Justin Nuoffer
Trivium + Bullet For My Valentine
w/ August Burns Red + Bleed From Within
4/22/25 – Epic Event Center – Green Bay, WI
©Justin Nuoffer/NuofferMedia.com
A chilly Tuesday night in tiny Green Bay, WI, played the backdrop to one of the more incredible touring packages assembled. The city was gearing up for the NFL Draft, and several blocks away, Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, stood proudly. Roads were blocked, and people filled the area. However, the Epic Event Center was busy well before the doors opened. In a rare moment, the line for entry stretched down the block, and once the doors opened, the fans were easily ushered into the main foyer and through security. To the right, massive black doors opened to the main room. Entering the venue, stairs up to the VIP viewing deck and private bar were directly in front of you. To the right, a bar runs the entire length of the back wall, and food is at the far end. Moving farther in, the front of the house area was active with techs prepping. The stage was directly in front, a huge area cut out of the back wall. With this being one of the newer venues in the state, the sound and lighting are impeccable for the space. The owner breathed new life into the former department store, and it is one of the more impressive venues around.
Having gained massive momentum over the last few years, Bleed From Within were slotted to kick off the night. Their brand of neck-breaking breakdowns and punch-you-in-the-teeth metal is a formula for sustained success. With their brand new release, Zenith, having dropped only a couple of weeks ago, the material was so fresh and riveting.
Opening with the most recent single, “God Complex,” the tone was set. Bodies start flying over the barricade. Epic Event Center was in motion. The next two songs came off Shrine, an album of pure brutality. “Levitate” and “I Am Damnation” were everything you could hope for. Vocalist Scott Kennedy threw himself at fans flying over the rails to give them their props. His voice was nearly identical to the album’s production.
“The End of All We Know” from Fracture made its way into the setlist, and anchoring the entire performance was “In Place of Your Halo”. Guitarists Craig Gowans and Steven Jones looked to be having the time of their lives playing off of each other. Shared glances and smiles were often seen around the stage. Davie Provan, whose bass lines were thick and juicy, rattled the floor and shared a lot of smiles with drummer Ali Richardson, who in his own right was one of the more active participants. This was real, no fancy tricks or flashiness.
Check out our concert photos from Bleed From Within below:
Having only thirty minutes to crank out everything glorious about this band was disappointing, but they maximized it. That was what made it all worth it. Bleed From Within makes you stop dead in your tracks and say, “They are the future of metal,” and you wouldn’t be wrong in the slightest.
There were huge shoes to fill for August Burns Red to follow, but the veterans of the scene were not intimidated in the least. Opening with a beyond crazy heavy cover, “Chop Suey” by System of A Down certainly was a surprise; however, it set a tone that was easily maintained. Like firing a cannon off, they blasted into “Paramount” and “Composure”.
August Burns Red are the bringers of true chaos within the mosh pit. It was just that. At one point, they had to stop the entire show to check that a crowd surfer was okay. It was moments like those that remind you to be mindful. Vocalist Jake Luhrs has an incredible following live. His motions and reactions are genuine and amusing. Whether he flung his microphone or smashed his feet down on the center stage riser, he was completely on his game. JB Brubaker and Brent Rambler slayed. The moment you knew they were having the most fun was when they jumped into two non-album tracks, “Vengeance” and “Exhumed.” Both have noticeable differences from the standard August Burns Red song. These singles are each met with surprise and overwhelming applause. The layer of sound is proof that no matter what this band does, they continue to swing a huge hammer and deliver.
Check out our concert photos from August Burns Red below:
After seven songs of sheer chest-pounding fun, they weren’t done yet. With two hot ones left in the chamber, they reached back and blasted away. Unloading “Marianas Trench” and “White Washed” from the 2009 Solid State release Constellations. The eager audience took blow after blow and left their mark. They turned out to be one of the largest circle pits the Epic Event Center had ever seen. August Burns Red are masters of their craft, and no matter what they do, they always crush it and give their all. It is extremely difficult to look at the road warriors and not understand this.
The Poisoned Ascendency Tour has co-headliners Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine swapping headliner duties night in and night out. This time, Trivium is playing the role of direct support. That didn’t matter much. The Florida-based Trivium were there to destroy, and that they did. Their monumental release, Ascendancy, is a pillar of the thrash melting pot that started popping up in the 2000s. Easily, a landmark album, but also the band’s first major label production. The slow-building intro of out-of-tune keys filled the Epic Event Center’s walls.
The stage was bathed in purple and orange. Alex Bent’s drum riser towered over the middle of the stage and was wrapped in a Gothic-type fencing. The intro track with soft keys chiming starts over the PA as the band takes the stage. The volume of the venue elevated, knowing they are about to rip the whole album front to back. With several of their singles and fan favorites out of the gate, the already packed room seemed to expand once the circle pit started spinning. The blast beats punching through the introduction of “Rain” set the course. The natural aggression of the material took hold, and no better example of that was “Pull Harder On The Strings of Your Martyr”. Frontman and guitarist Matt Heafy dishes out scream after scream with ease. His voice is unaffected by his transitional vocals. The impressive solo riff off that the song provides gave Heafy’s fellow ax-shredder, Corey Beaulieu, the opportunity to say hello, and they stood next to each other. If there was a better way to start a set off, I have yet to see one. Crowd surfers bombarded fans along the security rails, yet they sang every word while headbanging away. Amazingly, this was the standard. Don’t let up.
