Crown the Empire Headline the Second Annual Rage Fest
A month-long cross-country celebration of all things metal, the second annual Rage Fest was certainly one for the books. And with a hard-hitting roster featuring Crown the Empire, Attila, Veil of Maya, Gideon, and Hawk, the SoundBite Magazine team was especially excited to attend the concluding date of this year’s talent-packed traveling festival.
Hosted at the local House of Blues San Diego, SoundBite Magazine invites you to enjoy coverage of our top three performances from Rage Fest 2019.
HAWK
Our third favorite Rage Fest set was delivered by none other than the first group to take the stage.
Formerly known as This or the Apocalypse, 2019 saw Pennsylvania quartet Ricky Armellino (vocals), Jack Esbenshade (guitar), Bernard Stabley (bass) and Adam Reed (drums), rebrand as metalcore outfit Hawk.
And while the group can technically be considered the “new kids in the scene”, the band, who originally formed back in 2005, had already claimed a place in the hearts of many fans in attendance.
Performing both debut singles, “Mileage” and “Counter Ops” as well as several unreleased tracks, Hawk treated the audience to a riveting and high-energy set. The crowd showed their gratitude with the first of many raging circle pits of the evening, and with Hawk opening, it was clear the festival was off to a great start.
ATTILA
Based out of Atlanta, Georgia, “party metal” band Attila put on SoundBite Magazine’s second favorite festival performance.
Always an entertaining group, frontman Chris "Fronz" Fronzak, guitarist Chris Linck, bassist, Kalan Blehm, and drummer Bryan Mcclure, delighted fans with a full set of headbanging-inducing tracks, including singles off their latest eighth studio record, Villain. Songs such as “Toxic” and “Blackout” encouraged classic “wall of death” mosh pits and were favorites with the energetic crowd.
However, it wasn’t truly a party without pizza. Thus, with a new web-released song of the same title, it wasn’t long before Fronzak and crew launched an entire box of pineapple clad pie into the unsuspecting audience. Proudly announcing that slices reaching the second story balcony level of the House of Blues was a new distance record, it was easy to see how this wild group won us over with their good-natured antics and set the stage for our favorite performance of the night.
CROWN THE EMPIRE
Taking the cake for SoundBite Magazine’s favorite Rage Fest performance was Texas metalcore quartet, Crown the Empire.
Celebrating the recent release of their fourth studio album, Sudden Sky, as well as nearly a decade together as a band, frontman Andy Leo, guitarist Brandon Hoover, bassist Hayden Tree, and drummer Brent Taddie were the perfect fit to headline the packed festival.
Drawing on themes such as technology and instant gratification as well as the impact of social media and what it means to be human, fans were ecstatic to experience live seven of the ten songs off the band’s latest record, starting with Leo’s identity-searching monologue “(X)”. And with a mix of metal, electronic, and even some pop-rock influences, tracks such as “20/20”, “MZRY” and “BLURRY (Out of Place)” showcased the variety and evolution of the band, and emerged as clear audience favorites.
Yet, the set wouldn’t be complete without a few older gems. Performing tracks off each of their full-length records, as well as their debut EP Limitless, there were plenty of hits for fans of every CTE era.
However, peak nostalgia was reached with an acoustic performance of the band’s 2014 single “Millennia”. An emotional powerhouse of a track, the most touching moment of the entire festival came as cell phone flashlights waved and the “hardcore” crowd sang along with Leo’s soft melodies and acoustic guitar.
So, whether it be the feisty riffs or the heartfelt moments, Crown the Empire, clearly stole the show with our favorite Rage Fest performance. The SoundBite Team is excited to see what the future holds for the versatile band.
For info updates and more make sure to check out Crown the Empire’s official website and follow the band on social media here
Coverage by Jessica Nakamoto
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