Photos and Review by: Felicia Rose
Excape the Fate Photos: HERE
Eve to Adam Photos: HERE
The first time I ever saw Escape the Fate was back in 2009, show openers for the headlining Buckcherry at the House of Blues in Atlantic City, NJ. This time, five years later, roles reversed, they were the headlining band at Ace of Spades in Sacramento, CA. Back then, just getting their feet wet on tour, I liked ETF who I saw on stage. They had fantastic energy, I thoroughly liked the tunes, but this time around in 2014, it was a different ETF from that first time; different members and more in particular, a different sound.
Before they came out, and the fans waiting the chant started “Escape the Fate! Escape the Fate!” And when they came out, they did so with guns blazing and then I knew this wasn’t the same band I remember from 2009.  They were harsher and more brutal musically and vocally. They started off the set with the title of their last album release “Ungrateful” and once they began, so did the fans – mosh pit, the crowd surfing, and a more alert and beefed up security in an already tight press pit area. You just had to watch your back and head and made sure you didn’t get kicked if you were in harm’s way!
The songs on their set-list spanned throughout ETF’s entire career of albums from “The War is Ours,” which was the song they ended their show with in the encore, and their 2010 self-titled album but songs from “Ungrateful” were mainly performed. Even though it was a (sort of) different sound than what I first saw, I really enjoyed it, just like way back when. Head-banging and then the liveliness of these five young men on stage, putting on a killer hardcore concert. Singer, Craig Mabbitt, bassist Max Green, drummer Robert Ortiz, and guitarists Tom Bell and Kevin Gruft put on one hell of a show. Incredible hard rocking chords, pounding drums, loud, growling vocals, their showmanship, keeping the crowd entertained and wanting more, even when their initial set was over just before the encore. And for me, I thought the set was kind of short, but I guess that’s what you’d get if your attention is so consumed into a show, you just forget about time all because you are just enjoying a bands set so much and ETF did that.
Would I go see them again? Absolutely! If you are not into heavier sounding rock & roll understandably so of why not, but if you want an active and straight ahead rock show, check them out.
 

Escape the Fate

Eve to Adam

Escape the Fate set-list:

• Ungrateful
• The Flood
• You’re Insane
• Issues
• Live Fast and Die Beautiful
• Picture Perfect
• Ashley
• 10 Miles Wide
• Gorgeous Nightmare
• One for the Money
• Fire it Up
• This War is Ours