As excited fans filed into The Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey it was evident that we were all about to share an epic night of metal as Lamb Of God, Killswitch Engage and Baroness converged to share the stage. It was already a hot summer night in an outdoor arena and it was about to get even hotter.

 

First to hit the stage was Baroness, a four piece Heavy Metal band originally hailed from Savanah, Georgia, with the exception of lead guitarist Gina Gleason who hails from nearby Philadelphia, where the band now resides. They opened their set with ‘The Sweetest Curse’, which set up the crowd nicely for their next song ‘Isak’ which was heavier and highlighted the strong vocals of John Baizley and Gleason’s nimble shredding fingers who looked like she was one with every note she played. Baroness’ six song set shredded at a blistering pace and they certainly did their part to feed the crowd to keep them wanting more.

 

Baroness setlist (via setlist.fm)

The Sweetest Curse

Isak

A Horse Called Golgotha

March to the Sea

Shock Me

War, Wisdom & Rhyme

 

Killswitch Engage, the five piece Metalcore band from Massachusetts, was up next and did not waste any time raising the crowd’s energy with their opener ‘Strength Of The Mind’. Fast-paced guitar riffs and the intense vocals of Jesse Leach took the fans from zero to sixty in one song and kept it there throughout their set which included fan favorites ‘This Is Absolution’, ‘Rose Of Sharyn’ and ‘Unleashed’.

 

Leach revels in interacting with the fans and they with him. He invites them to sing along and they are all too happy to oblige. It is powerful indeed, to have a large arena of fans singing in unison and everyone is having the time of their lives, including the crowd surfers who make it all the way up front to the pit to a waiting pair of arms to make sure they land safely.

KSE setlist (via setlist.fm)

Strength of the Mind

This Is Absolution

Rose of Sharyn

Beyond the Flames

Unleashed

The Crownless King

Hate by Design

Know Your Enemy

My Curse

Daylight Dies

This Fire

The End of Heartache

In Due Time

Holy Diver (Dio cover)

The Signal Fire

 

 

After a brief pause, the audience has barely the chance to catch their breath when Lamb Of God, a five piece heavy metal band from Virginia, assaults the stage asserting without a doubt why they are the headliner. They begin their set with ‘Momento Mori’ which starts out slow and melodic and then vocalist Randy Blythe explodes into a new dimension with his iconic style of growling vocals, fierce intensity and literally flying through the air.

Their next song, ‘Walk With Me In Hell’ is just as intense and the crowd has stepped up their circle pit activity to answer the ferocity on the stage. The stage show is rich with pyrotechnics, fog cannons, and the heavy hitting songs keep coming with not a hint of slowing down. This entire production was a feast for the eyes, the ears and the soul as Blythe held court for all the Lamb Of God disciples.

Set list:

 

Lamb Of God set list (via setlist.fm)

Memento Mori

Walk With Me in Hell

Now You’ve Got Something to Die For

Resurrection Man

Nevermore

Ruin

11th Hour

Omerta

Omens

Contractor

512

Ghost Walking

Vigil

Laid to Rest

Redneck

 

PHOTOS AND WORDS BY BY KIM HANSEN