Ryan Murray | Co-Owner | Chief Editor | Contributor | Photographer
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Sometimes chaos works in your favor.
On May 2nd, the heart of Times Square surged with chaos and adrenaline. As Arch Enemy’s Blood Dynasty Tour descended upon Palladium Times Square, the city’s pulse was already pounding—thanks to the historic first-ever major boxing match hosted right in the heart of Times Square. Thousands flooded the streets, packing the area shoulder to shoulder in a frenzy of anticipation. The result? Gridlocked traffic, overwhelmed security, and a barricade of humanity that stretched for blocks. Amid the frenzy, several credentialed photographers—myself included—were stranded outside long enough to miss Thrown Into Exile’s opening set from the photo pit. But while cameras may have missed the opening moments, ears did not.
Los Angeles’ own Thrown Into Exile may have kicked things off while the crowd was still trickling in, but their presence commanded attention from the jump. The turnout might have been modest at first—thanks, Times Square—but those who made it inside early were rewarded with a wall of thrashy, melodic death metal that hit with zero hesitation.
Despite their DIY roots, Thrown Into Exile has come up swinging since 2011. They’ve shared stages with Slipknot, Testament, Sepultura, and Morbid Angel; performed on the Mayhem Festival tour alongside Rob Zombie and Mastodon; and delivered two full-lengths leading up to their latest EP, Passageways. Live, their sound is a killer hybrid: melodic death thrash meets modern groove metal, steeped in raw emotion. Lyrically steeped in grief and loss, but executed with visceral chemistry.
Their setlist included the heavy-as-concrete “The Forsaken,” “Caskets Beyond Cremation,” and the devastating closer “You’ve Fallen So Far.” What stood out was the sincerity—every riff and scream bled purpose. Even without a packed house (yet), the audience was headbanging, fists up, riding the momentum.
Thrown Into Exile left the crowd with more than just ringing ears—they left them with a reason to believe in the fire of the underground. For those watching, it felt like witnessing a band on the cusp of something bigger.
If Thrown Into Exile built the foundation, BAEST torched the structure with brute force and surgical precision.
Hailing from Aarhus, Denmark, BAEST (formerly Bæst) has been clawing their way up the global death metal ladder since 2015. With three critically acclaimed albums and the GAFFA Award-winning Justitia EP behind them, they’ve earned a reputation for combining OSDM brutality with head-spinning grooves—and tonight was no exception.
Their set began with “Genesis,” immediately throwing the crowd into the deep end. Vocalist Simon Olsen’s feral roar cut through the fog like a war cry, while guitarists Svend Karlsson and Lasse Revsbech traded crushing riffs with demonic glee. The pit swelled during “Colossus” and “Misfortunate Son,” and by the time “Gargoyles” kicked in, it was a full-blown melee.
Yet amid all the savagery, there’s this eerie sense of melody that creeps in under the radar—BAEST aren’t just playing fast and loud, they’re composing movements. It’s that balance of primal aggression and crafted artistry that’s made them one of Scandinavia’s most exciting modern exports.
When they exited the stage, they left the crowd breathless and shellshocked—in the best way. BAEST didn’t just win over a room full of strangers; they etched their name into it.
This was my second time covering Fit For an Autopsy, and let me tell you: they don’t just “never disappoint”—they obliterate.
There’s something deeply satisfying about watching a band so locked in, so heavy, and so tight that they can make an entire room snap into motion on cue. Fit For an Autopsy wield that power like seasoned generals. Between Joe Badolato’s guttural vocal annihilation, Pat Sheridan and Tim Howley’s skyscraper riffs, and the crushing rhythm section of Peter Spinazola and Josean Orta, their sonic assault leaves no survivors.
Opening with “Lower Purpose” and “Red Horizon,” the room went off like a pressure bomb. “Hostage” brought some of the heaviest crowd movement of the night, and “The Sea of Tragic Beasts” was nothing short of epic—equal parts rage and desolation, delivered with emotional weight and unrelenting groove.
Tracks like “Warfare,” “Far From Heaven,” and the combo closer of “Savior of None / Ashes of All” drove home exactly why this band continues to rise: they don’t compromise. They command. Every note, every scream, every beat—precise chaos.
