PHOTO GALLERY: Fit For A King bring their Lonely God tour to Royal Oak Theatre

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Nov 19

Fit For A King hit the road a few weeks back on their Lonely God tour, bringing along a stacked support lineup of 156/Silence, Spite, and Make Them Suffer. With a bill this heavy, I knew missing this show wasn't an option. The Royal Oak Music Theatre was the perfect backdrop.

Starting the night off was 156/Silence out of Pittsburgh. Usually, the room is still filling up for the opener, but the floor was already packed, and the anticipation was high. When the house lights cut and the band walked out, the crowd roared. They opened the night with a heavy one, "Target Acquired," and carried that aggressive momentum all the way through their set. Visually and sonically, they set a high bar for the rest of the night.

Following them was Spite, who wasted absolutely no time. They actually started their set a little early, ripping straight into their title track, "New World Killer." From that moment on, it was a nonstop flow of heavy. Security definitely had their work cut out for them, as the crowd surfers were constant. Frontman Darius Tehrani has a wild stage presence; his energy is chaotic in the best way possible, matching the crowd with nonstop headbanging that made for some incredible moments to watch.

I get excited every time I see Make Them Suffer on a bill. Coming all the way from Australia, it’s always a treat, and they never disappoint. They kicked off their set with one of my personal favorites, "Ghost of Me," which, judging by the volume of the room, was a crowd favorite too. Sean Harmanis’s energy on stage was electric from the start, constantly running across the stage and engaging with the rail. As the set went on, the crowd surfers kept flowing, eventually culminating in the biggest pit of the night during "Doomswitch." Hearing tracks like "Mana God" live hit just as hard as I hoped

Finally, it was time for the headliner. Since the announcement of Lonely God, I don’t think a day has gone by where I haven’t listened to at least one track from the album. It feels very complete, and I was eager to see how it translated live. Playing nearly the full album, Fit For A King gave me exactly what I wanted

They started the set with "Begin the Sacrifice," followed by a run of new tracks. Honestly, bassist Ryan "Tuck" O'Leary is reason enough to go to a FFAK show. Between the spin kicks and the massive bass throws, it’s hard to take your eyes off him. They threw in an old heavy hit, "Backbreaker," which was a pleasant surprise for the longtime fans, before immediately slowing things down and shifting the mood with "Between Us."

They played a solid 14-song set before returning for a two-song encore of "When Everything Means Nothing" and "Witness the End." It was a massive finish to a perfectly curated lineup. If this tour is coming to your city, go.