Trivium shredded their way through “Drowned and Torn Asunder” and “Ascendancy” to get to another timeless Trivium smash, “A Gunshot To The Head of Trepidation”. The buildup alone felt like a nuke was dropped in the middle of the room. The crowd jumped up and down in waves. Beaulieu’s fingers danced across the frets as he slickly unleashed lead guitar work. Heafy, no slouch himself at one point, joined him for a joint solo, and in typical fashion, he did it with his tongue hanging out like Michael Jordan. This was also Heafy’s signature move since his hands are always in motion. Song after song, they slashed their way through. Bassist Paulo Gregoletto was constantly rumbling. His playing was concise and superior. He was not to be overlooked by any means. Trivium came up with the final two songs, and they are anthemic.
Check out our concert photos of Trivium below:
Perhaps the best part is the things that make Trivium great and masters of their craft are bottled up and sunk into each one. The long guitar solos on “Declaration” that lead into brutal breakdowns or the long winding leads and utter inhuman screams of Heafy on “Declaration”, the writing is everything that Trivium encompasses to this day. Those harsh vocals and “Save Me Freedom” bellowing over the venue keep a lasting memory for anyone in attendance. Closing out the night was the intro “Capsizing The Sea,” leading to “In Waves,” the opening track to the 2011 release of the same name. The fans gave everything they had to let loose during the classic album play. Twenty years since Trivium’s landmark release is an incredible feat, which has led to eight more studio albums and a reputation that remains undefeated amongst their peers.
Bullet For My Valentine has carved their path much like Trivium. Their intense live shows and quality songwriting have led them to celebrate The Poison here in Green Bay, WI. The heartbeat of BFMV is the lone founding members, guitarist Michael “Padge” Padget and frontman/guitarist Matthew Tuck. As they took the stage to the album’s intro, the crowd that was still packed wall to wall cheered. The massive booming drum intro from Jason Bowld vibrated through the body, and Tuck gave a vicious scream, and like a missile, they launched into “Her Voice Resides.” Voices from around the room rang out with the lyrics in unison. The fun was only starting.
Padget danced around while tearing through “4 Words To Choke Upon.” he was an obvious force of nature. A hurricane of energy and electrifying riffs. If you know anything about The Poison as an album, you know it is front-heavy with radio singles, and the band kept rolling through them in order. “Tears Don’t Fall” is perhaps their largest single by certifications, but no one cared about that stuff. The Bullet faithful screamed every word at full tilt because it was next up and they loved it. Bassist Jamie Mathias didn’t give a rip either. He screamed every chance he could, like the track was brand new. With the stage bathed in blue and the lights in the back spinning white, that moody feel of the music video was matched.
Tuck once again spoke with the crowd and reminded them that there are songs that aren’t always played on tour, and the next one was one. It was a surprise since it predates The Poison. The EP carry over “Hit The Floor,” which upped the spirit of Bullet For My Valentine’s performance, had the already sweaty venue condensing on the posts next to the general admission floor. As another small break to exchange instruments occurred, Tuck brought up how, without the next song getting international play, they don’t know if they would have had the career they have. That next one is “All These Things I Hate(Revolve Around Me)”. The atmosphere changed for a brief moment. Oddly enough, cell phone lights illuminated spaces, and the voices filled the eardrums. It was a moment to take in and enjoy.
The back half of the set was ridiculously good. It showed how well prepared the audience was to sing and let loose. This is the part where the band once again picked up speed from the massive hit ballad. Body blow after body blow was on the way in the form of “Hand of Blood” and “Room 409”. The onslaught of vicious metalcore riffs had Matthew Tuck grinning like a madman behind his microphone. Clouds of dust and debris flew up from the general admission area. The well-oiled machine on stage in front of 2.100 Wisconsinites we primed. The deeper cuts like “The Poison” and “10 Years Today” were something that sonically sounded fresh and brand new. The rarity of hearing these tracks is something special.
With each song coming closer to the end, Tuck continuously reminded the pick to get ready for the breakdowns, and that they were. With the final breakdown of “The End”, they stopped playing completely. Just to build it up and then initiate the final form of havoc and anarchy spreading through the mosh pit. On stage, they watched smiling and laughing. Bullet For My Valentine knew they once again accomplished something incredible. It also helped solidify the legacy of The Poison. Twenty years later, the band and the classic record feel fresher than ever.
After the short encore break, Bullet For My Valentine walked back onto the stage, waving and throwing their hands up to get the crowd back into a frenzy. The misty room full of energy was ready to go for one more round. With the album play completed, these last ones are straight fan favorites. Tuck approached the microphone and praised the crowd with, “I cannot believe you guys are still here standing”. They knew as much as anyone how much chaos was uncaged during the night.
Two songs, “Knives” from their 2022 self-titled album and “Waking The Demon” from Scream Aim Fire, were selected to close the night out. The hefty sound is standard for Bullet For My Valentine. They know the chemistry that makes them run. “Waking The Demon” embraces all elements of that chemistry. The fast-moving and heavier than hell sound vibrates everything stationary. For the final breakdown, the band stops playing and continuously encourages the pit to get crazy because it was the last time they could. They obliged and freed all pent-up insanity left.
Check out our concert photos of Bullet For My Valentine below:
This entire billing is the best of the best out there right now. Each has their avenues within metal and does it to perfection. The audience was a vast mixture of people. There may have been a lot more gray hair, but once that circle pit began to spin, the OGs came out of retirement to show the kids how to do it. Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine accomplished something twenty years ago that has transcended two decades and found its place once again within a younger generation of metalheads. The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour is THE tour of the year and worth every last penny to go to. Approaching the exits, the overwhelming chatter was about how incredible every band was. That doesn’t happen often. A show this unbelievable will be talked about for years to come.
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