Summer Slaughter Tour brings a hardcore night of music to Indianapolis

The Summer Slaughter Tour was resurrected once again this year, promising to be heavier than ever and full of up-and-coming underground talent. Headlined by Hatebreed and featuring 5 other bands, these promises were fulfilled on the tour’s stop at Old National Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 15th. Read on to check out our full account of the night.

Starting off our night was a hardcore band local to Indianapolis, Crossfire. Since their set started as everyone was still trickling in, I’d dare to say they had the hardest part of the night – getting the room into concert mode after a long day at work. They steadily gained momentum with the growing crowd throughout their set, getting heads bobbing and a circle pit running. Everyone had been won over by the time they left the stage, fans cheering as they went. 

Incite hit the stage with the announcement of “We are Incite, and we play heavy metal,” and it was certainly just what they did. The band made the most of their short set, with frontman Richie Cavalera refusing to stop moving, at one point even climbing up amps and speakers on the back of the stage and jumping off them. Their energy was infectious and got the crowd moving, and a large area for a mosh pit was formed in the center of the room and would stay open to anyone who dared join them throughout the night.

The room was filling up fast by the time Escuela Grind hit the stage, and for good reason, as they’re a brutal hardcore band you’ll be sure to want to check out. Vocalist Katerina Economou was an absolute powerhouse on the stage, constantly running back and forth and able to get the room to follow her command with very little effort. She even called for the first wall of death of the night, walking everyone through just exactly how to do it in case they weren’t already aware.

With hardcore/rapcore band Gridiron taking the stage, the musical vibes of the night switched gears – yet another perk of the tour that was promised to us. The crowd didn’t mind the shift at all, excitedly bopping their heads along and getting their hands up in the air. Their placement in the set came as a great break to catch your breath from the previously held wall of death and let loose a little in the pit. The band even dedicated a couple of songs to others in the room – “Poetry From Pain” to Fugitive and “Tombstone” to all those who loved to headbang.

Fugitive brought back hardcore thrash metal to the stage, but their sound was unique from the others who’d played earlier in the night. With minimal vocals, most of the first few songs were heavily instrumental, really giving everyone on stage their time to shine, especially between each of the intricate guitar riffs. Their presence onstage also drew out an impressive achievement for the night, the first crowdsurfer, as well as a very large circle pit.

And finally, we got to the main act of the night – Hatebreed, who treated us to an hour-long set full of old-time favorites. Their stage was set up completely behind a curtain, leaving us with a big reveal of multiple banners bearing the band’s name, a giant blow-up figurine towering above the drum set, and huge billows of smoky pyrotechnics. It was an impressive setup to behold, especially considering just how quick the turnaround times between bands had been.

The band quickly dedicated their set to guitarist Wayne Lozinak, who had to fly home for his upcoming brain surgery. Stepping into his place for the tour is Matt Bachand of Shadows Fall, who fits right in with the crew onstage. Hatebreed made it clear that despite all of the band’s last-minute difficulties over the past few months, they had not wanted to cancel the tour and were set on having a chance to see everyone’s faces again.

The band was full of energy, moving all over the stage and hyping up their fans in the room. The crowd easily let loose, seemingly having been holding back energy throughout the night that all came out the moment the band had stepped on stage. The moment the photographers left the front of the room, the crowdsurfers started and were encouraged to keep on flowing.

Vocalist Jamey Jasta spent plenty of time interacting with those in the room, often addressing us directly. One of his most significant speeches of the night came in the form of asking who had been born after the release of their debut album in 1997, which seemed to be a significant portion of the crowd. He followed this up by saying that those young people were the future of punk rock, heavy metal, and hardcore, instructing them to start a band with their friends so they could have a chance to hop on the Summer Slaughter Tour themselves in the future.

The Summer Slaughter Tour has only just begun, so be sure to head over to Hatebreed’s website to see when they’ll be swinging by you. With a lineup full of promising talent, this year is not one that you’ll want to miss.