TRIVIUM, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, AUGUST BURNS RED, and SYLOSIS — PNE Forum, Vancouver (March 30, 2025)
Some concerts are just gigs. Others are full-on battlefield campaigns—and Sunday night at the PNE Forum was a full-blown siege. With a lineup stacked with heaviness and history, fans were treated to a relentless onslaught of riffs, roars, and chaos. Dual headliners Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine took turns commanding the stage with 75-minute sets, each performing a classic album in full. With August Burns Red delivering a ferocious middle set and Sylosis priming the room like a lit fuse, it was a night that delivered from the first note to the final breathless roar.
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SYLOSIS
Opening a stacked night like this is no easy feat, but Sylosis hit the stage with the precision and force of a wrecking ball. Hailing from the UK, they wasted no time proving why they’ve earned a global reputation for delivering modern metal with teeth.
They tore straight into “Poison for the Lost,” setting the tone with razor-sharp riffing and vocalist/guitarist Josh Middleton’s feral roar punching through the Forum’s cavernous walls. The early crowd may have still been finding their spots, but by the time that first chorus hit, heads were already banging and fists were rising.
“Pariahs” followed, laced with groove-heavy tension and a deep sense of unease, like a slow-burning fuse. The band’s tightness live is undeniable—every transition, every blast beat, every solo executed with military-grade precision. It was heavy, hostile, and completely captivating.
“Worship Decay” brought a darker, doom-tinged edge to the set—its churning rhythms and bleak atmosphere washing over the crowd like a black tide. There was no need for over-the-top theatrics; Sylosis let the music speak for itself. They were there to lay down riffs and fury—and that’s exactly what they did.
By the time they closed with “Deadwood,” the Forum was fully engaged. The track’s melodic undercurrent, buried beneath walls of distortion and rage, gave fans something they could both scream to and feel. It was the perfect way to wrap their short but lethal set—leaving the stage smoldering and setting the tone for the chaos yet to come.
Sylosis didn’t just warm up the crowd—they earned respect the hard way: by throwing down and taking no prisoners.
AUGUST BURNS RED
If Sylosis were the scalpel, August Burns Red were the sledgehammer. Entering the stage like men on a mission, ABR launched into a set that was equal parts precision and punishment. Kicking things off with their crushing take on System of a Down’s “Chop Suey,” the band made one thing immediately clear: this wasn’t going to be a normal set—it was going to be a firestorm. The crowd erupted instantly. That first scream of “Wake up!” sent shockwaves through the pit, and Jake Luhrs delivered it with throat-tearing intensity. The Forum was lit from that moment forward.
They didn’t let up. “Paramount” and “Defender” followed, each delivered with gut-punch breakdowns and tight musicianship. Luhrs’ presence was commanding—pacing the stage like a caged beast, his vocals as visceral as ever. The crowd surged, fists in the air, pits opening wider with every drop. “Bloodletter” hit like a sledgehammer, while “Exhumed” brought a darker, haunting energy to the set—demonstrating the band’s ability to switch gears without losing an ounce of power. By the time they reached “Marianas Trench,” the crowd was drenched in sweat and still screaming for more.
But nothing hit quite like “Composure” and “White Washed.” The dual-guitar interplay was razor-sharp, and the final breakdowns hit with such force it felt like the floor might give out. These were the anthems—songs that fans screamed back with every ounce of breath they had left.
What truly made their set unforgettable, though, was what happened after the music. As the lights dimmed and the feedback faded, both Jake Luhrs and drummer Matt Greiner stepped down into the photo pit and walked the length of the barricade—shaking hands, high-fiving, and thanking fans face-to-face.
It was a beautiful, grounding moment after so much sonic destruction. Among the crowd were a couple of kids up front—attending their first-ever concert. And let’s give credit where it’s due: huge shout-out to the awesome dad who brought them. Those kids didn’t just watch a metal show—they lived a core memory, thanks to two guys who understand that metal is more than just music. It’s family.
