The curtains are pulled and Yello’s “Oh Yeah” is blasted from the front speakers. The crowd starts banging their heads and pumping fists. The energy of the crowd has just taken a booster shot like Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction. The people behind me form a chain with interlocking arms and prepare themselves for the hostilities of blaring guitars and homemade superhero costumes. Drummer Justin Foley approaches his kit in a quiet and calm matter and clicks four quarter notes. The lights match the intensity of the crowd and there is no turning back. Killswitch Engage is able to show their enthusiasm and enjoyment for what they do: playing a kick-ass metal show that can appeal to anyone. They are able to appeal to the Dungeons and Dragons geeks, the people in Wall Street and the ultra hot stripper with 36 DD’s.
Drummer Justin Foley and bassist Mike D’Antonio play in a pocket that can only be touched by the likes of Flea and Chad Smith or Paul and Ringo. Foley and D’Antonio are able to fill a quarter note pulse better than most rock bands out today. They quickly remind me that playing an instrument isn’t always about playing as fast as you can, but how much emotion goes into what you play. Foley and D’Antonio are able to make simplicity sound masterful and they are just the backbone of what makes this band such an awesome site to see.
Guitarists Adam Dutkiewicz and Joel Stroetzel are able to have their instruments talk to each other and to the crowd in a matter that actors could only dream of. They’re able to play and converse in ways that are similar to Abbott and Costello in “Who’s on First?” The two of them are lightning quick and express a tone of excitement that continue to impress musicians worldwide. The only thing missing from this five star revue is the singer.
Killswitch Engage’s lead singer, Howard Jones, is not on tour with the band due to an “unexpected absence”. Phil Labonte of the band All That Remains is performing vocals for Jones for the duration of the tour or until Jones is ready to return to the stage; Phil Labonte also auditioned for being the singer during the same time Howard Jones did. With that being said, one cannot compare the state of Killswitch Engage with Phil to the Killswitch Engage with Howard. Even Dutkiewicz said on-stage: “We are Killswitch Engage. As many of you know, Howard is not able to make it tonight. So, instead, we have Phil Labonte on vocals. Tonight, we will be known as Philswitch Engage!”
Phil appears on the stage as a veteran, but as a rookie with his mates. He doensn’t have a problem showing his enthusiasm or his intensity as a metal singer. Labonte did a great job for stepping in when he needed to. He brings emotion and passion when it is required most. The worst part of his performance is the lack of chemistry between him and the rest of the band. For example, there were times when Phil was on top of a speaker, while the rest of the band was jamming together on the other side of the stage.
With rumors continuing to speculate confusion of what is happening with Jones, Killswitch Engage did their best with the situation they were given. They did a kick-ass job with knowledge of presence and power. Despite having Phil Labonte as the singer, the band still knows how to rock hard with passion and dedication to their fans. Job well done, guys!
