Killswitch engage ignite London with decapitated, fit for an autopsy and hatebreed

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(5/5)

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE AT OVO ARENA WEMBLEY, LONDON
PHOTOCREDIT: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI

London on a Friday night is always a treat, as the OVO Arena is ready to host metalcore royalty Killswitch Engage, alongside Polish tech-death titans Decapitated, deathcore masters Fit For An Autopsy and hardcore legends Hatebreed – and the walls are probably still shaking.

Decapitated opened the night with skill and precision, with a sound that has been engineered like a weapon at maximum force. Riffs that sliced through the venue, drums that shook the ground and vocals that echoed with surgical devastation, the band had headbangers in a chokehold early on. Cancer Culture and Earth Scar made the room feel like it had lost oxygen, as the intensity and energy of the band carried through the audience – even the seated ones. The setlist was short but sharp, and chaos exploded when the band played Iconoclast. Decapitated are not first-timers; they conquer the stage with ruthlessness and they delivered a tech-death masterclass. There is no nonsense and no theatrics, just pure demolition.

Where Decapitated were surgical, Fit For An Autopsy were apocalyptic. Pounding drum beats and summoning riffs, the band knows how to deliver the breakdown of all breakdowns through the music – all with political commentary and existential dread mixed into the primal roaring vocals. It was the first time the band played such a big arena in the UK and there was no question that they had the crowd burning underneath. The green and blue lights also gave their set a slightly cinematic feel, as they performed songs such as It Comes For You, Pandora and Far From Heaven. They also had the first crowdsurfers of the night swim through the audience, as they closed their set with more menace than when they came on stage – if that is even humanly possible.

The crowd and the mood transformed completely when Hatebreed came on stage. Even though their entrance on stage was under I Was Made For Loving You (by Kiss), within the first few seconds I Will be Heard the floor erupted into a battlefield of limbs. Everyone knows that Hatebreed are hardcore’s ultimate hype commanders, with London obeying to the vocalist’s words – jump, get down, scream, mosh. As anthems such as Empty Promises and Destroy Everything came on – and a massive ball bounced through the audience – the whole venue turned into a tribe united by sweat and sing-along fury. Their set was not just nostalgia on hardcore’s finest, it was proof that Hatebreed remains a vital force in the scene (despite the lack of pyro).

Killswitch Engage finally took the stage just after 9.30pm, and they looked like a band who exactly who they are – metalcore legends who are still hungry for more. Opening their set with Strength of the Mind, they had sing-alongs, moshpits and crowdsurfing instantly. Jesse Leach’s voice was raw yet resolute, powerful yet vulnerable, while the riffs and the on stage banter felt like there was a special connection formed early on. The setlist was a journey through the band’s eras (pretty much like Taylor Swift, but for people who listen to good music). They went from Rose of Sharyn to Numbered Days, from No End In Sight to The Signal Fire and I Believe, as well as the absolute classics to close off the night – My Curse, The End of a Heartache and finally, The Last Serenade.

The crowd was singing along, lighting up their flashlights, moshing and moving as one. It felt like Killswitch Engage brought light to the soul of metalcore music, one that was very much needed. They managed to merge relentless energy with connection, celebrating everything that heavy music does best – hit hard, speak true, and bring people together.