Christmas Burns Red 2024 Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Mark Frahn
- Dec 21, 2024
- 11 min read
Updated: Dec 21, 2024
The air was almost buzzing around me as fellow metalheads walked the streets talking about their favorite songs from the nights lineup. The line already formed at the door seemingly went on for what looked like blocks around the building. Endless ugly sweaters, Santa's, Grinch's, and even elves all lined up fighting the cold air. Freedom hall, what was once a normal conference center is now Santa's home away from home. Christmas trees, lights, and everything else to make you feel like you just entered a different world. Merch tables and vendors lined the halls and back of the convention center. I heard Christmas music dance down the halls, however, it wasn't just any Christmas music, it was August Burns Red's Carol of the Bells. This isn't your average holiday festivity—it was Christmas Burns Red
The music kicked off with HillHaven, Lancaster's new band, and they greeted the eager fans with their incredible sound. Although a new band and Christmas Burns Red being their live debut, they used their musical talents to show everyone why they deserve to be there.
The band is made up of current and former members from popular bands like From Ashes To New, Eyes Set To Kill, and HAWK. Guitarist Ricky Aremellino (Ice Nice Kills, HAWK), drummer Matty Madiro (From Ashes To new) guitarist Jimmy Bennet (touring FATN member, former Eyes Set To Kill), Chris Kelly on vocals (Ice Nine Kills) and Jamie GoWell on bass. Together they bring a amazing sound that solidifies their spot in the metalcore world. Their song "This Time Tomorrow" was already a crowd favorite as they were already singing along.
Deadlands, a New York metalcore act took the stage next and made history, quite literally. According to Deadland's Instagram they were the first female fronted band to play Christmas Burns Red!
They also were the first band of the weekend to get the pits fired up with a wall of death during their song "Deadweight". Kasey Karlsen has such a powerful vocal range, from catchy smooth cleans to one of the best "bleghs" I've heard in recent months. They also played fan favorites Villain and House of Cards, and needless to say the crowd was LOUD for "Villain". After their set, the band took time to visit with fans at their merch booth which is always a special treat.
Up next was the extremely heavy Bodysnatcher all the way from Melbourne, Florida. Well known for their aggressive and powerful instrumentals paired with deeply personal lyrics, the group has become a powerhouse of a band in the deathcore scene.
Kicking off their set with "King of the Rats" the fans energy finally hit the tipping point and bodies began to flow over the barrier and crowd surfers endlessly were being tossed to security. The pit opened up and the chaos that unfolded was, oddly enough, beautiful. It didn't stop there as the band rushed into "Dead Rabbit", "Behind the Crowd", and "Infested." The energy they brought to CBR was exactly what you would expect. They closed out their set with their newest song off the Vile Conduct album, "Murder 8", leaving the stage ready for the mighty ERRA.
ERRA, a progressive metalcore band from Alabama has been in the game since 2009. Since then, they have released multiple albums including the self titled 2021 album ERRA and most recently Cure. They are no strangers to the August Burns Red tour packages as they've toured with them on 3 different full length tours in the past, making them strong fan favorites of the weekend.
JT Cavey, who joined in 2016, and Jesse Cash (guitarist, clean vocals) utilizes their immense vocal range and emotion to drive the personal lyrics right into your heart while the band blasts you with heavy riffs and breakdowns. At this point, the crowd surfing has only just begun as they called for even more to join the already endless flow of fans as they performed their very popular song "Skyline." ERRA closed out the set with "Snowblood", a very fitting name for the holiday event.
The metalcore giants The Devil Wears Prada were next and they delivered exactly what you would expect from them. Formed in 2005 the band has been known to constantly switch their sound a bit and experiment with new avenues while holding onto their original TDWP sound we all know and love. Their energetic, borderline wild, stage presence and their perfectly balanced melodic elements with heavy powerful instrumentals provide for an incredible show from start to finish.
They started off with the song "Watchertower" off of the album Color Decay followed by a fan favorite "Danger: Wildman" from the 2009 album, With Roots Above and Branches Below. Throughout their set they continued to play a mix of newer songs and their original songs, catering to their wide diverse fanbase they've accumulated over the years. Mid set they slowed things down to give the moshers a rest and played their heartfelt song "Chemical" off of their 2019 album The Act. The phone lights came out and the crowd sang along so loud I could feel it in my chest. Rounding out their set they throw it way back to the beginning with their cult hit, "Hey John, What's Your Name Again?" reminding all the 30+ moshers just how old they really are (including me, I am guilty of this). August Burns Red, Night 1
There aren't many words in the English dictionary that could describe August Burns Red fairly. Incredible? Emotional? Powerful? A bit scary? All the above and then some. The Grammy nominated (2016,2018) metalcore band formed right here in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 2003. Members include Jake Luhrs with vocals, Dustin Davidson on the bass, lead guitarist JB Brubaker, rhythm guitarist Brent Rambler, and drummer Matt Greiner. Together the group has come together to not just mold an amazing career, but to put together one of the greatest holiday concerts possible within the metal world. From the old Chameleon Club to the Freedom Hall Lancaster Convention Center, ABR has formed more then just a fanbase, but a family.
Over the years they have built a deep connection with the fans which is fueled by their powerful and emotional discography. Not only that, their personal interactions with the fans has always been an important aspect of the band, and it truly shows with the love and care they put into Christmas Burns Red.
When they came onto the stage to their cover of "Chop Suey!" they did so in a ball of fire, literally. Flames erupted around the stage, putting an emphasis on "burns" in August Burns Red. This was the first time they got to use flames for the event, which made the crowd even more wild. Confetti was flying, the flames were roaring, the pits were chaotic and rhythmic as they blasted through one of the most impressive setlists I've personally seen.
