Concert Recap: From Ashes to New - The "Until We Break" Tour, Jacksonville, NC (November 18, 2022)

Seven months after their previous appearance in Jacksonville, NC, the Pennsylvania-based nu-metal quartet From Ashes to New made their triumphant return to Hooligans Music Hall on November 18 to kick off the “Until We Break” Tour, a 22-date cross-country trek spanning from now until December 17 that’s been promoted to showcase the band at their biggest and best. Being known to stack their headlining bills with an array of support bands, From Ashes to New continued to bring the heat this time around, with support coming in the form of alternative metal band The Word Alive, Seattle-based punk quintet Dragged Under, and nu-metal royalty Dropout Kings.

Local support was from the Craven County metal group Mortal After All. The New Bern-based group's five-song set consisted of most of their debut Black Blood EP, but they managed to make time for a new song, entitled "Labyrinth," that hasn't yet been released. A good chunk of the audience showed up early to catch their set and reacted very favorably to the municipal musicians, who blazed through their short time on stage in what felt like the blink of an eye. If there’s one thing that was learned during the band’s set, it’s that they certainly have the potential to do well in the genre’s scene and they’re on the right track. 

Mortal After All Setlist:

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

Dropout Kings and Dragged Under shortly followed, but I can’t comment on their performances because I was filming an interview with members of Mortal After All (be on the lookout for that on the YouTube channel in the coming days) during the times those bands were on stage. However, I made it back in time to catch the wicked impressive direct support set from The Word Alive. 2022 has been an eventful year for the band, between lineup changes and switching record labels, but the Arizona-based four-piece sounded as strong as can be, from the dialed-in rhythm section to Tyler Smith’s soaring lead vocals. 

The Word Alive’s set lasted for ten songs, featuring several singles from their 2020 album MONOMANIA such as “No Way Out” and “Searching for Glory.” The band also made time for the live debuts of two songs, the newly-released “Nocturnal Future” and “My Enemy,” the latter of which appeared on their 2018 album Violent Noise. The crowd loved every minute of the energetic set, with the mosh pit in full swing for a good majority of the time. The band definitely left a lasting impression on several attendees as they prepared for the headliner.

The Word Alive Setlist:

1. Made This Way
2. My Enemy (live debut)
3. NUMB LOVE (MISERY II)
4. Overdose
5. THANK YOU
6. Nocturnal Future (live debut)
7. SEARCHING FOR GLORY
8. NO WAY OUT
9. Why Am I Like This?
10. Trapped

As The Word Alive’s set came to a close, the time for From Ashes to New had arrived. Emphatically starting off with the tour’s eponymous track, “Until We Break,” vocalist Danny Case instantly had the captivation of the crowd in the palm of his hand. It became clear right off the bat that the band wasn’t playing around when they said this was their biggest and best show to date —  the audience was larger, the stage and lights were more elaborate, the energy was higher, and the band had never sounded better. 

It must be difficult for a band like From Ashes to New to create a different setlist from tour to tour when they have so many popular songs, but they did a great job of breaking things up and appeasing to their hardcore fans. Of course, they played the obvious and necessary hits like “Through it All,” “Panic,” and “Crazy,” but there was also time for tracks like “Brick” (one of my personal favorites) and “I Will Show You.” Additionally, Case and guitarist Lance Dowdle stepped on stage with an acoustic guitar halfway through the show for a stripped-down rendition of “Let Go,” from their landmark 2018 album The Future. There truly wasn’t a weak moment in any aspect of their performance — Dowdle and drummer Mat Madiro flawlessly held things down rhythmically without missing a beat (pun slightly intended), and vocalists Danny Case and Matt Brandyberry were masters of keeping the audience on their feet and singing along. This was my third time seeing the band live, and undoubtedly the best — if this tour is heading your way, DO NOT HESITATE to see them, because you’ll unquestionably regret not doing so.

From Ashes to New Setlist:

1. Until We Break
2. Panic
3. My Fight
4. Broken
5. Light Up the Sky
6. Heartache
7. Scars That I’m Hiding
8. Let Go (Acoustic)
9. My Name
10. Brick/Nothing
11. Bulletproof
12. Wait for Me
13. I Will Show You
14. Crazy

Encores

15. Break Stuff (Limp Bizkit cover)
16. Through it All

For remaining tour dates and to buy tickets, click here

Support the bands by checking out the links below:

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

- Dropout Kings: https://dropoutkingsmusic.com/

- Dragged Under: https://www.draggedunder.com/

- The Word Alive: https://www.wearethewordalive.com/

- From Ashes to New: https://www.fromashestonew.com/

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