Metal fans of all ages decked out in their finest maximalist merch from years past crowded into Arizona Financial Theatre last week for the Phoenix stop of The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour. This co-headlining run with Bullet for My Valentine also features August Burns Red and Sylosis and every band cranked up the volume for a rowdy night.
August Burns Red launched their set with a cover of System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!” with a perfect transition into their own “Paramount”. The packed pit was full of ABR fans and many of them flung themselves toward the barricade, earning a grin from singer Jake Luhrs. Their set was a high-intensity sprint that left the audience breathless into the final notes of “White Washed”- and the show was just getting started.
Hailing from the UK, Bullet for My Valentine has been a force in the metal scene for over 20 years and their impact only continues to grow. The band showcased a montage of career highlights as they emerged to thunderous applause from an eager audience. They had seemingly boundless energy going into a lengthy set and treated their fans to “Tears Don’t Fall”, “Hit the Floor” and so much more. They even got a pseudo-encore for their co-headlining performance, adding “Knives” and “Waking the Demon” to an already impressive performance full of flashing lights, metal theatrics and the full playthrough of one of the genre’s most iconic albums.
Trivium took the night’s headlining slot and immediately had fans flying towards the front for “Rain” and “Ascendancy”. They were also celebrating an album milestone and performed Ascendancy in full, bringing out special guest Josh Middleton of Sylosis to assist on “A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation”. Singer Matt Heafy was a whirlwind onstage, swapping between three microphones and bounding around to interact with the fans throughout the night. The crowd was thrilled at the chosen setlist and cheered the band on all the way to the end of “In Waves” to close out an earsplitting show- they’re certain to come back for the next big milestone celebrations for these amazing bands.
