Mar 1

Mar 1 Show Review: Killswitch Engage Thrill Audience in San Francisco

Killswitch Engage
w/ August Burns Red, Light The Torch
The Warfield
San Francisco, CA
February 23rd, 2022

Photos and Review by Jared Stossel

Last Wednesday, fans in San Francisco flocked to The Warfield Theater to witness to one of the most highly anticipated metal tours of the year. Massachusetts-based metalcore act Killswitch Engage brought their eagerly awaited headlining tour to the Bay Area in support of their eighth studio album, Atonement which was released pre-pandemic back in August 2019. The band actually performed at the very same theater that year, but this was prior to the album being released, so it’s fair to say that this was a special evening indeed.

The show was kicked off by Light The Torch, which brought even more levity to the situation. Light The Torch (formerly Devil You Know) is a metalcore act fronted by Howard Jones, the former vocalist for Killswitch Engage. Jones was in Killswitch Engage for nearly a decade before eventually departing, in turn paving the way for vocalist Jesse Leach to return to the lineup. As evidenced by the 2019 Killswitch Engage track “The Signal Fire”, which shows the two members teaming up on vocal duties, it was incredible to see both performers under the same roof in one night. Light The Torch played an incredible show, setting the tone for the entire evening. Things would only get better from there.

August Burns Red took the stage next, bringing forth one of the best performances I’ve ever seen them give. I actually thought they were even better than the headlining show they brought to Berkeley’s UC Theatre back in 2021, and that performance was immaculate. With ferocity, the band launched into one of their best songs, “Truth of a Liar”, to kick off their support slot, before powering through an onslaught of powerful tracks. They were refined, tighter, and better than ever.

And what else is there to say about the incomparable Killswitch Engage? They’re easily one of the best bands in modern metal today, evidenced by an impressive catalogue of songs and an incredibly energetic live performance. The show lasted maybe an hour and fifteen minutes, and the five-piece band packed everything they had into a captivating and fun to watch live show, weaving in and out of tracks from throughout their impressive career.

The biggest moment of the night, however, came at the end, when none other than the aforementioned Howard Jones took to the stage with his former bandmates. The two vocalists embraced each other with a hug, before Leach passed the torch to Jones as he performed undoubtedly two of the band’s biggest hits, “Rose of Sharyn” and “The End of Heartache” before the packed house. The crowd went ballistic. The show culminated in an epic performance of “The Signal Fire”, Killswitch Engage members of old and new united, once again, bringing the crowd to their feet, making us all forget about the shit happening outside those doors for just a little while.

Killswitch Engage Set List
Unleashed
Hate By Design
Know Your Enemy
My Last Serenade
I Am Broken Too
Reckoning
In Due Time
Daylight Dies
This Fire
As Sure As The Sun Will Rise
The Crownless King
Irreversal
Always
My Curse
Strength of the Mind
Rose of Sharyn (w/ Howard Jones)
The End of Heartache (w/ Howard Jones)
The Signal Fire (w/ Howard Jones)