Killswitch Engage, August Burns Red & Light the Torch unite for 'The Atonement Tour'

February 8, 2022

Three metal powerhouses have hit the road early in 2022 at last as Killswitch Engage have taken August Burns Red and Light the Torch out with them for the 'Atonement Tour' after numerous delays during the pandemic keeping the trio from the road.

This powerhouse of a headline tour for Killswitch Engage supporting their album "Atonement" marked the culmination of 20 years of iconic metal history hitting the round for a truly unique tour. Killswitch has long been a touring mainstay in the metal scene whether being helmed on vocals by Jesse Leach in the early years (and now) or Howard Jones during the stretch in the middle. Now, fans were treated to the best of both worlds as the two came together on this tour, with Jones own band Light the Torch starting things off each night. Jones is no stranger to Killswitch fans and the crowd at the Sherman Theater welcomed him like an old friend when the band hit the stage.


The crowd of some 1,400 strong metal fans that came out on a Monday night to open up the pit gave Light the Torch as much energy as they would have a headliner on that stage. Jones remains impressive on vocals and the band around him are all also veterans in their own right who delivered across all parts to give the packed Sherman Theater an opening set with a high bar to beat. However, shortly after their departure from the stage the night was set to take a turn for the heavier as Pennsylvania legends August Burns Red were set to remind their home state what they can do.

Across an 11 song set August Burns Red brought the intensity for the Sherman Theater that resulted in the first crowd surfers of the night to make their way across the barricade. The band's expansive catalog allowed them to craft a diverse setlist from all eras of their discography that was also incredibly heavy for the Killswitch Engage diehards in the crowd. Lead singer, Jake Luhrs, has always been a stand out live vocalist in the new era of metal and with age he has continued to grow into a true frontman as he commanded the stage during his performance. Alongside him the rest of the band provided the same stability in their performances whether it was a guitar rip from JB Brubaker or a drum line from Matt Greiner. August Burns Red collectively impressive set, combined with their well crafted setlist and very over the top production allowed them to deliver a performance made for an arena, not a theater or club. This Pennsylvanian band has continued to rise through the ranks over the year and they reminded their home state fans at the Sherman Theater that they aren't done yet but for now they continue on the 'Atonement Tour' with Killswitch Engage to perform to packed venues every night.

The saga of Killswitch Engage across the past 20 years is truly that of a poetry in the metal world as they rose to colossal heights early on and while the journey here hasn't always been the clearest at times they remain as relevant as when they debuted into the scene. 'The Atonement Tour' has resulted in packed venues nationwide so far and the band was greeted to a massive crowd on a Monday night in Stroudsburg, Pennslyvania at the Sherman Theater. While the venue is a staple within the state it is by no means a major city play which made the colossal turn out on an early weeknight even more impressive by Killswitch Engage.


The band's set was brutal, intense and as all good metal sets should be full of crowd surfing and moshing. The majority of shows on this tour have had revolving setlists and the Sherman Theater was no exception as the band made sure mainstays like "My Last Serenade" remained in the set but took some risks as they debuted "World Ablaze" for the first time with Jesse Leach singing. The band's 18 song set was a rollercoaster that left many in the crowd exhausted from the back to back to back approach of the band's live set. Leach prowled the stage all night long while eager fans flowed into the arms of security guards who kept them from getting any closer to the stage but that didn't keep them from reaching out for a fist bump from any band member in reach.


The evening culminated in a once in a lifetime encore as Howard Jones, front man during the era of the band while Jesse Leach had taken a break, re-joined the band for a closing set of 3 massive songs.

Article Written By:

Matt Christine

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