Australian metalcore band Make Them Suffer put on an intense show on their headline tour with support from Like Moths to Flames, Windwaker, and Aviana.
Metalcore band Aviana from Sweden gets the evening started with an intense set, kicking off with “DELIRIUM.” Vocalist Joel Holmqvist lets out screams and harsh vocals, while Dark pummels the drums and Death and Fear tear it up on guitar. Their set also includes two other newer songs, “FATHER” and “STORM ABLAZE,” a few songs from their 2022 album Corporation including “Rage,” “Anomaly,” and “Oblivion,” and an older song “My Worst Enemy.” At one point, Joel gets the crowd to crouch down, and jump on his command. He has the crowd fired up as they mosh, crowd-surf, and head-bang almost from the start. They have warmed up the crowd early for the three bands yet to come. Just what the fans needed to heat things up on what has been a cold winter in Michigan.
Next up are Aussie rockers Windwaker, who play a short but highly energetic set. Led by Liam Guinane on lead vocals, they tear through a 30-minute set of rock and metalcore songs including lead-off song “Dopamine Freestyle” with the rap-like vocals that get the crowd moving early. Backed by Justin Keurntjes on lead guitar, Connor Robins on keyboards and synthesizers, Indey Salvestro on bass, and Chris Lalic on drums, they deliver an epic sound. The songs have a mix of more melodic rock with clean vocals that often transition into harsh vocals with heavy-hitting segments like “Fractured State of Mind.” Their set consists mostly of songs from their 2024 album Hyperviolence. One of the standout songs is “The Wall” which starts slow but is a blistering track with rapid-paced drumming, chaotic riffs, and aggressive vocals. During the song, Liam gets the audience to jump and put both hands together in the air with their horns up. They have the crowd moshing hard during “Break the Rules” which is powered by some rapid beats and electronics. They close it out with “SIRENS” which seems familiar to many as they sing along. Metalcore band Like Moths to Flames from neighboring Ohio is up next to continue the evening of hard-hitting music. They have the fans amped up from the get-go with the lead-off song “Habitual Decline.” They are led by founding member Chris Roetter on vocals and driven by the drums of Roman Garcia, and the dual guitar combination of Alex Pishney and Cody Cavanaugh. The floor is packed, and the fans jump and crowd-surf almost their whole set. It seems they have a large following in Michigan.They have been entertaining fans since 2010 and have six albums and five EPs to pull songs from. Tonight’s 10-song setlist taps five of them including going back to the 2011 release When We Don’t Exist for the song “The Worst in Me,” with Chris telling the crowd to “jump, jump, jump.” “Burn in Water, Drown in Flames” has Chris delivering both harsh vocals and some soaring, lucid vocals, and “What Do We See When We Leave This Place?” is driven by some brutal drumming at the beginning. During “I Solemnly Swear,” a massive circle pit breaks out that consumes the middle of the floor. They wind it down with a slower, new song “Kintsugi” that has the fans waving their arms overhead from side to side. They finish their set with one of their earlier hits, “Bury Your Pain,” which leaves the fans wanting more.
Make Them Suffer wastes no time as they lead off with “Epitaph” which showcases keyboardist Alex Reade on clean vocals but is still very heavy with Sean Harmanis on the harsh vocals. “Bones” continues the onslaught with “Bones” which is led by the crunchy riffs from Nick McLernon and has him running in place. “Uncharted” is another song that allows Alex to show off her talents on keyboards and vocals. It has a more atmospheric vibe but still rocks hard. This is their first North American headline tour, and tonight’s show is sold out, as they continue to grow in popularity and expand their fan base.Their setlist is packed with their biggest hits like “Ether,” “Ghost of Me,” and “Erase Me,” as well as some songs from their 2024 self-titled release including “Oscillator.” New song “Mana God” is a highlight with pummeling drums from Jordan Mathers and Jaya Jeffery laying down the solid, bottom end on bass. It also features some aggressive vocals by Sean, as well as clean vocals by Alex. Alex rocks out hard during it with her hair flying about as she head-bangs. They have a cool light show with beams from behind that spin at times. “Blood Moon” is appropriately lit in red to add to the ambiance. Sean gets the fans to split the floor before he does a countdown, and the sides run toward each other to continue the wild moshing. Nick takes center stage during “Soul Decay” to crank out some cool riffs. A fan favorite, “Ether”, is another standout song tonight that starts slow and is a bit more melodic but is still heavy with some cool keys and plenty of unclean vocals.
“Doomswitch” has Alex on the keytar and joins Sean and Nick on the riser up front. It also features Nick delivering a killer riff in the middle. Sean thanks the crowd and they exit, but the fans want more and start a chant. After a brief break, they return to the stage and finish the set by going back to their first album Neverbloom with the song “Widower.” It starts with some soft keyboard notes and then ramps up into a frenzy with harsh vocals from both Sean and Alex, as well as rapid-fire beats and crunchy guitar. Sean once again thanks the fans before leaving the stage. What an awesome headline set, as well as a great overall evening from all the bands.
MAKE THEM SUFFERWebsite Facebook X
