Metalcore heavyweights Killswitch Engage delivered 75 minutes of relentless energy at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall, bringing the audience closer to the action than expected.
Melbourne Cup Day might have stopped much of Australia, but inside Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall, Killswitch Engage had other plans. Joined by UK metal outfit Sylosis and Sydney four piece Heists, the Massachusetts metalcore veterans delivered an 18-song set that barely gave the audience time to catch its breath.
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Into the crowd
Frontman Jesse Leach wasted little time closing the gap between band and crowd. Climbing onto the barriers before launching himself into a crowd surf, Leach gave those pressed against the rails an up-close encounter. Guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz later followed, taking his guitar work directly into the audience.
The intensity rarely dropped across the 75 minute performance, during ‘Forever Aligned’, crowd surfing kicked into another gear, with at least a dozen punters making their way overhead towards the barrier.
Between songs, Leach offered encouragement to anyone facing difficult times, reminding them to remain patient and keep moving forward. He also touched on the difficulty of trusting politicians, without singling anyone out.
Credit to the lighting crew, whose sharp timing complemented the performance.
As the set approached its conclusion, devil horns rose for ‘My Curse’, before ‘My Last Serenade’ brought proceedings to a close.
Earlier, Sylosis and Heists helped set the tone. Sylosis drummer Ali Richardson made another Australian appearance, having toured the country with Bleed From Within just last month.
Killswitch Engage’s connection with the Brisbane audience was evident throughout. Between Leach’s crowd interaction, Dutkiewicz stepping offstage and the steady stream of crowd surfers, this was a performance that kept the audience firmly involved until the final song.
Words and photography: Gerry Nicholls | BLUNT
Killswitch Engage Setlist
Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane – November 3rd, 2026
- Fixation on the Darkness
- This Is Absolution
- The End of Heartache
- Aftermath
- A Bid Farewell
- In Due Time
- To the Sons of Man
- Unleashed
- Hate by Design
- Where It Dies
- Forever Aligned
- The Signal Fire
- I Believe
- Daylight Dies
- Rose of Sharyn
- This Fire
- My Curse
- My Last Serenade
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