Relentless Chaos isn't just a track in the catalog of hits Miss May I has under their belt; it's what you can expect if you're lucky enough to catch one of their live performances. The highly anticipated "Curse of Existence" tour stopped in Joliet, IL on Saturday night, bringing along fellow metalcore alumni Currents, Kingdom of Giants, and Landmvrks. Tonight's show would be held at The Forge in Joliet, Illinois. The small town, about 45 minutes south of Chicago, is well known as the location of the original Stateville Prison, which served as the backdrop landscape in the opening scene of the classic 1980 "Blues Brothers" film. The 950-person capacity two-level bar/club venue would be nearly full for the evening, with a low ticket warning issued about a week before the event, indicating that fans in Chicago were eager to catch this tour. I've been to The Forge numerous times over the years, and it always provides an intimate yet rowdy concert experience. Though it can be difficult to move around the venue during near-capacity shows like this one, it's definitely a place you need to catch your favorite bands.
Kicking things off for the evening would be French metalcore band Landmvrks. Formed in 2014 in Marseille, France, this would be the band's first US based tour and Chicago sure did show up to show them love. From the start of the first track "Lost In A Wave" it was clear that there were a vast majority of Landmvrks fans in attendance tonight with an abundance of singing along with the band as the set started out. I even overheard some fans say they drove upwards of 4 hours just to see Landmvrks, showing that the band is creating quite the loyal fan base here in the states even though it's only their first trip across the pond. Admittedly not ultra familiar with the band I was more than impressed with what I was witnessing. From absolutely massive drops, to catchy choruses', brutal screams and impressive shredding they continued on with their tracks "Rainfall", "Blistering", & "Death". The crowd kept the intensity up throughout the set drawing appreciation from the band for all the support. They would even take to Facebook after the show to express how much they enjoyed their night in Joliet as one of the best nights on tour yet! Their 6 song set would be rounded out with "Say No Word" and "Self Made Black Hole". After this performance I absolutely will be digging deeper into their discography and hope they're able to make it back to the states sometime soon!
Following up the strong start would be California natives Kingdom of Giants. Always a treat to see live, the band is a personal favorite and actually the very first band I ever had the honor of photographing from behind the barricade, so they will always hold a special place in my heart. They wasted no time in matching the energy, opening with "Two Suns" from their 2020 album "Passenger," which, in my opinion, doesn't have a single bad track on it. That would be useful because the majority of the 7-song set would be made up of songs from the aforementioned album, such as "Night Shift," "Sync," "Blue Dream," and "Bleach." If you've seen the band before, you'll know what to expect: lots of energy. These guys throw it all out there, head banging and jumping off stage risers like it's nothing. Vocalist Dana Willax and bass player / backing vocalist Jonny Reeves have a flawless combination of harsh and clean vocals, and they sounded absolutely perfect throughout the night as track after track blasted around the venue, firing up the crowd. They'd finish their set with "Damaged Goods," a favorite of mine from their 2017 album "All The Hell You've Got To Spare," before closing with "Wayfinder."
Currents would next be tasked with keeping the audience fired up. They would succeed, starting with an energy that never seemed to fade, coming out swinging to their song "Into Despair". Security would have their work cut out for them during this set, as crowd surfers made their way to the front of the stage and into the awaiting arms of security. They kept the energy going by performing their most recent blazing single "The Death We Seek" which you should really give a listen if you haven't already. Its an excellent addition to the bands already impressive discography of flawless tracks. The set would continue with their hits like "Shattered, " "A Flag To Wave," and "Kill The Ache." Having seen the band perform earlier this year on Thy Art is Murders "Back From The Gulf" tour, this would be yet another strong performance leaving little to be desired. The amount of singing and bouncing throughout the venue showed to me the crowd was enjoying the set as much as I was. The remainder of the set would be filled out with "Let Me Leave," "How I Fall Apart," "Better Days," an absolute heater in "Apnea," and a fan favorite "Monsters" giving the crowd one last opportunity to sing along.
Miss May I, the metal core heavyweights, would be closing out the night. Fresh off the release of a brand new album for this tour cycle, the band would kick things off with "Unconquered," the first single from "Curse of Existence" they debuted back in March. Formed in 2007 and releasing their first album in 2008, their latest offering says a lot about the bands ability to continue making music at such a high level all these years later. A combination of heavy fog and ambiant lighting made for difficult photo shoot but a fantastic show experience. They would keep the crowd highly engaged by performing a throwback in "Hey Mister" from their 2012 release "At Heart," which had the audience screaming along "Hey Mister" as loudly as they could, giving Levin a hand with the vocal duties. They'd return to their newer material for a song with "Free Fall," before switching back to another oldie "Relentless Chaos," which certainly lived up to its name, causing limbs to fly and bodies to float across the pit up to the barricade. The assault would continue with "Masses of a Dying Breed," before drummer Jerod Boyd's epic drum solo that sent the audience into a frenzy of applause and admiration for what they had just witnessed. Taking some time to speak with the audience, Levi would ask how many new Miss May I fans were in the audience, with a good number of hands raised, as well as how many current Miss May I family members were in attendance, with an overwhelming majority raising their hands and letting out screams indicating they've been rocking with the band for some time now. Levi would then go on to explain how the band is all about family and making sure everyone has a good time while and that everyone was now part of the Miss May I family. Their was even some actual family in attendance for the band as Levi would bring his daughter Jaxx on stage for a special appearance, and one of the cutest "what's up" you've ever seen. After the priceless family moment, the band would continue their destruction, staring back up with "Into Oblivion," one of my favorites from the new album, and then moving on to "Swallow Your Teeth," "Bleed Together," "I.H.E," "Under Fire," and "Earth Shaker" before finishing the crowd off with a double encore of "Shadows Inside" & "Forgive and Forget". I last saw the band in 2019 on the 10th anniversary tour of their iconic "Monuments" album, and I can safely say they sound as strong as ever.
With the tour just over halfway through, fans on the east coast still have time to catch a show before it wraps up. Miss May I will be heading overseas after the tour concludes to act as support on a massive tour featuring Bury Tomorrow, August Burns Red, and Thornhill, with multiple dates already sold out, so any UK fans be sure to grab those tickets here! Currents will be heading to Australia for a major tour as direct support to Silent Planet, and will be joined by Above, Below for a handful of dates that can be found here! Kingdom of Giants doesn't appear to have anything planned, whereas Landmvrks will head to Europe to support Stick To Your Guns, Knocked Loose, and SoulBlind on a 23-date tour that can be found here! If you're able to catch a final Curse of Existence tour date, I highly recommend attending or catching any of these four bands whenever they come to a local venue near you, as I assure you that you will be in for a memorable night.
- Nick B.
Comments