a long time fan was super cool to experience live and it also made the last 6 or 7 songs of the set pumped with even more energy than before.

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The band sounded huge as usual, and the crowd was loud as hell, screaming along to fan favorite tracks like “This Curse”, “My Last Serenade”, “The End of Heartache”, “In Due Time”, and so many more. I’ve never been let down by a Killswitch Engage Live show, and I left hopeful for the band to continue with a very long legacy still ahead of them. 

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See the Full Gallery of the Night Here!

If you captured any shots of the night, feel free to tag us on social media at Shutter 16 Magazine and throw in #Shutter16 and #TwitFromThePit for the world to see. 

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