On Sunday, Sept. 14, after the hustle and bustle of Fall Fest ended, my night was just beginning. Once I took an hour to get all my things together, I left for Hartford’s Xfinity Theatre for the first time to see my first-ever metal show. 

The headliner, Falling In Reverse, was easily my least favorite act of the night. Between corny lyrics and insane CGI music videos playing on the back screen, their admittedly awesome stage production felt like a distraction from the performance. Ronnie Radke has an undeniable voice, but in my opinion, the performance fell short.

Then there was Hollywood Undead, definitely the most confusing act that played. The six members galloped around the stage for 40 minutes, with some catchy hooks, ridiculous guitar riffs, and more corny rap verses. Their musical fusion was certainly one to behold, but you won’t catch them in my Airbuds any time soon.

The first opener, Point North, had a little more going for them. Their fusion was a little more rigid than Hollywood Undead, which made for a more cohesive performance. Two lead singers showed off an impressive range in an emo tone and a metal growl, respectively. They were something I could at least bop my head to.

My favorite act of the night was truly something special, though. Slaughter To Prevail, hailing from the self-proclaimed Mother Russia, specializes in a metal genre called Deathcore. If that name doesn’t give you an idea on its own, it’s characterized by big instrumental breakdowns and guttural, screaming vocals.

Slaughter To Prevail’s frontman, Alexander Shikolai, known as Alex Terrible, has been training his voice for these performances since he was 14 years old. He practiced in his childhood bedroom while his parents and friends lambasted him. During breaks in the music, he thanked the crowd for continuing to live out his dream.

When the band first walked out, you immediately notice their strongest branding tools. There were two giant bear heads on opposite sides of the stage, representing their Russian roots, in addition to their iconic masks. The Kid of Darkness mask has become synonymous with the identity of the band, and all the other members wore their masks for the whole performance.

The song that impressed me most was “VIKING.” When I was listening to the studio version on the way to the show, I was certain that electronic distortion was present in his voice. Imagine my surprise when I heard that his voice is just like that. Shikolai’s vocal talent was easily the best of the night and among the best I’ve ever seen.

All in all, the full three-hour concert was such a fun introduction to the metal genre. While I don’t plan to dive deep into the genre on my own time, I’m very excited to get to my next metal show.