Metalcore Dropouts Tour Earns Straight A’s

Orlando, FL – The Devil Wears Prada (TDWP) and Fit For a King (FFAK) earned straight A’s on the Orlando stop of the Metalcore Dropouts Second Semester tour. 

The co-headliners issued punishing performances of new hits and old favorites, dipping deep into a discography almost as old as their reputation in O-Town and House of Blues at Disney Springs. (TDWP frontman Mike Hranica won over the locals when he called Disney Springs its pre-2015 name Downtown Disney.) 

TWDP took the stage last, frontloading their setlist with multiple tracks from 2022’s Color Decay. Like their tourmates in FFAK, TDWP have steadily evolved their sound over the past few albums. Color Decay and its predecessor The Act are way more radio friendly than past albums, but without sacrificing their hard edge. Standout tracks early in the setlist were “Salt,” “Broken,” and “Reaching.” 

While their sound has evolved, the intensity TDWP brings to live performance has not diminished. The five-piece band didn’t stop moving, from Hranica’s frenetic energy to Jonathan Gering busting moves when he wasn’t playing keys. 

Sandwiched in between the newer tracks were old school darlings like “Dez Moines” and “Danger: Wildman.” Encore “Hey John, What’s your Name Again?” drew a roar from the folks who for just a minute remembered how cool their MySpace page used to be. 

Setlist: 

1. Exhibition
2. Watchtower
3. Danger: Wildman
4. Salt
5. Broken
6. Reaching
7. Reasons (Excision cover)
8. Hallucinate
9. Outnumbered
10. Dez Moines
11. Chemical
12. Sacrifice
    Encore:
    Hey John, What’s Your Name Again?

Defining “metalcore” and exactly who fits that category is a topic best left for a Facebook comment feeding frenzy. By my definition, metalcore is a genre characterized by screamed verses, a soaring chorus with clean vocals, and a big build up leading into a breakdown. (And thrown in a sweet callout just before the breakdown for good measure.) By that standard, FFAK is metalcore royalty. 

While I don’t have much history with TDWP, my first show with FFAK was in a sweaty little club in downtown Orlando around 2017. I’ve followed their career for years and they’ve only continued to mature and evolve their sound. This show was no exception. 

The setlist was more evenly divided among newer albums, with The Hell we Create just barely notching the most songs. “Falling Through the Sky” was a triumphant masterpiece; while I rarely record songs on my phone at a show, the last 30 seconds of “Reaper” was the exception. 

Three songs from 2016’s Deathgrip set the mosh pit to boiling, especially “Deathgrip” and “Pissed Off.” Frontman Ryan Kirby’s vocals were perfect, even throwing in a couple of pig squeals for the first time. Also notable was how well guitarist Daniel Gailey and bassist Tuck O’ Leary harmonize with Kirby. 

Somehow FFAK continues to raise the bar on each performance, and this show was no exception. 

Setlist:

1. End (The Other Side)
2. Breaking the Mirror
3. Falling Through the Sky
4. The End’s Beginning
5. Pissed Off
6. Backbreaker
7. Reaper
8. Eyes Roll Back
9. Keeping Secrets
10. Shattered Glass
11. Deathgrip
12. Vendetta
13. When Everything Means Nothing
14. God of Fire

Keeping company with TDWP and FFAK on tour were Counterparts and AVOID. Counterparts brought the heavy like the other bands, but also a serious, deep aspect to their lyrics. Name notwithstanding, fans should not miss AVOID. Their performance was nothing but fun, with frontman Benny Scholl nonstop smiling the whole set. 

Show Date: Feb 04, 2024