Arch Enemy & Trivium - Toronto, Ontario

Arch Enemy and Trivium are currently tearing up North America on a co-headlining tour to promote their new albums, "Will to Power" and "The Sin and the Sentence," respectively. Direct support on the tour comes from While She Sleeps and Fit For An Autopsy, enough metal in once dose to please any concertgoer.

We recently caught up with a date on this tour when they rolled through the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, Ontario. This show, like the rest of the tour so far, was sold out well in advance of the show date. With Trivium out to promote their latest effort, and Arch Enemy making their first North American tour in three years, it's no surprise that fans are clamoring to secure their tickets early. Those in attendance were not disappointed!

Above: Fit For An Autopsy kicks things off at the Danforth Music Hall

The show was kicked off with a brief set from the American death-core band, Fit For An Autopsy, as they ensured no one in the crowd was there for a casual evening. They played a roughly thirty minute set of intense hard core metal without even a moments reprieve. This only added to the anticipation as fans clamored for more!

Above: While She Sleeps vocalist Lawrence Taylor performing in Toronto, Ontario

Next up, we were treated to a set from British metal-core band While She Sleeps. They were equally as energetic and provided some solid grooves for the crowd to pump their fists along to. Vocalist Lawrence Taylor was extremely interactive with the audience, which only added to their anticipation as they continued.

Both opening acts provided a great set, I would recommend showing up early to the shows to ensure you don't miss anything!

Finally, it was time for the headliners to hit the stage and turn things up a notch. Throughout this tour, Arch Enemy and Trivium have been alternating the closing slot, so it's anyone's guess who will be up first from night to night. This night, Arch Enemy took the stage first, as they opened with "The World Is Yours" from their latest release, "Will to Power."

Above: Arch Enemy drummer Daniel Erlandsson

Arch Enemy wasted no time, as they brought their ferocious brand of melodic death metal to the stage. Vocalist Alissa White-Gluz has become a crowd favorite over the last several years, and witnessing a single performance proves why. She's not only a dynamic powerhouse of a vocalist, but a huge proponent of strong women and animal rights. It's not hard to see why so many young women have become such devoted fans of Arch Enemy with a role model raising the bar night after night.

As if that weren't enough, the twin guitar assault of Michael Amott and Jeff Loomis (ex-Nevermore) almost makes things completely unfair. The balance of White-Gluz' harsh vocals with the intricate melodies laden throughout their set make an Arch Enemy performance one that will stand out for years to come. They continued through their set with "Ravenous" from 2001's "Wages of Sin" album, before heading into another modern-era track "Stolen Life," from 2014's "War Eternal." While Arch Enemy boasts an impressive catalog of ten studio albums, the majority of the set was drawn from their last two releases, featuring White-Gluz on vocals.

Additional stand-out tracks from the evening included "War Eternal," "You Will Know My Name," "As the Pages Burn" and the incredible new track "The Eagle Flies Alone." By the time they wrapped their set up with "Nemsis," they had run through a solid 75 minute set consisting of 15 songs, clearly enough to satisfy the crowd, but there were some new songs that desperately need to get into the set including "First Day in Hell." Hopefully, we'll see Arch Enemy tour this album more intently across North America over the next year or so, as the appetite is clearly there for it.

Above: Trivium closed out the night in Toronto (Left to right: Corey Bealieu, Paolo Gregoletto and Matt Heafy).

Trivium took the stage to close out the night and opened with a the lead single and title track from their new album, "The Sin and the Sentence." They immediately went into a crowd favorite "Down From the Sky" off the "Shogun" album before heading back to the new album with "Betrayer."

Over the course of the last several albums, Trivium has continued to re-invent themselves by both refining and evolving their sound. This hasn't always sat with with various groups of their fan-base, as they have one of the most intense groups of followers in metal, but time and again they have produced masterpieces that draw on the various elements that have made Trivium one of the biggest names in modern metal. The only shame here is that even a headlining set can only begin to satisfy the thirst to hear more of these songs live.

Of the 12 songs performed, only 4 came from their latest album, rounding it off with "The Heart From Your Hate" and "Thrown Into the Fire." At minimum, I'll be itching to hear "Sever the Hand" at a future show! Still, this is a testament to the strength of their ever-growing catalog of fan favorites and "must plays" including "Strife" and "In Waves."

The set did, however, consist of some gems that haven't been regulars at a Trivium show in ages including "Rain" from 2005 "Ascendancy" and "Dusk Dismantled" from 2011's "In Waves" album. Collectively, this all added up to a really impressive set and a perfect counterpart to Arch Enemy's earlier performance.

This tour runs through December 6th, where it will close out in Houston , Texas. As mentioned earlier, tickets are selling fast, so if you're on the fence, act quick! Check the dates below and click the banner for tickets to a show near you!