Sept 28, 2022
The Armory in Minneapolis, MN
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick
LAMB OF GOD returns to THE ARMORY fresh from last year's co-headlining slot on The Metal Tour of the Year with Megadeth to headline their own Omens Tour! The show was a fantastic feast for the ears as well as the eyes. Any leg of this fall tour brought with LOG and KSE excellent openers and Minneapolis was lucky enough to get BARONESS and SUICIDE SILENCE. LAMB OF GOD using the intro to "Momento Mori" to get the crowd amp'd up before the curtain dropped and things got heavy! Bringing the fire (as seen in the picture above) to warm up The Armory for "Walk With Me in Hell" and not slowing down as they tore in to "Now You Got Something to Die For" before giving the crowd a moment to catch their breath.
The band taking full advantage of having the entire stage to themselves had ramps and places to run all over while keeping the stage set up minimial for maximum fire potential. A treat early on in the set in the form of the new track "Nevermore" lit up the room continuing the circle pit turning on the main floor. Older catalog tracks "Ruin" and "11th Hour" show up early in the set and then the crowd yelled along the intro to "Omerta" with Randy before the band tore thru the heavy track that is always a set favorite.
Then came the vicious "Omens" from the new album of the same name coming out this Friday. The crowd eating up the new track along with all the related t-shirts at the merch table that night. While I would've loved to hear the other new track "Greyscale" also in the set, there's only so much time in their set and Lamb of God has way too many songs they have to play every night. I hope to hear that in a future tour. It's weird to say that "512" is the track that gives the crowd a moment to breathe before they tear thru the last 4 absolute bangers for the night. It's probably good there was no one following Lamb of God as they closed the night with "Ghost Walking," "Vigil", "Laid to Rest" and the always neck breaking crusher "Redneck".
I have never once seen LAMB OF GOD fail to deliver and tonight was no different. The whole entire band was in fine form, cranking out the bangers in a victorious headline tour that pleased everyone from old fans to newbies.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE is another band that never disappoints and always delivers live. KSE got a full hour to do what they do best, bring the metal and ensure everyone has a good time. The crowd laughing along with their intro song that one day needs to be released as it was way too funny and I'm not going to spoil it for anyone. Tearing straight in to "Strength of the Mind" the lights alone during this 60 min set could light up the entire city of Minneapolis for at least a day. Hopefully fans in the front had sunglasses with them as it was bright!
KILLSWITCH's entire set was a crowd sing-a-long. No other way to put it. This set was a fine tuned victory lap in support of their latest record Atonement. "Rose of Sharyn", "Hate by Design", "My Curse", "A Bid Farewell", "The End of Heartache", "The Signal Fire" and of course their cover of "Holy Diver" were all present and accounted for. The only nitpicking thing I can come up with is that they didn't play "My Last Serenade" which should always be played at every KSE show until the end of time. If anyone has ever said that they haven't had fun at a KSE show needs a lie detector test done.
BARONESS gave the crowd a finely tuned 30 minute history lesson of epic Baroness jams. Starting off with "The Sweetest Curse" and running right in to "Isak", this is an incredibly tight band showing off what they do best. Get up on stage and rock with no bells and whistles, just 4 phenominal musicians making sweet, sweet noise with their instruments. This was a set directed towards their heavier material that not only pleased long time fans but gained some new fans from LOG and KSE.
I seriously can't say anything I haven't said before about this awesome band. If you need a Baroness starter kit, this set delivers extremely well. "A Horse Name Golgotha" into "March to the Sea" into "Shock Me" with just enough time to close it out with "War, Wisdom & Rhyme". I wish Baroness could've played an extra 10 mins as they didn't need the full 30 min set change time on either side of their set. If anyone in the crowd didn't know who Baroness was, they sure do now.
Overall, this is a tour that delievered the most for your dollar. Four bands that excel at their craft to make one incredible tour that left everyone smiling as they went out the door. If you missed out, you messed up.
SEE MORE OF BRETT's PHOTOS FROM LAMB OF GOD, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and BARONESS here!
LAMB OF GOD's new album "Omens" comes out this Friday!!
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