On August 3rd, we arrived at Melkweg twenty minutes before the doors opened. The sky looked grey as rainfall was expected, and around 30 people stood waiting in line for August Burns Red. All were in their little groups reminiscing on previous shows or enthusiastically debating what to expect of tonight’s show. And then we stood inside waiting for the first band of the evening, Unprocessed, to hit the stage.
German progressive metalcore band Unprocessed brought the heat to the stage with their explosive energy and technical skill. Frontman Manuel Gardner Fernandes, bassist David John Levy, guitarist Christopher Schultz, and drummer León Pfeifer put on a show that fans won’t forget anytime soon.
The set kicked off a little stiff, with the crowd seeming a little unsure at first, but halfway through, everything changed. Once the heavy hitters started rolling, the energy in the room skyrocketed. ‘Orange Grove’ got the crowd moving, clapping, and jumping. Manuel hyped everyone up, yelling for the crowd to “go fucking crazy” and they delivered. From around the fourth song onward, the mosh pits didn’t stop. During ‘Die On The Cross Of A Martyr’, the first crowd surfer took things to the next level by jumping onstage, and then straight back into the crowd as a stage diver. Pure chaos in the best way.
Before launching into ‘I Wish I Wasn’t’, the band got everyone to crouch down and jump on the count of four, and that’s when the biggest pit of the night erupted. The floor shook with headbanging, moshing, and non-stop movement. The band also took a heartfelt moment to thank August Burns Red, shouting them out as a massive influence on their music and the entire modern metalcore scene. By the time they ended with ‘Haven’, the place had gone completely wild. The band truly went out with a bang, leaving the crowd sweaty, smiling, and probably with a few sore necks from all the headbanging.
American metalcore legends August Burns Red proved once again why they’re one of the most loved bands in the scene, even after more than a decade of heavy riffs, emotional lyrics, and nonstop touring. With ten studio albums under their belt, including their latest, Death Below released in 2023, the five-piece delivered a night full of power, passion, and fun, even if it didn’t start out exactly as planned.
The show kicked off half an hour late, which led to a funny and spontaneous moment: while waiting, the crowd broke into singing ‘What’s Up’ by 4 Non Blondes, turning a delay into a mini karaoke session. A crewmember finally came out to let everyone know there were some technical difficulties, but spirits stayed high. Once the band finally hit the stage, they made it worth the wait. ‘Chop Suey’ by System of a Down blared through the speakers as their intro, and the band seamlessly joined in with a live, instrumental version of the second half. The crowd sang every word, setting the tone for what was about to be an unforgettable night.
From the first song, the energy was electric. Fans were moshing, jumping, headbanging, and giving it their all. Singer Jake Luhrs got the crowd involved right away, asking everyone to put their hands in the air for ‘Composure’, and they clapped in unison during the bridge of ‘Paramount’. Luhrs also shared some personal love for ‘Defender’, calling it “one of my personal favourites,” before they ripped into it.
Even with the earlier tech hiccups, the band didn’t miss a beat. At one point, they kindly asked fans not to stage dive, explaining they didn’t want to risk any more equipment issues. Instead, they encouraged everyone to just have fun, sing along to ‘Backfire’, or “shake their butts around” if they didn’t know the lyrics. But don’t worry, the stagediving came back. Before launching into ‘Exhumed’, Jake gave the green light for diving, jokingly preparing the crowd to catch one fan and telling him to dive like a “beautiful swan.” Later, before playing ‘Ghosts’, he got serious again, asking the crowd to open up the pit past the pillars for a huge wall of death. And the crowd delivered.
The set was a solid mix of heavy breakdowns and meaningful moments. Before ‘Meddler’, Jake laughed and apologized to the crowd “for not smelling the best.” During ‘Mariana’s Trench’ he asked everyone to turn on their phone flashlights, creating a sea of lights in the room. For the final song, ‘White Washed’, he had the entire crowd get low to the ground so they could all jump up together at the beat drop, a perfect ending to a wild night. The band thanked the crowd, mentioned how much they love playing smaller venues, and even gave away drumsticks and guitar picks to fans before walking offstage. All in all, it was everything a metalcore show should be: chaotic, loud, heartfelt, and unforgettable.
