By Greg Maki
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Spiritbox has officially arrived. The Canadian act that has been one of metal’s biggest buzz bands since the build-up to its 2021 full-length debut “Eternal Blue” has graduated to simply being one of the scene’s biggest bands, as evidenced by a sold-out show at the 4,000-capacity Theater at MGM National Harbor just outside Washington, D.C.
This tour in support of Spiritbox’s newly released sophomore LP “Tsunami Sea” (read Live Metal’s review) is a production unlike any the band has undertaken to date, with platforms spanning the rear of the stage and three massive video boards as a backdrop. Combined with Spiritbox’s impressive catalog of music, which with several EPs is far deeper than one would expect from an act with just two full-lengths to its name, this was a show fit for arenas—which is exactly where I expect Spiritbox soon will be on a regular basis.
Frontwoman Courtney LaPlante shone through the production with a mesmerizing performance, alternating between hypnotic melodic vocals and powerful screams. In a relatively short time, she has become one of metal’s most dynamic and important voices. The band—guitarist Mike Stringer, bassist Josh Gilbert and drummer Zev Rose—more than held its own, as well, playing nu metal- and metalcore-tinged tunes with just enough of a progressive bent to lend them real depth and complexity.
The set list leaned heavily on “Tsunami Sea” (eight of 16 songs), and aside from earlier hits such as “Secret Garden” and “Circle with Me,” the heavier material went over best with this crowd. The late one-two punch of “Soft Spine” and “Holy Roller” was particularly inspired, though the band might want to think about playing “Holy Roller” early in the set or last, as many fans headed for the exits after that one, even with three songs still to go.
SPIRITBOX SET LIST: “Fata Morgana,” “Black Rainbow,” “Perfect Soul,” “Jaded,” “The Void,” “Tsunami Sea,” “Secret Garden,” “Circle with Me,” “Rotoscope,” “Sew Me Up,” “Hysteria,” “Soft Spine,” “Holy Roller,” “No Loss, No Love,” “Crystal Roses,” “Ride the Wave”
Direct support came from Loathe, a sort of heavier, English Deftones. Moody lighting left the band members mostly in the dark onstage, but that didn’t stop them from connecting with the audience, which responded appreciatively after each song. While I generally prefer my heavy music to be a little more energetic, it seems to me that Loathe could be on the verge of a real breakout.
Dying Wish, which released Live Metal’s 2023 album of the year (“Symptoms of Survival,” SharpTone Records), kicked off the evening with a 30-minute set of raging metalcore, wasting little time whipping the standing-room-floor into a flurry of chaos and circle pits. A theater might not be the ideal setting to see an act that has its origins in hardcore, but a band as tight as this and with the ability to switch between heavy and melodic with such ease can make any kind of venue work. The highlight—maybe of the entire night—was the dynamic “Lost in the Fall,” one of the finest metal songs of the current decade.
LINKS:
www.spiritbox.com
www.loatheasone.co.uk
www.dyingwishhc.com