This weekend, DFW metalcore band Crown the Empire closed out their North American “Not Dead Yet” tour in their home state of Texas. With support from Dark Divine, Capstan, and Oni, fans were in for a thrilling night of heavy riffs, moshing, and exciting chaos.
The night kicked off with the Canadian progressive metal band Oni. The band took the stage with famous YouTuber/musician Jared Dines, who recently joined the band as a full-time guitarist just days ago. With the combined power of Jake Oni’s vocals and Dines’ swift and technical guitar riffs, the band did an incredible job of engaging the crowd and setting the precedent for the quality of music that was to be played throughout the night.
Oni
Following Oni’s set, Florida-based post-hardcore band Capstan stormed out with their angsty opening track, “Final Words.” Watching Capstan live was like watching a fiery explosion go off. There wasn’t a single dull moment in the entire set as the band cranked out banger after banger with so much energy that I was out of breath just witnessing it. The passion and intensity behind leader singer Anthony DeMario’s vocals were incredibly moving, as was the stage presence of the rest of the band members. Throughout the whole set, the band was very interactive with the fans, and after their set concluded, bass player Andrew Bozymowski met with fans at the merch booth to take pictures and sign merchandise.
Capstan
One of the best parts of being a concert photographer is being able to attend a show where you don’t know some of the openers, only to walk out a new fan. And that is exactly what happened with the night's third act, Dark Divine. I had no idea what to expect when the band walked on stage, but by the end of the first chorus of the aggressive “Hive Mind,” my jaw had already hit the floor of the venue. Despite being the youngest band on the tour, the band played so effortlessly together and with so much skill that you would have thought they had been playing together for 20 years. Anthony Martinez’s vocal range was also a standout from the performance, being able to switch from low growls to high-pitched screams to soaring cleans with controlled finesse. If you haven’t seen Dark Divine live yet, then they are definitely a band to add to your concert bucket list for next year.
Dark Divine
After a blistering set of performances by all of the great openers, it was finally time for the hometown heroes to step out onto the stage. I’ve seen Crown the Empire live multiple times, and every time I do it’s like an adrenaline shot straight to the heart. There are few bands out there that I believe can rival Crown the Empire’s stage presence, as every single member becomes a human live-wire once the first breakdown hits the speakers. The energy they radiated when they began to play fan-favorite “In Another Life” was contagious, as mosh pits began to open up and the first crowd surfer of the set made their way to the barricade. Cycling through an even mix of old-school favorites and some of the bands' more recent catalog, the show was a lively experience and at several times had me wanting to set aside my camera to jump into the pit for a few songs.
After a round of shots and a quick selfie with one of the band members' old high school teachers, the band closed out the night with the metalcore classic “Makeshift Chemistry.” As the powerful chorus hit for a final time, a wave of crowd surfers were carried to the front of the stage. Fellow fans cheered and continued singing along while security guards, probably, panicked with the influx of bodies inching their way to the front, marking an end to a memorable night. While the “Not Dead Yet” tour has hit its last two stops in Dallas and San Antonio this weekend, I would highly recommend fans keep an eye on future tour announcements, because Crown the Empire is definitely not a band you want to miss out on.
Crown the Empire
