Lamb Of God Concert Review Arizona Financial Theater Phoenix_10-14-22

Lamb Of God Concert Review Arizona Financial Theater Phoenix_10-14-22

Lamb Of God Concert Review Arizona Financial Theater Phoenix_10-14-22-Review and Photos By Jess Beck

This was the perfect show for any fan whose favorite color is STROBE LIGHT.

For fans of blistering guitar licks.

For fans of fire!

It was an evening that won’t soon be forgotten to the thousands of Lamb of God fans who poured into the Arizona Financial Theatre on Friday, 10.14.2022 as the 4 act lineup set the audience into a frenzy with a dazzling display of lights, technical precision, and pyrotechnics.

Fit for an Autopsy was up first, a deathcore outfit from New Jersey. The beginning was a bit slow, and this is the second time now at various shows where the vocalist seemed a bit muted during the first few tracks. But the audience didn’t seem to mind much as you could hear them pelting the band back with their lyrics. With a stage filled with mock-set religious icons sprouting from their gear boxes, they were a great first act for this tour. Guitarist Patrick Sheridan played on a sweet looking psychedelic inspired as he pounded the audience with one sick riff after another.

Animals As Leaders followed, an instrumental outfit boasting quite possibly the best guitar player in the world at the moment. In fact, Tosin Abasi was ranked #97 on Guitar World’s 100 Most Influential Guitar Players of ALL TIME. That’s a huge list to make. But it’s no wonder why – they are one of the most precise and technical instrumental outfits on the market right now, and they’re certainly not showing any signs of slowing down.

The really unique thing about this three-piece is that they don’t carry a bass player with them. The “bass” if you will is replaced by two 8 string guitars which is pretty neat. Notable tracks included “Arithmophobia” and “Gordion Naught” off their new release “Parrhesia” that debuted earlier this year. If you’re a fan of death metal, jazz, or even fusion metal, this is the band for you!

Following the rhythmic blasting from Animals as Leaders, Killswitch Engage took the stage next and set to deliver a pounding performance to the audience.

This is where the strobe lights went into overdrive.

Feeling less like a metal show at this point and more like an EDM rave, Killswitch Engage completely stole the show for the duration that they were on stage. Much like the lights, they never quit delivering a pounding to the audience. “I wanna see an old school circle pit in this motherfucker!” shouted vocalist Jesse Leach before launching into a punishing 15 song set.

Killswitch Engage is one of those bands that has a really storied history, and it was very fitting that they were on this bill. Stylistically and lyrically they match up well with the other acts who came to shred and sweat, and the fans resonated well with their performance. They mostly demonstrated this through moshing and crowd surfing, which always makes for a great experience for the band. Notable tracks included “Strength of the Mind,” “Holy Diver,” and “My Curse.”

Last, but certainly not least in any regard, Lamb of God took their respective places on stage. From the right side of the auditorium crammed in with the rest of the photographer crew, the black curtain was raised as singer Blythe began an intro followed by what sounded like a shotgun blast as the curtain fell.

The pit was filled with about 20 extra humans who had purchased VIP tickets, so it was a unique challenge to work with not only an oversaturated photographer pit but also with the added humans who were also there enjoying the show for personal reasons. But, as photographers go, everyone was courteous and made it work, even if it took a few extra steps to get the shots we needed.

Chef Blythe cooks up one hell of a show, moving constantly around the floor while huge explosions of pyrotechnics thundered all (for those who don’t know – Blythe was a cook before he began his wildly successful career as a vocalist for Burn the Priest, which has now morphed into Lamb of God). So instead of chopping up onions, Blythe now slices through the hearts of audience members world-wide with his blistering vocals, backed by a stacked cast of talented musicians.

They opened the show with “Mento Mori” with a dazzling “OMENS” triangle illuminated in the background by neon lights. And at 51 years young, Blythe is still doing gymnastics on stage somehow managing to pull gravity defying jumps off the elevated drum kit which was incredible to see.

Randy Blythe Gettng Airborne

Other notable tracks they laid down that evening included “Nevermore,” “Omens” and “Redneck.” All-in-all, besides the lighting being chaotic at best and pitch black at worst, it was an incredible show that fans will cherish for quite some time.

Special thank you to the staff at Arizona Financial Theater for working tirelessly to help clean up spilled beer and to keep the evening safe and enjoyable for the patrons. We know y’all work hard at what you do, and it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed! Thanks to Live Nation for bringing such incredible shows to the Valley, and remember patrons to wear deodorant, to pick up your fellow human if they fall in the pit, and to continue to be excellent to each other.

Get into Lamb Of God Here!

We’ll catch you at the next show!