By: Dani Patterson
CHICAGO – On Saturday, April 26th, Aragon Ballroom was rocked by bands Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine. The Poison Ascendency tour celebrates the 20th anniversary of their most popular albums, Trivium’s “Ascendency,” and Bullet’s “The Poison,” which were played beginning to end.
The crowd was notably enthusiastic, full of people excited to hear their favorite albums played through. As Trivium came on, the audience surged with energy. The band looked thrilled to be there. Lead singer and guitarist, Matt Heafy, was practically grinning while singing. It was incredible to watch such talented musicians play so effortlessly, the technically complex riffs echoed through the venue.
Four circle pits opened up, and while I prefer a spot right on the edge, people rushed from all sides to hop in. The crowd’s energy did not go unrecognized, and we were deemed the best crowd of the North American tour, though a few of the members have called Chicago home at some point, so they might be a bit biased.
I had just enough time between sets to figure out how my photo pass worked, and made it to the pit just in time for Bullet For My Valentine’s entrance. I had an iPhone and a dream, and standing a foot away from a speaker with the crowd roaring behind me, I wondered if I would leave the show with my hearing intact.
The band had to take a brief pause a few songs in due to someone’s safety in the crowd, but soon enough they were back to playing and I headed to the back of the venue to watch the rest of the set. The crowd was so lively even in the very back row. Bullet gave an outstanding performance to an audience that screamed every word. Frontman, Matt Tuck, noted how nice it was to revisit such a special time in the band’s lives.
Both bands put on an incredible show. This type of metal is always best heard live, where you’re overwhelmed by sound and the bassline vibrates in your bones. This was the perfect show to experience under Aragon’s beautiful night sky.
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