“Due to overwhelming demand, summer’s biggest North American rock tour will expand throughout the fall 2018”. Arriving at the nearly 20,000 seat Xfinity Center Amphitheater in Mansfield, MA it didn’t take long to see why this tour is extending through the fall. On this humid New England summer evening the nearly sold-out venue would be treated to one of the summer’s best tour packages.
The night would start off with a pair of highly energetic bands, metal veterans supergroup, Bad Wolves and the Texas quartet Nothing More. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to catch Bad Wolves but word is this is a band to keep an eye on. I did however get the opportunity to see Nothing More’s set which really set the tone for our headliners. If you haven’t seen these guys yet (which if you haven’t you’ve been out of the scene for a while as they have played just about ever major tour and festival there is in the past half-decade) I highly recommend checking them out if only to see frontman Jonny Hawkins rule the stage like a maniac and close out the set on a Slipknot like drum concoction. Very cool set and great way to kick things off. This band fit perfect for this tour.
Kicking things off for our headliners would be Breaking Benjamin. Now I’ve seen these guys a few times and each show they get better and better. And with the release of their latest effort Ember earlier this year, this is a band that has taking the next step into rock royalty.
Breaking Benjamin’s stage was well done. With a great balance of lights, pyro and stage props it had the perfect dark vibe for a Breaking Benjamin set. They would get things going with one of their latest singles and my favorite “Red Cold River”, this song is a monster and sounds even better live. From there they would take us through a 16 song setlist that included a very cool Tool/Nirvana/Pantera/Metallica medley. My words cannot do their show justice, but the pictures capture some of the intensity. I went from being a somewhat casual fan to really embracing the PA natives. They do not need a duel headline to fill venues but I’m glad they did because what was next was epic!
Five Finger Death Punch has had their challenges over the past few years with frontman Ivan Moody’s substance struggles taking center stage. There have been shows cut short, cancellations and even a period of time where All That Remains vocalist Phil Labonte and Bad Wolves frontman Tommy Vext have taking on the vocal duties. At one point you had to wonder if FFDP would carry on. That question has been answered with a resounding yes! With Moody now sober the quintet are better than ever. This wasn’t my first FFDP show but it was the best so far. They sounded great. And the stage show was killer. The energy and enthusiasm these guys bring to the stage is awesome and as a photographer I don’t think there’s anyone better to see on the other side of the lens.
Throughout the set the band members are constantly engaging the crowd, making you feel like you’re on stage with them. And with their setup it makes for an amazing show from Ivan’s skull mic stand to drummer Jeremy Spencer’s skeleton costume, bassist Chris Kael’s ZZ Top like beard (and you can almost always count on a middle finger from four stringer), then there’s lead guitarist Jason Hook’s light up guitar reminiscent of a Vegas marquee and rhythm guitarist Zoltan Bathory’s flailing dreadlocks. There is action all over the stage. The only problem is where to keep your focus as a fan. And let’s not forget the killer 13 song setlist, a great balance all around.
It’s great to see these guys in the place they are at today. Going back to my original statement I can see why this tour is extending due to overwhelming demand as it is summer’s biggest rock tour and it’s sure to become fall’s biggest rock tour. If you didn’t catch them on the first run be sure to check them out this fall. You will not get a better show for your money.
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Review and photos by Brett Tully, RockRevolt journalist. All photos copyright RockRevolt Magazine.