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE
Then came the throwback moment of the night—Bullet For My Valentine performing The Poisonin its entirety. For many in the audience, this was a time machine set. The first wave of screams from the crowd when “Her Voice Resides” kicked in proved this wasn’t just nostalgia—it was celebration.
Matt Tuck delivered every note with clarity and edge, his vocals tighter than they’ve sounded in years. “Tears Don’t Fall” became a collective outpouring, the audience practically drowning out the band with their voices. The chemistry between Tuck and guitarist Michael “Padge” Paget hasn’t faded a bit; solos sliced through the mix like daggers, while the rhythm section kept the pulse pounding throughout.
By the time “Room 409” hit, you could feel the crowd coming unglued. The Poison was a defining album for an entire generation of metalcore fans—and on this night, it was reborn with all the venom and vitality of its 2005 release.
And just like ABR, Bullet made sure to make the moment even more memorable. After their set, they took time to interact with the crowd—standing on the edge of their speakers, throwing picks and handing out setlists to those same lucky young kids up front. In a sea of noise and fury, it was a small, genuine moment of connection. A reminder that for every veteran headbanger in the room, there’s a new fan being born in that very moment.
TRIVIUM
Closing out the night was Trivium, and as the house lights dimmed and the first notes of “Rain” fell like a sonic storm, it became instantly clear: the headliners were here to lay waste to everything left standing.
Instead of Shogun, Vancouver was treated to a full run-through of the band’s 2005 breakout album Ascendancy—a record that helped define the shape of modern metalcore. It was an absolute gift to longtime fans, and Trivium delivered it with crushing force and surgical precision.
“Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr” came early and hit with the power of a war cry—Matt Heafy snarling every word with venom while the crowd screamed the iconic chorus like their lives depended on it. “Drowned and Torn Asunder” and “The Deceived” continued the barrage, with Corey Beaulieu and Alex Bent proving once again why this band is one of the tightest machines in metal. Every solo, every blast beat—it was all flawlessly executed.
“A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation” brought one of the biggest crowd reactions of the night, with fists in the air and circle pits forming on command. “Dying in Your Arms” gave fans a moment to catch their breath—and sing their lungs out—before being thrown back into chaos with “Suffocating Sight” and “Departure.” By the time they hit “Declaration,” the Forum was shaking under the weight of thousands of stomping feet and headbanging bodies.
And then, they walked off.
But the crowd wasn’t done—not even close. The chants were immediate: “Triv-i-um! Triv-i-um!”
When the lights cut back in and the opening riff of “In Waves” dropped, the entire Forum exploded. Matt Heafy screamed the iconic “DO YOU FEEL THE STORM?!” and the crowd answered with an earth-shaking roar. It was the ultimate closer—an encore that felt like a knockout punch after a full round of blows.
No theatrics. No filler. Just a setlist stacked with legacy, delivered with unyielding force.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The PNE Forum shook with energy, sweat, and pure metal power. This wasn’t just a show—it was a full-on storm of sound and soul. Four bands brought four very different flavors of chaos, and Vancouver responded with open arms, raised horns, and circle pits that churned like whirlpools of release.
From the technical savagery of Sylosis to the heart-on-sleeve ferocity of August Burns Red… from Bullet For My Valentine resurrecting The Poison like it was forged yesterday, to Trivium tearing through Ascendancy with the precision of battle-hardened legends—every set hit with purpose. And in between the breakdowns, flying picks, and sweat-soaked singalongs, there were moments of real connection. Bands coming down to shake hands. Kids at their first concert getting setlists and memories they’ll carry forever. The kind of moments that remind you: this community is more than noise.
Whether you came to rage, reflect, or just scream until your lungs gave out—this night reminded everyone in that room why metal still matters.
Vancouver showed up. The bands gave it everything.
No mercy. Just heart, fury… and gratitude
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