The Opera House (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - February 26, 2025
Make Them Suffer
Like Moths To Flames
Aviana
Windwaker
What a night, sold out show in a great venue.
On a Wednesday night in Toronto I could spend $120 to see 4 great bands, get a t-shirt, pay for parking and have 2 beers. You would think I was crazy.
The show started right at 7pm and the place was packed. Usually for the first or second band the venue is only half full, but not tonight. The crowd was so into the music at The Opera House - lots of energy for all the bands. This was an amazing night for metalcore in Toronto. It was an all ages event also so you got to see all the younger teens supporting the metal scene.
First up were Windwaker who are a metalcore band from Melbourne, Australia. I would have to say they are a hip hop / pop / metalcore band, so their music reminded me of the Weekend. They just released Hyperviolence (Expansion Pack) on February 14, 2025. They had the crowd going right at the start of their first song. The crowd loved them, they were jumping all around. They even had the mosh pit going. At the end of their set they had the fans turn on their flashlight on their phones, it was like watching an 80’s hair metal ballad. Windwaker did not disappoint.
Windwaker Setlist:
1. Dopamine Freestyle
2. Tabula Rasa
3. Apathy
4. Fractured State of Mind
5. The Wall
6. Break the Rules
7. Venom
8. SIRENS
Band Members:
Liam Guinane on Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Justin Keurntjes on Lead Guitar
Indey Salvestro on Bass
Chris Lalic on Drums
Connor Robins on Keyboards
Up next were Aviana, a Swedish metalcore/Djent band out of Gothenburg. They released a single "Storm Ablaze" in January. They came out with a bang. The vocalist was intense. All the member wore masks except the lead vocalist Joel. This is where the heaviness of the music started for the night. The crowd surfing started. At one-point Joel had the audience sit down for a song. It was awesome.
Aviana Setlist:
1. Delirium
2. Storm Ablaze
3. Rage
4. My Worst Enemy
5. Father
6. Oblivion
7. Anomaly
8. Obsession
Band Members:
Joel Holmqvist on Vocals and three masked members
Next up were Like Moths to Flames, they are an American metalcore band out of Columbus, Ohio.
They released their 6th Album, The Cycles of Trying to Cope in May of 2024.
I would have to say that a lot of the fans were there to see them. Chris the vocalist was full of energy, running around on the stage for the whole set, and the crowd was singing along to every song. He even had the fans jump everytime he screamed jump. There crowd surfing got intense, the security had their work cut out tonight. Near the end of the set Chris had fans start a circle pit and the crowd loved it. Chris even thanked all the bands that played tonight, I thought that was a touch of class.
Like Moths to Flames Setlist:
1. Habitual Decline
2. Over the Garden Wall
3. You’ll Burn
4. The Worst in Me
5. Burn in Water, Drown in Flame
6. What Do We See When We Leave This Place?
7. I Solemnly Swear
8. Kintsugi
9. Bury You Pain
Band Members:
Chris Roetter on Lead Vocals
Zack Pishney on Lead Guitar and backing vocals
Roman Garcia on Drums
Cody Cavanaugh on Rhythm Guitar
Now for the headliners, Make Them Suffer who are an Australian metalcore band out of Perth. They released their 5th self titled album in November 2024, which was one of the favorites of the year.
On their first North American headlining tour, they came our rockin' with Epitaph and had the crowd going crazy. Sean, with his growls, and Alex, with her beautiful clean singing, really complement the band and it works really well together. From start to finish, Make Them Suffer had the audience in the palm of their hands. Whether it was their amazing stage presence, energy, or sound, they made it clear why they are heading North America.
Make Them Suffer Setlist:
1. Epitaph
2. Bones
3. Uncharted
4. Ether
5. Mana God
6. Ghost of Me
7. Oscillator
8. Weaponized
9. Blood Moon
10. Hollowed Heart
11. Soul Decay
12. Erase Me
13. Doomswith
Band Members:
Sean Harmanis on Vocals
Nick McLernon on Lead Guitar
Jaya Jeffery on Bass
Jordon Mather on Drums
Alex Reade on Keyboards and Vocals
What a great night to be a fan of metalcore: 4 great bands and they did not disappoint.
Get out and support live music in your city, and make sure you buy some merch to support the band.
And always Listen to Metal!
Ronnie the Metal Cremator
