It has definitely been awhile since I have gotten to see Killswitch Engage and Parkway drive but, man, was it worth the wait. The two groups hit the road on their Collapse the World Tour, along with opening act, After the Burial. On May 14, 2019, the tour made a stop in Silver Spring, Maryland, where I was fortunate enough to experience their wild and energetic show.

As the merch crowd dwindled down and fans flooded in a cluster, After the Burial stormed the stage. With mesmerizing guitar riffs and powerful vocals, fans were immediately wooed by each rhythmic song that After the Burial performed. Opening with their progressive track, “Lost in the Static”, fans all the way from the front of the crowd to the back were getting hyped up.

Everyone’s favorite Aussie metal band, Parkway Drive, then claimed the stage and put on one hell of a show. The band is made up of Winston McCall, Ben Gordon, Luke Kilpatrick, Jeff Ling and Jia O’Connor. The band is still one of the top most energetic performers that I have ever seen. Parkway Drive shows are flawless, rowdy and extremely amusing. The band decided to take a dramatic and suspenseful route by beginning their performance with one of their recent songs–“Wishing Wells”. The track starts off with eerily soft-spoken verses and smoothly transitions into powerful vocals. Fans were having the time of their lives reciprocating the lyrics of each song all while thrashing their bodies. At one point, a man in a wheelchair was lifted in the air and carried over the barricade where lead vocalist, Winston McCall, greeted him and grabbed his hand with happiness.

The night was coming to the end but the crowd was still energized and ready for more action. Killswitch Engage then took the stage performing their hit “This Fire Burns”. The band originates from Westfield, Massachusetts and is made up of Jesse Leach, Mike D’Antonio, Adam Dutkiewicz, Joel Stroetzel and Justin Foley. One aspect of their performance that really stood out to me (besides their amazing live performance) was how incredible their lighting was. You could tell that the performance was well thought out and it was quite impressive to watch. The room was packed and no person was standing still. The members of Killswitch Engage were jumping around, running across the stage and banging their heads all while putting on a superb performance. The band then ended the night with one of their most popular songs, “Holy Diver”, which greatly pleased fans.

I and many others can applaud how perfect the pairing of bands on the Collapse the World Tour was. Each artists brought incredible energy to the stage that surely won’t be forgotten. If you haven’t seen any of these bands I highly suggest you check them out. Be sure to keep up with the latest information and tour dates for all three of these bands through their websites:

http://www.killswitchengage.com/

https://parkwaydriverock.com/

http://atbevergreen.com/