By the time they left the stage, the crowd had been transformed into a seething mass of adrenaline—sweat-slicked, roaring, and utterly possessed. Fit For an Autopsy didn’t just perform—they detonated. From the first gut-punch riff to the final guttural scream, they gripped the audience in a chokehold of sound and refused to let go. Every drop, every breakdown, every razor-edged transition landed with sniper precision, igniting circle pits and headbanging waves like shock after shock of raw voltage. The crowd wasn’t just reacting—they were obeying. Fists rose in sync. Bodies hurled over barricades. The pit writhed like a single organism being willed into chaos by the band’s sheer presence. Fit For an Autopsy commanded the room like seasoned architects of destruction, and the audience devoured it—unquestioning, unrelenting, and begging for more.
The moment arrived. As the lights dimmed for one last time, the air shifted—thick with sweat, smoke, and the static crackle of something monumental about to detonate. The anticipation wasn’t just a feeling—it was a wall of sound, a primal roar rising from the depths of the crowd, swelling into a fever pitch. Every body pressed forward, eyes fixed on the stage, fists raised in communion. It wasn’t silence before the storm—it was the storm, alive and breathing, begging to be unleashed.
This was my first time seeing and covering Arch Enemy live, and let me be blunt: they obliterated the stage. From the first ominous rumble of sound, it was clear this wouldn’t be a performance—it would be a reckoning. They didn’t play at the crowd; they consumed it, bending the room to their will with every snarled lyric and searing riff. Each member moved like a weapon drawn, sharpened by years of fire and fury. What unfolded wasn’t just domination—it was devastation, delivered with surgical force and apocalyptic gravity.
Launching into “Deceiver, Deceiver,” the band erupted with a fury that didn’t let up for the next 90 minutes. Alissa White-Gluz was an unstoppable force at center stage, her snarling vocals as sharp as her presence was commanding. Guitarists Michael Amott and Joey Concepcion (who recently joined the ranks) wove a dual-axe assault with surgical precision, ripping through solos and harmonies that danced the line between chaos and elegance. And with a rhythm section as punishing as Sharlee D’Angelo and Daniel Erlandsson, the foundation was impenetrable.
The set was a feast for longtime fans and newcomers alike, loaded with classics like “Ravenous,” “War Eternal,” and the anthemic “We Will Rise.” But it was the new material from Blood Dynasty—their twelfth studio album, released March 28 via Century Media—that stole the spotlight.
Sure, Blood Dynasty has drawn mixed reviews in the press, but live, those songs are a different beast entirely. “Dream Stealer” and the title track were standouts—explosive, lean, and devastating in the best way. “A Million Suns” shimmered with layered melodies beneath Alissa’s serrated delivery, while “Liars & Thieves” showcased the band’s talent for weaving hooks into brutality without compromising either. These weren’t just filler tracks—they were declarations of purpose.
I’ve personally found a lot of strength in Blood Dynasty. It’s a record that doesn’t pander to trends or rehash old glories. It expands Arch Enemy’s sound without losing what made them iconic: unrelenting intensity, melodic sophistication, and a defiant spirit. And hearing these songs erupt live, backed by the full fury of the crowd—who by this point were spilling over the barricade in wave after wave—was all the proof needed that Arch Enemy aren’t just still here… they’re leading the charge.
They closed the night with a firebomb of an encore: “Avalanche,” the immortal “Nemesis,” and “Fields of Desolation”—a trio that brought the house down with the kind of raw, cathartic release that only a band this seasoned can deliver.
Arch Enemy didn’t just headline—they ascended. From the moment they hit the stage, it felt like the air itself shifted, thick with anticipation and raw electricity. Every note, every snarl, every thunderous blast from the kit was delivered with the precision of a band not just owning the moment, but redefining it. Touring behind Blood Dynasty, their twelfth studio album, Arch Enemy laid down a setlist that was equal parts firestorm and ritual—new material tore through the venue like a meteor shower, while beloved classics sent shockwaves straight through the pit.
The crowd was ravenous—climbing over barricades, howling back every lyric, fists raised in absolute allegiance. Vocals sliced through the chaos like sharpened steel, commanding the stage with the ferocity of a seasoned front. Guitar leads blazed across the room with surgical precision, riffs collided like tectonic plates, and the whole venue heaved under the weight of their sound.
Outside, Times Square was ablaze with its first-ever major boxing match—but inside the Palladium, the temperature soared higher. The true heat wasn’t in the ring, it was on that stage—an unrelenting inferno of sound, sweat, and legacy. This wasn’t just a performance. It was an eruption. Arch Enemy left the Palladium scorched, souls stirred, and a crowd unified in the aftermath of something unforgettable. This is what it looks like when a legacy breathes fire—unyielding, undeniable, and absolutely immortal.
Four bands. One riotous night. The Blood Dynasty Tour didn’t just live up to its name—it left New York soaked in it.
Ethereal Metal 
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