Killswitch Engage visited Bayou Music Center in Houston on June 20 with support from Havok, Iron Reagan and Machine Head.
Killswitch Engage is a metalcore band from Massachusetts. They have released nine studio albums since their formation in 1999. The band kicked off their 2026 tour at the beginning of June, and stopped in Houston at Bayou Music Center on June 20.
Havok started the night with their heavy riffs and harsh vocals. The thrash metal band from Denver, Colorado put on an amazing show, wowing the crowd throughout the entire set. They performed many hits, including “Point of No Return” and “From The Cradle To The Grave”.
As Iron Reagan took the stage, the audience became even more hyped. The crossover thrash band from Virginia recently released their new EP DEMONITIZATION on June 9. Tony Foresta, the band’s frontman, was hilarious and cracked jokes in between every song Iron Reagan played. He also encouraged the audience to mosh and crowd surf, which made the experience even better. Iron Reagan played tons of awesome songs during their set, including fan favorite “Miserable Failure”.
Machine Head, a heavy metal band from Oakland, California took the stage next. Formed in 1991, the band has 11 studio albums and is well known in the metal community. Their energy was high from the start, opening their set with their hit song “Imperium”. Machine Head also performed a few tracks off of their latest album UNATØNED, which came out last year. They even invited Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage onstage to perform a live debut of “Stop The Bleeding”, a Machine Head single that Leach was featured on in 2020. Machine Head’s set was unmatched, and their showmanship was compelling.
Finally, Killswitch Engage took the stage. Before the music even began, fans were crowd surfing over the barricade. They kicked off their set with “Fixation on the Darkness” from their 2002 record Alive or Just Breathing. The audience formed a circle pit to nearly every song that was played, and crowd surfing continued throughout the whole performance. The band’s stage presence was incredible, and lead guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz had the most energy of them all. Killswitch Engage’s setlist was jam-packed with hits, including “This Fire” and “In Due Time”. To wrap up their phenomenal performance, they performed “My Last Serenade” as fans moshed and headbanged. The entire night was incredible, and the vibes were excellent.
I’m a Houston based photographer who loves being around live music and all the creative people involved in the local music scene. I enjoy capturing performers and artists doing what they love and the essence of how live music makes people feel. When Im not behind the lens, I love trying new things and visiting new places.
