All Stars Tour

Jenn Cohen | September 6, 2012 | 0 Comments

by Rhapsody Beg

Photo Credit: Max Giffin

Every year Colorado metal fans wait excitedly for one of the summer’s most anticipated alternative tours, The All Stars Tour. This year, All Stars hit Denver hard at the Summit Music Hall on August 11. The 2012 lineup features many heavy hitters of the hardcore scene such as Betraying the Martyrs, Obey the Brave, the Word Alive, Winds of Plague, Dance Gavin Dance, Make Me Famous, Ice Nine Kills, For the Fallen Dreams, Stray From the Path, Attila, A Skylit Drive, I See Stars and Stick to Your Guns; as well as Denver based Forty Fathoms who won the opening slot in a battle of the bands in early July. Headliner Suicide Silence made a triumphant return after last playing in January of this year at the Summit.

With the lengthy line up of the All Stars Tour, doors opened at 1pm. Forty Fathoms warmed up the stage and kicked off the start of the all-day show. Fans came prepared to spend all day in and out of the pit enjoying the nonstop music. Band after band lit up the room each receiving the full appreciation of the crowd.

Appearing after melodic metalcore band For the Fallen Dreams, Attila marked the halfway point of the show. The band played a strong set featuring many crowd favorites such as “Outlawed,” “Sex, Drugs & Violence,” “Nothing Left To Say,” and “Lights Out.” Attila hails from Atlanta, Georgia and is best known for their loud and relentless party metal. Front man Chris “Fronz” Fronzak has an incredible stage presence, making sure to walk the whole stage, making eye contact, and reaching out to let fans touch his hands. Attila’s thrash roots and raw sound makes them one of the more classic metal bands on the tour. Attila doesn’t utilize any clean vocals or melodic elements; instead they focus on brutal screams and sweet riffs.

In stark contrast, I See Stars, pioneers of the budding electronicore (also known as Electric Hardcore Music, a term coined by the band) genre played a fun and upbeat set immediately after Attila with a high emphasis on visual effects such as lasers and smoke with the lights completely darkened.

When headliners Suicide Silence took to the stage, mayhem quickly ensued. Fans pushed hard against the rail to avoid being trampled in the circle pit that vocalist Mitch Lucker actively encouraged. Lucker, before the kick-in of the song “F**k Everything” off Suicide Silence’s 2011 release The Black Crown, requested that everyone put their middle fingers in the air and scream the chorus with him. The crowd immediately responded with the utmost vigor, and the room was flooded with the voices of the pumped up kids. After the band left the stage there were overwhelming cries of “one more song” from the crowd. After the relentless demands, they came back and performed a cover of The Deftones’ “Engine no. 9” but not before selecting two members of the crowd to have a spontaneous rap battle, with the winner getting free Suicide Silence merch.