Killswitch Engage are no strangers to the capital, having risen through the different capacity venues on their way to headlining Wembley. I first saw the band on a co-headline tour with Trivium and have seen them several times since, including supporting Iron Maiden, but on this evening they brought three other bands with them on their nine-date tour of the UK.
Decapitated
Opening the evening was Polish death metal titans Decapitated. Founded in 1996 in Krosno, Poland, the band has become recognized as one of death metal’s most widely respected acts and a leading force in technical death metal. The group has endured tragedy—losing founding drummer Witold “Vitek” Kie?tyka in a 2007 tour bus accident—but has persevered under the guidance of sole surviving founder and guitarist Wac?aw “Vogg” Kie?tyka. Their latest album, Cancer Culture, was released in 2022, showcasing the band’s continued evolution in the genre.
The four-piece warmed up the crowd with their short but devastatingly heavy set. Starting early, the group delivered a blistering rendition of their tracks to the gig-goers who had arrived at the arena early in the evening. The band was clearly on a mission, highlighted when vocalist Eemeli Bodde addressed those in attendance: “We have one job and that is to destroy, but to destroy, you guys need to destroy with us,” which launched the audience into mosh pits.
Setlist: Cancer Culture, Just a Cigarette, Earth Scar, Spheres of Madness, Suicidal Space Programme, Iconoclast
Fit for An Autopsy
Second to the stage were US deathcore band Fit for An Autopsy. Formed in Jersey City, New Jersey in 2008, the band has established themselves as one of the most consistent and respected acts in modern deathcore. Currently signed to Nuclear Blast Records, they’ve released seven studio albums, with their latest, The Nothing That Is, arriving in October 2024. Known for tackling weighty lyrical themes around political injustice, environmental destruction, and societal collapse, the band has carved out a reputation as the thinking person’s deathcore outfit.
The New Jersey group built on the work of Decapitated in ramping up the atmosphere in the arena. In their first-ever visit to Wembley, the band increased the crowd interaction, calling for the circle pits to be bigger. The audience was treated to a mix of old and new material. Guitarist Tim Howley’s animated use of his hair was notable, as was vocalist Joe Badolato’s grins showing how much this new experience meant to the New Jersey natives.
Setlist: Lower Purpose, It Comes for You, Hostage, Pandora, The Sea of Tragic Beasts, Savior of None/Ashes of All, Far From Heaven
Hatebreed
Third up were main support act Hatebreed. The Connecticut metalcore veterans, formed in Bridgeport in 1994 by vocalist Jamey Jasta, have been a driving force in the hardcore and metalcore scenes for over three decades. With nine studio albums under their belt and a reputation for unrelenting positivity in the face of adversity, Hatebreed have become synonymous with perseverance and working-class resilience. Their 1997 debut Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire remains a genre classic, and they’ve continued to release powerful albums including 2020’s Weight of the False Self. Tragically, the band dedicated tonight’s performance to Lou of the band Sick Of It All as he is battling cancer.
The stage was set with a large inflatable devil as the backdrop behind drummer Matt Byrne, below a flaming band logo on the screen. It didn’t take long for the crowd surfers to start, with the audience taking their energy from the band who were constantly in motion around the stage. Vocalist Jamey Jasta had a left versus right battle with the crowd during “Destroy Everything.” Later in the set, a large inflatable black ball—”the ball of death”—was released onto the crowd and was batted back and forth, with the security at the barrier even joining in.
Jasta commented, “What a great night,” and dedicated the performance to Lou. “Who is seeing Hatebreed for the first time?” was met with massive cheers before Jasta commented, “You are diehard as they come.” As the set drew to a close, the band called for one more circle pit and encouraged people to come out of mosh pit retirement. Hatebreed were met with a massive cheer at the end, and I am sure they increased their fanbase after this performance.
Setlist: I Will Be Heard, Make the Demons Obey, To the Threshold, Live for This, Destroy Everything, Empty Promises, Perseverance, As Diehard as They Come, This is Now, Seven Enemies, Driven by Suffering, Looking Down the Barrel of Today
Killswitch Engage
Finally up were headliners Killswitch Engage. The Massachusetts metalcore pioneers, formed in Westfield in 1999 from the ashes of bands Overcast and Aftershock, have sold over four million records in the US and are widely credited as one of the founders of modern metalcore. Their 2004 album The End of Heartache achieved gold certification and earned them a Grammy nomination, cementing their place in metal history. With vocalist Jesse Leach having returned to the fold in 2009 after original vocalist Howard Jones’ departure, the band has released critically acclaimed albums including Disarm the Descent (2013), Incarnate (2016), Atonement (2019), and most recently This Consequence (2025). Having first seen the band on their co-headline tour with Trivium 11 years ago, I have been a massive fan ever since, and the group are now one of my most-seen bands live.
Kicking off with “Strength of the Mind,” it didn’t take long for the crowd surfers to begin. The band was animated from the start, which is to be expected when Adam D is on stage. Vocalist Jesse Leach commented, “Just think, a few years ago we were stuck inside and now look at us—all those germs all over you,” which was met with a mixture of laughing and cheers from the crowd. Killswitch offered their appreciation: “We’ve been at this a long time, we’ve been doing it 26 years, we are here because of you.”
During the entire set there were mosh pits and cheering, and there was a particularly huge cheer when the band started “Hate by Design.” There was clapping along to “I Believe” before Jesse delivered the message “Don’t let despair bring you down. You are not alone,” and the crowd was in full voice from the start of “Arms of Sorrow.” Jesse made his way down to the barrier and moved along it, interacting with fans before the audience sang “In Due Time.” At the end of the song, Jesse paid tribute to the other bands on the lineup before launching into fan favourite “My Curse.”
The crowd participation continued through “End of Heartache,” where Jesse conducted the crowd before what was the most random part of the set. The music stopped as Adam practiced his watermelon bowling on stage before final song “My Last Serenade.” Jesse commented, “Let’s have a big old happy sing-along,” before a massive mosh pit opened. The band finished to rapturous applause.
Killswitch will be moving on with the European part of the tour after a brief visit to Orlando.
Setlist: Strength of the Mind, Rose of Sharyn, Reckoning, Aftermath, Numbered Days, This is Absolution, No End in Sight, Broken Glass, Hate by Design, Forever Aligned, The Signal Fire, I Believe, The Arms of Sorrow, In Due Time, This Fire, My Curse, The End of Heartache, My Last Serenade
A night that showcased the depth and breadth of modern heavy music, with four bands at different stages of their careers all delivering crushing performances. From Decapitated’s technical precision to Fit for An Autopsy’s atmospheric brutality, Hatebreed’s infectious energy, and Killswitch Engage’s stadium-ready anthems, this was a masterclass in how to put together a metal tour package.
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