Memphis May Fire Scorches the Brooklyn Monarch
On May 9, just one day removed from Sonic Temple and days away from Welcome to Rockville, the Brooklyn Monarch hosted a stacked bill : Memphis May Fire, Caskets, Wind Walkers, and Elijah.
The Monarch may not be the biggest venue in NYC, but cram it full on a Friday night with metalcore bands in the early stretch of the festival season, it becomes one hell of a pit stop!
ELIJAH: STRAIGHT INTO CHAOS
Elijah cracked the room wide open, there was no easing in, —they came out swinging. The pit opened immediately. This wasn’t a warm-up set; it was a jolt to many of those just arriving from work. High energy, tightly executed, and it set the bar early. And we were only one band in.
WIND WALKERS: RIDING THE SURGE
Wind Walkers followed up with an equally powerful set. Their time was trimmed—everyone’s was, to make room for a second, late-night event at the venue—but they didn’t hold anything back. The performance was focused and emotional, delivered like a band fully aware of the momentum they’ve been building this year. They didn’t waste a second. The crowd stayed locked in: fists pumping, crowd surfers rolling, and the pit crew doing overtime to keep the energy high.
CASKETS: AN EXPLOSIVE DEBUT
On their first-ever U.S. run, Caskets didn’t play like newcomers to Brooklyn. Even in a condensed set, the tone shifted noticeably when they took the stage: more emotional, more immersive. Crowd surfers came fast and often, and for a moment it felt like the room moved in unison. Their sound didn’t need buildup or context, it landed instantly.
MEMPHIS MAY FIRE: MASTERCLASS IN METAL
And then came Memphis May Fire. Their set was relentless. While the earlier bands had to play fast and tight, Memphis had the time to stretch out and own the room—and they absolutely did. They played like a band that knows their legacy but refuses to coast on it. Transitions were seamless. Everything hit.
Mid-set, someone crowd-surfed across the room with their leg in a cast and a crutch raised overhead like a trophy. Someone in a banana costume stalked the pit. A young kid was perched on his dad’s shoulders. This set, the entire evening, chaotic in the best way.
SET LISTS
MEMPHIS MAY FIRE
Shapeshifter
Paralyzed
Overdose
Misery
Somebody
The Abandoned
Bleed Me Dry
Infection
Necessary Evil
Vices
The Sinner
Miles Away
Make Believe
Chaotic
Hell is Empty (Encore)
Blood & Water (Encore)
CASKETS
Believe
More Than Misery
Make Me A Martyr
Drowned in Emotion
Guiding Light
Lost in Echoes
Glass Heart
