Concert Recap: From Ashes to New in Jacksonville, NC (April 13, 2023)

On April 13, Hooligans Live played host to From Ashes to New once again as the nu-metal kings made their return to Jacksonville, NC. Currently on the road in support of hard rock legends Three Days Grace and Shinedown on their Revolutions Live tour, From Ashes to New have added a select array of one-off performances to their itinerary outside of their support shows. Having established a very loyal fanbase in Jacksonville over the last five years, fans in the area were treated to yet another epic headlining performance from the group, adding to their streak of constant growth and improvement with each successive appearance.

One cool thing about the event was the support lineup — since these headliners are one-offs, all the support slots are given to local talent, which made for an eclectic bill to match the versatile energy of the headliners. Kicking the night off was Undead Crow, a female-fronted crew from Wilmington. I caught the latter part of their set because I was outside the venue when they were first getting on stage, but their covers of Bad Omens' 'Just Pretend' and Falling in Reverse's 'Popular Monster' definitely got the night started off on the right foot, along with their impassioned stage banter and original songs.

Up next were the familiar faces in Mortal After All, hailing from around the New Bern area. There were some lineup changes this time around with two fill-in vocalists, Melissa Peterman and Gabe Perez, handling cleans and screams. Both singers were welcome additions to the fold and kept the crowd on their feet through the duration of their set – Perez in particular was arguably the most energetic person on the stage, even occasionally jumping up against the barricade and getting nose-to-nose with the audience. For the rest of the musicians, this show was a great indication that they haven’t lost a touch of their passion in the wake of a new chapter, with constant headbanging and audience interaction to back them up, and they proved that they’re still a band to keep an eye on. 

Mortal After All Setlist:

1. Fear to Fly
2. Shattered
3. Black Blood
4. Labyrinth
5. Save Yourself
6. Faceless

Direct support was from the Carolina-based (half of the members are from North Carolina, with the other half from South Carolina) hard rock band Echostone. Though everyone in the band is an experienced musician with live experience under their belts, this was Echostone’s first live show as a band, and it was as successful a first show as any band could wish for – opening for one of the hottest artists in the scene to a favorable reception from everyone in attendance. There were a few people who were familiar with Echostone beforehand (and even some who showed up exclusively for them), but even those who never heard of them prior to their set became fans fast. Emphatically kicking their set off with the currently unreleased single “Before I Fall,” the quartet pulled no punches and made it a mission to win over every single person in the venue. If they didn’t do it by the end of their opening song, they definitely achieved it with their awesome cover of 10 Years’ “Wasteland,” having people jumping off their feet from the moment they announced they were about to play it.

The rest of Echostone’s set consisted of their singles that are officially released and available on all streaming platforms, from the newly-released “Phase” to my personal favorite, “Waiting.” If there was anything learned that night, it’s that the band is a must-see group doing a lot of things right, and Jacksonville needs to be a regular spot for them. I also had the privilege of interviewing the band before the show, and they were all great to talk with and you could feel the first-show anticipation and excitement just by being around them. It was a lot of fun hanging out and talking with them, and I’m not alone in saying I can’t wait to see them perform live again.

Echostone Setlist:

1. Before I Fall
2. On My Own
3. Waiting
4. Wasteland (10 Years cover)
5. Phase
6. Overdue

From Ashes to New had the crowd moving before they even stepped on stage with their cleverly-selected walkout track, “Backstreet’s Back,” before ripping into one of their latest singles, “Nightmare.” Let me be completely transparent – this was my fourth time seeing From Ashes to New and third time writing about them, and it’s very difficult to say what hasn’t already been said because this band just brings it every single time. I said this after their last show here last November, but this was the absolute best performance I’ve ever heard from them. Not only was their stage show on another level, having crammed as much of their arena setup as they could in the small club stage that Hooligans has, but this was genuinely the best they’ve sounded as well. Over the last few years, rapper Matt Brandyberry has shown how musically versatile he really is by occasionally playing rhythm guitar on stage for select songs, but he’s also gotten more comfortable screaming (with the single “Nightmare” marking his first time screaming for a song in the studio), and it’s only gotten better each time out, with this show exhibiting the new standard. Lead vocalist Danny Case also never sounded better, showing an exceptional amount of vocal control between singing and screaming even while fatigued, as well as appearing to effortlessly execute the more difficult vocal lines (the choruses of ‘My Name’ and ‘Panic,’ for example) – no overshooting, no singing flat, he was on point from beginning to end.

From Ashes to New’s rhythm section was also wicked tight, with drummer Mat Madiro and guitarist Lance Dowdle energetically and smoothly holding things down. Also worth noting is the addition of Jimmy Bennett on guitar – fans who have seen From Ashes to New on previous tours will most likely remember Bennett as the band’s merch manager, and fans of the band I Set My Friends on Fire will recognize him as their current guitarist, but this tour marks his first stage run with From Ashes to New on guitar. He killed it as the band’s second guitarist and is a welcome add-on to their stage dynamic, bringing another level of energy and enthusiasm to their already lively performances.

One of the best things about From Ashes to New is their unwillingness to comply to complacency – they have several massive songs and a stage show that rivals many bands of their caliber, but they keep finding new ways to integrate new things to their style, musically and aesthetically. Additionally, they refuse to lose sight of their roots – not only is their upcoming album, Blackout (releasing July 28), a conceptual prequel to their 2016 debut album, Day One, but they make it a priority to recognize and show their appreciation to their fanbase. They’ve played in Jacksonville five times, FIVE TIMES (!) (and hopefully more in the future), and they always acknowledge how dedicated and exuberant their fans are. Additionally, there’s always a point in each show where they interact with the younger audience, whether that’s by bringing kids onstage during a song or talking with them between songs about what they want to be when they grow up and following their dreams in the face of whatever doubters come their way. Not a lot of musicians of their caliber would go out of their way to engage with their fans or to build up the next generation of fans the way they do, and it just shows how much they care about what they do and who it resonates with. 

Long story short, I can’t emphasize enough how much I recommend seeing From Ashes to New live. They put on a fantastic show time after time, and even when you think they’re at their best, they get even better the next time they come to town. If you’ve been sleeping on them, it’s time to wake up and join the party. 

From Ashes to New Setlist:

1. Nightmare
2. My Fight
3. Until We Break
4. Broken
5. Light Up the Sky
6. Heartache
7. Scars That I’m Hiding
8. My Name
9. Stay This Way
10. Hate Me Too
11. Wait for Me
12. Nothing
13. Panic
14. Crazy
15. Through it All

For remaining tour dates and to buy tickets, click here.

Support the bands by checking out the following links:

- Undead Crow: https://www.instagram.com/undead_crowofficial/

- Mortal After All: https://linktr.ee/MortalAfterAll

- Echostone: https://linktr.ee/echostoneband

- From Ashes to New: https://linktr.ee/fromashestonew

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