The Killthrax Tour, featuring Killswitch Engage and Anthrax wrapped up in Portland, ME with a crowded show at the State Theatre on March 6th. Lines were so long that many, including myself, missed most of opening act Havok.
After a bit of a stage changeover, the mighty Anthrax took to the stage to give the Portland crowd a thrashing good time. While this may have been an almost-home show for KSE, many in the audience were there for Anthrax, and it showed. The crowd went nuts for their set, which felt like hit after hit, starting off with “Among the Living,” and “Caught in a Mosh.” Despite this being the end of the tour, frontman Joey Belladonna and his cohorts sounded flawless, be it on newer tracks like “Breathing Lightning,” or older songs like “Madhouse,” and closing number “Indians.” The band announced towards the end of their set that they’d be back in Maine on their tour with Slayer this summer, which was subsequently announced the very next day (check out the full tour dates at the end of this post).
For many bands it would be hard to follow as set from Anthrax, but Killswitch Engage–now on their second leg of the Killthrax Tour–were more than up to the task. The band came out and launched straight into “Rose of Sharyn,” commencing the sing-along that would carry through the rest of the set (it took me a few days to fully regain my voice). Guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz was in his usual humorous form, sporting a headband with “TRASH” written on it, and taking off mid song to make his way through the crowd, still playing, and over to the sound board before heading back to the stage. On a previous night of the tour, he actually had left, ordered and drank a shot, and returned to the stage, without missing a note–what a legend! The rest of their performance went on to include hits like “Take This Oath,” “My Last Serenade,“ “My Curse,” and more. Their set took me back to my days in high school, when I used to listen to KSE records on repeat. The highlight of the night was at the very end, when Belladonna joined KSE’s Jesse Leach for a cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver.” The band will be playing some more intimate shows with Hatebreed, Candiria, and The Word Alive before heading to Mexico and then Europe from May through July. Check out these dates below!
Killswitch Engage 2018 Tour Dates:
04/26 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom*^
04/27 – Jacksonville, FL – Metropolitan Park
04/28 – Jacksonville, FL – Monster Energy Welcome To Rockville
05/01 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom*#
05/02 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre*#
05/03 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance^#
* – w/ Hatebreed
^ – w/ Candiria
# – The Word Alive
Anthrax Tour Dates (w/ Slayer, Lamb of God, Napalm Death):
07/26 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
07/27 – Bangor, ME @ Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
07/29 – Wantagh, NY @ Jones Beach
07/31 – Scranton, PA @ The Pavilion at Montage Mountain
08/01 – Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
08/03 – Darien Lake, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
08/04 – Syracuse, NY @ Lakeview Amphitheater
08/06 – London, ON @ Budweiser Gardens
08/07 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
08/09 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
08/10 – Atlanta, GA @ Cellairis Amphitheatre at Lakewood
08/12 – Nashville, TN @ Municipal Auditorium
08/13 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
08/15 – San Antonio, TX @ Freeman Coliseum
08/16 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Zoo Amphitheatre
08/18 – Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
08/19 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
08/21 – Boise, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater,
08/23 – Portland, OR @ Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
08/26 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
