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The Unbreakable Tour — Graced Phoenix with Madness and Mayhem


The Unbreakable Tour graced Phoenix, Arizona with its presence on October 19, 2016. It had all the rowdiness one would expect from a Metal show and then some. Emerald Isle, Counterparts, We Came As Romans, and Parkway Drive put the security guards at The Pressroom to work as they pumped madness and mayhem into the airwaves and the crowd.

Arizona’s own Emerald Isle opened the show with their Metal sound. For being a local opening act, they had a lot of people show up early to the show to support them. Dylan Neuman, Rhandy DeGarmo, Lev Lewis, Zach Couch and Blayr Lignoski nailed their set and showed no signs of slowing down. Emerald Isle has the same basis as every other Metal band; however, they switch up the sound with the addition of electronic music. On paper, an Electronica Metal fusion group sounds ridiculously God awful, but for some reason it was highly entertaining. It was also completely unexpected; audience members seemed genuinely surprised by the music they were encountering. For everyone who came to the show after Emerald Isle played missed out - these guys are not just another opening act. The quality in their sound and the band's natural stage presence will definitely take them miles above the rest in their music scene.

Cover photo from www.emeraldisle.rock

YouTube | Mirrors — Emerald Isle (Official Music Video)

Hailing from Canada was Counterparts with a Hardcore Punk sound like no other. Although the band lists their line up under the members tab on their Facebook page as, “tbh I’m not even sure anymore”, it does not matter who is the group. These guys know how to put on a great show. Their set was like taking one of the best Metal bands on the scene now and one of the best Pop Punk bands on the scene now and mashing them together. Theoretically, the whiny undertones of Pop Punk should not be paired with the aggressiveness of true Hardcore music, but somehow Counterparts made the weird combination work. They also proved that pushing the boundaries and trying something new is not always bad. At about the midway point of their set, Counterparts broke out into a rendition of “Closer” by The Chainsmokers and Halsey. It was strange, but it was something that is worth listening to again. The band succeeded in putting on a performance of a lifetime. Counterparts’ eclectic style and relatable lyrics makes them a group that people would want to see over and over again.

YouTube | Stranger — Counterparts (Official Music Video)

We Came As Romans set was killer; the group and crowd were electric with energy. Dave Stephens, Kyle Pavone, Joshua Moore, Lou Cotton, and Andy Glass were throwing down and suddenly the music was cut and Kyle Pavone screams ‘stop’. Just like at many Metal shows, a few guys moshing took their fun too far. Although this should have taken away from their set, it made the crowd even more hyped. The rest of the show went continued without a hitch. We Came As Romans performed a collection of old and more recent songs. The highlight of their set was the circle pit to end all circle pits. They had a mass of people running around the lights and sound table. It was crazy. In addition to the chaos that ensued with the moshing, there was so much synchronized headbanging. We Came As Romans had full sections of their songs with synchronized headbanging and spinning. It seemed over the top and cliche, but it looked cool. Because of the massive amount of charisma they have on stage, it was hard not to be entranced by them. The music made the audience want to move. We Came As Romans set out to give a stellar performance, and that is exactly what they did.

YouTube | Wasted Age — We Came As Romans (Official Audio Stream)

Australian Metalcore band Parkway Drive somehow managed to make the crowd rage harder than they already were. Drummer Ben "Gaz" Gordon, rhythm guitarist Luke "Pig" Kilpatrick, lead vocalist Winston McCall, lead guitarist Jeff Ling, and bassist Jia O'Connor are like the Godfathers of New Age Metal for the millennial generation. There was not a single person standing still during their set - the crowd was alive. Even though there was more smoke in the venue than a cigar bar and throngs of people wall to wall, it was everything a classic Metal band should have at their show. Endless streams of crowd surfers kept security busy. The entire set was memorable, but the best part was when Parkway Drive played their hit “Carrion”. “Carrion” being a sad song, made everyone channel their emotions into their headbanging and moshing. Everyone sang/shouted along to the words. Moments like these show just exactly how music affects people. From the audience reaction to “Carrion” and the rest of the band’s set, it is easy to see how music changes and saves lives. Parkway Drive could not have done a better job. It far exceeded expectations and sent the crowd on an emotional rollercoaster ride that was breathtaking.

YouTube | Bottom Feed — Parkway Drive

The Unbreakable Tour was unlike most Metal shows. The bands offered up more than the average Metal band does, and it worked in their favor. This was one of the most dynamic lineups for a show like this, and it was phenomenal. The audience never wanted the show to end because it was one of the best Metal shows put on by this scene in a long time.

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