XL Live was buzzing with life from the moment I pulled up. With an hour until doors, the sidewalk was already lined with fans itching to secure their spots on the barricade. The crowd varied greatly, from those with graying hair and covered battle jackets to seven-year-olds boasting that they would be crowd-surfing all night (and boy, they did). But they all had two things in common. One, they were all wearing black. Two, they were all waiting anxiously to see Lacuna Coil’s blazing performance onstage.

AXTY

It’s rare that the first opener of the night shows up with the heaviest sound. The Brazilian metalcore band AXTY did just that. With a heavy sound featuring guttural screams, they tore the venue open from the very beginning.

AXTY was born amidst the 2020 pandemic and was formed as a way for vocalist Felipe Hervoso to process and share his emotions and struggles. Their songs are transparent and raw, combining masterfully with their explosive sound.

Hervoso delivered a jaw-dropping performance onstage and interacted with fans personally at the merch table offstage. During the show, the band showcased their new song “end this,” which will be included on their latest album, The Pain Made Me Who I Am, set to release on August 21.

If there were a single band to bolster the argument of why you should never skip the opener, AXTY would be it.

ESCAPE THE FATE

Escape the Fate owned the stage next, playing new and mostly unreleased songs like “Paranoia.” They opened with the violent sound of “Ungrateful” and kept the momentum alive with “Déjà Vu” and the classic “Gorgeous Nightmare,” which is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary, quickly following.

The crowd exploded with crowd surfers as frontman Craig Mabbitt opened up a circle pit. The sheer sense of community felt at this show goes beyond words as fans held children safely on their shoulders in the mosh pit, including them and surely creating lifetime memories and a new generation of fans.

The band visited the merch table after their set, and Matti Hoffman hung around the crowd for the rest of the evening, conversing and taking pictures with fans. Escape the Fate is a post-hardcore legend for a reason, and as time goes on, they’re only continuing to lean further into their heavy sound.

LACUNA COIL

With a swelling instrumental sweep and blinding strobes, Lacuna Coil took the stage one by one. Painted with his signature look, drummer Richard Meiz took his place behind the drum set first, leering at the crowd through the eerie lights as guitarist Daniele Salomone and bassist Marco Coti Zelati joined him. Finally, Andrea Ferro and Cristina Scabbia were greeted by the roar of adoring fans.

The lights cut.

Then, in a flurry of madness, the band launched into the haunting melody of “Layers of Time.” Scabbia’s floating vocals contrasted gorgeously with Ferro’s deeper screams, creating an atmospheric sound that spilled from the venue into the cool night air.

Although this show was the second-to-last night of a long tour, their energy never faltered – you’d never guess they weren’t just getting started.