Fronz of Attila performing on the 'Rage Fest' tour in San Francisco, CA at The Regency Ballroom. August 25, 2018. Photo Credit: Jared Stossel

Attila
w/ Suicide Silence, Volumes, Rings of Saturn, Spite, Cross Your Fingers
The Regency Ballroom
San Francisco, CA
August 25, 2018

Photos and review by Jared Stossel.

This past Saturday, metalcore act Attila brought their highly anticipated 'Rage Fest' tour to San Francisco to wrap up a lengthy summer tour. While it's clear that everyone was in attendance for the oft-controversial four-piece band, many were in attendance for the number of openers that the band brought out for a completely stacked lineup, showcasing some of the biggest and rising acts within the genre.

Opening things up with a short set were Cross Your Fingers, an up-and-coming post-hardcore act established only last year from Nashville, TN. While the set wasn't perfect, it's clear that they're hungry for this genre and playing shows like this, as their energy didn't falter throughout the twenty-five minutes they performed. It'll be interesting to see where they take their music throughout the next few years, given that they only started just a year ago. There's some serious potential here.

Following them was a homecoming show from Bay Area natives Spite, who absolutely decimated the audience with some of the heaviest and wildest music I've heard from the hardcore scene in years. It became very evident in the first song that their set was highly anticipated, maybe as much as Attila's; the fan reaction was ridiculous, and it's clear that this is a band well on their way to the top of their game within this genre.

The technically proficient Rings of Saturn followed with one of the more unique sets of the evening. Gutteral vocal lines mixed with eight-string guitar riffs and heavy blast beats showcased their unique progressive metal ways. Even if you're not a fan of the genre of progressive metal, they're still a fascinating band to watch perform.

I don't know if it's fair or not to classify Volumes as a strictly "hardcore" or "metalcore" act, because they have an element to them that's hard to figure out. Maybe it's the fact that they have two screaming vocalists, or that each of their songs come across as a nu-metal/hardcore hybrid. Either way, they're one of the more interesting acts to come out of the past few years, taking the stage a bit more than halfway through the evening with a highly positive crowd reaction.

Outside of Attila, the most highly anticipated act of the night was Suicide Silence, the deathcore act that has been taking the world by storm since their rise in 2007 with their debut album The Cleansing. Now armed with vocalist Eddie Hermida (original vocalist Mitch Lucker tragically passed away in 2012), the five-piece played through a blistering set of fan favorites. The only part that stuck out as odd was during the beginning of the show, when Hermida was noticeably absent during the band's first song "You Only Live Once". The band played through, but it seemed odd. Both the audience and the band seemed to be looking around, but he took the stage shortly after the song concluded. Not really sure what that meant.

With an supply of CO2 cannons lining the stage, their iconic "A" symbol resting about their amplifier cabinets, and a giant inflatable piece of pizza that was passed around the crowd, Attila took the stage for a twelve-song set that also played heavily on fan-favorite tracks like "Three 6", "Callout", and "Middle Fingers Up". The entirety of the floor in the Regency Ballroom became a moshpit throughout the duration of their set (which was appropriate considering the band have a song literally called "Moshpit"). Whether you love or hate them, you have to admit that they put on a highly entertaining show. They've worked for years to get to the position they're in as a top band within this particular genre, and their dedication to their craft showed on Saturday evening.

The only downside of a tour like this is that with so many acts, all of the sets become condensed. But with that being said, it also plays more like a local show you'd go to see in your hometown, where you get a little bit of everything. It would definitely be cool to see Attila do a much longer headlining set given that they have so much material from throughout the years, but the appeal of the 'Rage Tour' is apparent: get a bunch of heavy bands together in a room, invite all of your friends, and party. Repeat during each band.

Attila Setlist
Three 6
About That Life
Callout
Middle Fingers Up
Shots for the Boys
Party With the Devil
Soda in the Water Cup
Rage
Moshpit
Blackout
Proving Grounds
Pizza