Upcoming metalcore bands Of Virtue and Savage Hands have been making their mark on the scene lately. After releasing several singles such as “The Art of Love” and “What’s It Like to Be Happy?”, Of Virtue is set to release their newest album Death of the Altar on October 2. Savage Hands has been entering a new era with singles such as “POWER” and “Feel Me”, signaling a potential album release in the near future. In honor of this, the bands teamed up for “The Art of Love and Power” Tour starting in mid-July, and will continue hitting major cities across the country until August 21. On August 15, the bands stopped at the intimate Foundry in Philadelphia, making the show feel especially communal for the fans there.
The first opener to hit the stage was Twist It, a rising hard rock band local to Philadelphia. Having been added to the lineup only a few weeks before the show, Twist It’s appearance was exclusive to Philly. The band has been on a quick upward trajectory in the past year, opening for bands like The Word Alive and Ocean Sleeper for their local Philly dates, and have recently finished their first major tour with Red this summer. Twist It commanded the stage at the Foundry, putting on a headline-worthy show. With catchy choruses and heavy instrumentals, it was easy for anyone to sing and dance along. Frontwoman Kayla’s powerful vocals also mesmerized the crowd, belting out notes with ease. The band also had great crowd engagement, and Kayla even went up to the barricade to sing with fans for the last song. For people who had never heard of Twist It until that night, their set made it clear why they are one of the fastest rising bands in the scene today, and definitely made many new fans.
TWIST IT: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
The second and final opener was Texas-based hard rock band Kingdom Collapse. The band also finished up a tour supporting Red alongside Twist It, and have quickly been making a name for themselves. With music that combines 2000s hard rock influences with a modern metal sound, Kingdom Collapse creates a unique soundscape that easily gets a crowd moving. The band’s energy was contagious as every member bounced around the stage, getting the crowd even more immersed in the set. The band performed several singles off their upcoming debut album Survivor, such as “ELEVATE”, “Watch You Bleed”, and their latest track “Survivor”. Kingdom Collapse closed with their single “Unbreakable”, and it was clear that the crowd was fully warmed up for the headlining acts.
KINGDOM COLLAPSE: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Soon enough, Savage Hands took the stage, kicking off the co-headlining sets. Opening with one of their newest singles “Feel Me”, a high-energy hard rock track, it did not take long for the crowd to get off their feet. Savage Hands combines powerful, metalcore-inspired instrumentals with catchy hooks and melodic choruses, making them a band any metal or rock fan could love. Each member of the band showcased unrelenting energy as well, keeping the crowd engaged. The pit remained active throughout the set and never slowed down for a second.
Savage Hands performed a variety of tracks from their discography, such as “Memory” and “Demon” from their 2020 album The Truth in Your Eyes, “Halo” from their 2023 EP Rock Bottom, and “Red” from their 2018 debut album Barely Alive. Alongside the old tracks, they performed most of their new singles such as “POWER” and their most recent single “It’s Me”. As the set continued, the energy among the crowd only increased as the mosh pit kept getting bigger, making sure the set ended with a bang. Savage Hands certainly made an impact on the crowd and made many new fans that night.
SAVAGE HANDS: Facebook | Instagram
Later that night, the lights dimmed for the final time as the room filled with excitement, anticipating the second co-headlining act of the night. Soon enough, Of Virtue walked onto the stage as the crowd cheered. The band opened with the title track of their upcoming album Death of the Altar, followed by another new single from the album “The Art of Love”. Of Virtue’s blend of rock, metal, and alternative is both powerful and melodic, easily getting fans to both sing and mosh. Lead vocalist Tyler Ennis and guitarist and co-vocalist Damon Tate combine their unique dynamic vocals to bring the performance together, complementing each other perfectly. Along with newer tracks, the band also performed fan-favorite songs such as “Cold Blooded” and “Sinner” from their 2023 album Omen.
Throughout the set, there was a lot of crowd engagement, such as waving arms, raising flashlights, clapping along, and more. During one song, Tyler even went directly into the pit to sing as fans moshed around him. The band also brought up a young fan from the front row holding a sign celebrating her 7th birthday. Moments like these make a show more than just a concert, but also an experience. Having fans join together and interact with each other and the band in this way feels like a celebration of the community that makes the metal scene so special. As the set reached its conclusion, the band performed the fan-favorite “Cut Me Open”, and the fans in the pit proved that they still had energy left. Of Virtue closed with one of their new tracks “What’s It Like to Be Happy?”, and the pit kept moving until the very last note. By the end of the night, the fans left with a memory that they would not forget.
OF VIRTUE: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube
