Show Review and Photos by Kate Drexel
Starset Show Photos HERE
Devil You Know Show Photos HERE
Lacuna Coil Show Photos HERE
The mixed animated conversations between the concertgoers came to a screeching halt as the lights dimmed, hinting it was time for the first band, Starset, to show the crowd what they had up their sleeves as their booming introduction from their debut album, Transmissions, “First Light,” shook the venue walls. As soon as all of the band members made their presence known, not a moment was wasted as they began their set with “Rise and Fall,” “Antigravity,” and “Halo.” Starset’s performance intrigued the crowd as they watched this very unique band rock the stage, staring with wonder at frontman Dustin Bates’ see through touchscreen that allowed him to drop electronic beats and they continued to watch the band members in their black uniforms and glowing spaceman-like masks. Starset finished their set with “Telescope,” “Carnivore,” “The Future is Now,” and their hit single, “My Demons.”
The next band to take the stage was none other than the former frontman of Killswitch Engage, Howard Jones’ new band, Devil You Know. The venue was enveloped in darkness then a mixture of purple and red illuminated the bright and excited faces of the fans as the band began their set with “A New Beginning,” “My Own,” Seven Years Alone,” and “Embracing the Torture.” A small mosh pit began in the back of the crowd, rejoicing to hear Jones’ glorious voice reverberating throughout their bodies, giving them the right amount of energy to enjoy a killer metal show. Devil You Know then finished their set with “It’s Over,” “The Killer,” “A Mind Insane,” “Crawl from the Dark,” and “Shut it Down.” They left the crowd definitely energized and ready for Lacuna Coil to blow Hartford off the map.
The crew began to set the stage for the gothic Italian metal band, revealing their latest album, Broken Crown Halo’s insignia, which resulted in sporadic cheers from the excited Coilers. Finally, the lights dimmed and an eerie introductory music began to play in the overhead speakers. One by one, each band member emerged from the darkness, the last two to arrive were Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro. Lacuna Coil then began their set with “Trip the Darkness,” “Spellbound,” “Intoxicated,” and “Die and Rise back to back without a moment wasted. They then continued with one of their classic hits from their debut album, Comalies, “Heavens a Lie,” quickly followed with “I Survive,” and two back-to-back songs from Dark Adrenaline, “Kill the Light” and “Fire.” Cristina’s occasional mischievous grin hinted to the band’s ever-adoring fans that they were nowhere near done and they were just getting warmed up.
Then Lacuna Coil continued with one of the songs off the new album, “Victims,” “To the Edge,” “Zombies,” and “Upsidedown.” As part of their grand finale, they did their epic cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence.” They then ended their set with the first single off the latest record, “Nothing Stands in Our Way” and “Our Truth.” Lacuna Coil exited the stage after guitar picks and drumsticks were thrown out to the crowd, leaving the crowd begging for more of their addictive beautiful sound.
Overall, Lacuna Coil did a phenomenal job and had two amazing bands open for them, all complimenting each other perfectly in their own way. Be sure to check out Lacuna Coil’s future tour dates, they put on a show you will regret missing!
Lacuna Coil at The Palladium – MA
