Venue: Car Park F, Bukit Jalil Sports Complex, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date: 29th April 2012
Promoter: DYS Booking
Review by: Keith P.
Special Thanks: Ann and the DYS Booking team
Photos by Cliff Y. – Blessthefall & August Burns Red
April 29th, 2012 saw and heard American metalcore bands AUGUST BURNS RED and BLESS THE FALL share the stage for a one night only concert in Malaysia, kicking off the Asian leg of their tour.
American post hardcore/metalcore band BLESS THE FALL started the night with a blast to say the least. Originating from Phoenix, Arizona, the band has made it their mission to perfect their craft while pushing limits to reach new heights.
The heart-pounding stage presence presented by the young quintet made the night an unforgettable one as frontman/lead vocalist Beau Bokan engaged the crowd without fail throughout the entire set – fans on the front row got their ‘high fives’ while the endless flow of pumped and vibrant bodysurfers raced to the front of the stage reaching Beau for a ‘high five’. The scene was pretty surreal, I must say.
The Malaysian crowd then went crazy while frontman Beau climbed to the top of the stage scaffolding on one side whilst singing his heart out. The album Awakening meant understanding and embracing their strengths, and the record debuted at #31 on the Billboard Top 200 charts. Awakening is also #1 album of the week at Hot Topic and charted at #3 on the Top Hard Music chart, which is rather impressive.
The band then ended their set in the spirit of hyping the crowd for their touring pals ABR and boy, did the fans go crazy in anticipation.
“A-B-R!.. A-B-R!…” chants from the fans filled the air while the Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Christian metalcore quintet AUGUST BURNS RED took centre stage.
The release of 2009’s breakout album, Constellations, landed genre giants the metal juggernauts at #24 on the Billboard 200. “Constellations is about directing our attention towards heaven, trusting that God will direct our steps, regardless of our circumstance,” says drummer Matt Greiner.
Hitting different continents with their raw sounding tunes that packs more than a punch, the American quintet proved to ahve won the hearts of Malaysian fans at Bukit Jalil as frontman/lead vocalist Jake Luhrs revealed his vulnerability and humble beginnings to the fans while singing/screaming between songs, even though his voice seemed to be recovering from a long period of touring. Not forgetting to offer the thirsty crowd some holy water as well! Thoughtful much! As the night was coming to an end, the chants for drummer Matt Greiner was shortlived as the limelight saw him tearing the drums apart in a solo, blasting jaw-dropping beats that left the crowd beaming in appreciation and applaud.
The highly praised fourth album from ABR also debuted at an impressive #11 on the Billboard 200 while topping the iTunes Rock charts. The night ended with the long awaited encore, as Composure ensured the fans a good night’s sleep! The band truly left their hearts on the stage that night in my opinion!