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With the threshold of autumn now in everyone’s midst and the looming specter of All Hallows Eve on the horizon, one might rightly assume that this is the season of metal. Even in the constantly warm and humid climate of central Florida, there has been a gradual decrease in temperature to bring the typical picture of said state’s night life a tad closer to the spooky vibes that goes with the occasion. Granted, the stereotypical visual of fog-veiled landscapes, leafless trees and cackling witches that folks from further north in the continental United States are more familiar with are still a far cry the conditions on the ground in Orlando, Florida that coincided with October 16, 2022. Yet it would be the performance of one of this very state’s favorite metallic sons and a trio of out-of-state fellow travelers that would deliver a blistering sonic extravaganza to bring a sizable draw at the Lake Buena Vista House of Blues closer to the spirit of season.

The first shot across the proverbial bow would be provided by Denver, Colorado’s own and traditional doom metal revivalists Khemmis, whom brought the sludgy fury with a tall order of older Black Sabbath and Pentagram influences like it was going out of style. No frills, no nonsense, no punches pulled would be the order of their opening set as they proceeded to hold up the older heavy metal contingent of the hour, pounding and head-banging their way through an impressive yet succinct five song set. Guitarists/vocalists Ben Hutcherson and Phil Pendergast proved a formidable duo in both the six-string department and in terms of singing, splitting the difference between a somber melodic nostalgia and a ferocious, sludge-based assault reminiscent of early Mastodon on their riveting renditions of “Three Gates”, newly unleashed shred happy speed anthem “Sigil” and a capella chant turned trudging doom romp and set closer “A Conversation With Death”. All things considered, a riveting opening foray from start to finish that left a massive impression on those in the crowd and the photo pit alike.

The mood would take a much darker tone with the arrival of Tennessee-born deathcore icons Whitechapel to the stage, though with an ironically mystical and enlightened atmosphere to coincide with the sonic slabs of sheer brutality. Though the newer material that would be prominently featured in their set is of a more nuanced character than the uncompromising aggression of their seminal fair of the late 2000s, the heavy use of LED spotlights and the band’s general stage demeanor gave an almost Zen-like contrast to the fits of auditory carnage that were also on display. Newer entries such as the part time fury mixed with somber balladry and set opener “I Will Find You” and the longer and even more multifaceted melodic slough “Anticure” stuck out as the most fitting of this less harrowing approach to the deathcore aesthetic, while the frenzied explosion of blood and guts that originally typified the Whitechapel sound via “The Is Exile” elicited the most intense crowd response and was the high point of the performance despite clashing a fair bit with the rest of the material.

The mixture of nuance and impact would take on a far more technical flavor as North Carolina progressive metalcore trustees Between The Buried And Me took over the stage, yet the crowd response would be purely visceral in character. The response to the cacophony of technical musicality and abrupt shifts in rhythm from the audience was a spectacle unto itself, with throngs of crowd-surfers and berserk moshers coming from seemingly all directions despite the venue now being packed to the gills. On stage, the band was a multifaceted musical machine, with lead guitarist Paul Waggoner moving about in a highly animated fashion while his counterpart Dustie Waring was a stoic statue of stillness singularly focused on his playing. Curiously enough, the rhythm section would prove even more intricate in their performance, with Dan Briggs frequently shifting between pounding away on the bass and providing the band’s signature keyboard work, while drummer Blake Richardson was the most highly animated presence on the entire stage behind his uniquely set up kit, though vocalist Tommy Giles Rogers would give him a run for his money while shifting between harsh and clean vocal styles in rapid succession. The final result was a nearly hour-long set consisting of 5 grandiose epic jam sessions, with the opening 10-minute slough “Sun Of Nothing” and the extended jazzy progressive rock romp “Etremophile Elite” being the zenith points.

Having been revved up nearly to the point of touching the stratosphere, the roars of the crowd became deafening as one of Florida’s favorite sons and headliners Trivium made their way to the stage. Though no less intricate and melodically involved than the bands that preceded them, the thrash-steeped niche of metalcore that they’ve displayed throughout their 20 years plus career would prove the most impactful and accessible presentation of the evening. The twin guitar assault of Matt Heafy and Corey Beaulieu would prove to be the cornerstone of their grand palace of metallic majesty, oozing with technically charged lead work, neck-destroying riffs and intermitted dueling harmonies reminiscent of Iron Maiden, making their entry to the stage to the sound of “Run To The Hills” all the more fitting. Yet one would be remiss to discount the mighty ruckus that drummer and de facto “new guy” Alex Bent brought into the mix, blasting and thrashing at warp speed with the precision of a machine, with bassist Paolo Gregoletto proving to be no slouch in working the stage while maintaining the foundation of a highly frenetic presentation.

Much of Trivium’s blistering set would focus upon the amped up power/thrashing material featured on their recent studio exploits. Towering infernos of frenzied speed with an infectious melodic edge such as opener “What The Dead Men Say” and recently minted sonic kill sessions like “In The Court Of The Dragon” and “A Crisis Of Revelation” had the mosh pits roaring with the fury of a volcanic eruption, in fact, things became so chaotic that they ended up stopping halfway through their fiery rendition of “The Heart From Your Hate” so that Heafy could break up a fight. But a few occasional hiccups notwithstanding, Trivium killed it throughout their 85 minute set, making heavy splashes with a number of pummeling selections from their late 2000s and early 2010s middle period in “Shogun” and set closer “In Waves”, though the most explosive response from the crowd would be when they reached back into their early years with a booming performance of “Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr”, accompanied by a sea of avid fans doing their best imitation of Heafy’s soaring tenor during the chorus. It was an appropriate climax point to a night that very well could have turned the cooler autumn air back to the blazing heat of summer, and as the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd filed out of the venue, the impression left would was not likely to soon leave any of them.