Fan favorites like "Beauty in Tragedy", "Carpe Diem", and "The Frost" led them to their first Christmas song of the night, their version of the classic hit "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town". There's just something about heavy metal Christmas music that makes moshing that much special. Continuing their set with songs like "Bloodletter", "Backfire", and "Revival", the pit was in full force. With every ball of fire on stage you could see the crowd surge as the pit expands so much so its virtually the entire floor. Of course, you can't have a holiday party without "Frosty, The Snow Man", which led them to their finale of the set. Rounding out the evening with "Invisible Enemy" and "Ghosts", August Burns Red gave the fans exactly what they wanted.
Last but not lease, "Coral of the Bells" started to ring out of the speakers and Jake began throwing merch filled gifts to the crowd since its a instrumental. And with that, night 1 of Christmas Burns Red came to a close.
Night 2, Christmas Burns Red, 12/14/2025
If Not For Me opening up night 2 of Christmas Burns Red. Hailing from Harrisburg they have been making huge waves in the music industry. Recently on tour with bands like Electric Callboy, Set It Off, From Ashes To New, as well as having a handful of songs make their way over to the SiriusXM Octane radio channel, they have taken themselves from the "local" band to the big stages.
Performing their most known songs like "Feel Me Now", "Tragedy", and "Everything You Wanted", the crowd was loving their perfectly balanced mix of clean and harsh vocals by frontman Kyle O'Conner. The rest of the band is comprised of Jessie Kessler and Brandon R. R. Hiliard on the guitars, Chase Huges playing bass, and Anthony Frazier on drums. They even performed "Say It To My Face" as a live debut which led to a heartfelt moment during their set when two kids decided to take over the pit, busting out the best moves of the night with spin kicks and windmills.
Orthodox was wild and anything but normal. Their raw and unapologetically aggressive beatdown sound was a crowd favorite based on their reaction in the pit. Forming in 2011 in Tennessee, the group is made up of Adam Easterling (vocals), Austin Evans (guitar), Shilo Krebs (Bass) and Mike White (Drummer).
Just from their first line of the night "You're not ____ safe anymore" after their friend Dan Spencer (recently toured with Post Malone) delivered a unique and beautiful intro that led into a epically heavy unreleased track (I looked, a lot.) The entire floor opened up and the pits were right back to where we left off on night 1, bodies thrashing about and endless surfers. They also played "Cave in" and "Head on a Spike" which are fan favorites. Their brutal "nu-core" style sound was definitely a change of pace but was leading perfectly to the rest of the night.
Boundaries, known for their high intensity performances and blending of metalcore/post-hardcore elements were the perfect band to follow Orthodox. Mixing extreme heavy breakdowns and melodic emotional cleans, like during their hit "Easily Erased", it's easy to see why they are becoming one of the hottest bands in the genre.
Members include Matthew McDougal (lead vocals), Cory Emond (guitar), Cody DelVecchio (guitar), Tim Sullivan (drums and vocals), and Nathan Calcagno (bass and vocals). Notable mentions is their performance of "My Body is a Cage" and "A Pale Light Lingers", which Adam from Orthodox came and helped with vocals. Between Orthodox and Boundaries, you could feel every note they played. You could feel the emotion behind their lyrics and see it in their performance. They laid their heart and soul on the line for the CBR fans, and based on my bruises I would say they gave it right back.
Gideon, the southern beatdown metalcore band from Alabama brought their cowboy hats and jeans to CBR in standard fashion. But don't let it fool you, when Dan McWhorter lets out his deep roar of "Bite Down", you quickly realize what kind of show you are attending. Their intense breakdowns and deep chugging riffs propelled the crowd into a mosh frenzy, water sprays, hats, and even a shoe was observed in the air.
Although walls of death's are not new at all to the metal world, Gideon is known to always have intense WOD's and of course, when the first riff of "MORE POWER. MORE PAIN." came on the entire crowd split in two. Bodies collied and all you could see was a sea of people like endless waves across the crowd.
The Ghost Inside were last to hit the stage before the epic August Burns Red made their return to the stage. TGI, from Los Angeles California formed in 2004 under the name A Dying Dream and in 2008 became known as The Ghost Inside with their debut album Fury and The Fallen Ones. Over the years they've toured heavily with other known metalcore giants, solidifying their name in the community. Sadly, in 2015 at the height of their career, a fatal bus accident left the band critically injured. The continuation of The Ghost Inside was unknown as the members were faced with a mountain of challenges to overcome, including drummer Andrew Tkaczyk losing his leg.
However, the band found the strength and determination to get on stage again and in 2019 they performed for the first time since their accident to a sold out outdoor concert at the Shrine in Los Angeles. Their return sparked a fan frenzy, and since then they've been on the road touring and releasing new music like their self titled 2020 comeback album.
When they hit the stage for Christmas Burns Red, you could feel the magic in the air. The band, Jonathan Vigil (vocals), Zach Johnson (guitar), Chris Davis (guitar), and Andrew Tkaczyk on drums, all played their heart out like they always do. Their emotional and powerful lyrics ran deep into all the fans in that crowd. Knowing their history, every note resonates deeper and deeper. Kicking off the night with "Death Grip", the fans immediately took to the pits.
The powerful and aggressive voice from Jonathan as he rips through intense and impactful lyrics is enough to make anyone start moshing. JT Cavey of ERRA joined the band for "The Great Unknown", a fan favorite amongst those who've followed the band since the early days. The band later mentioned in the set how they need JT all the time for now on considering how amazing it sounds with both JT and Jonathan on vocals.
Their set continued with "Dear Youth", "Pressure Point", and "Mercy" as well as other hits from various times of the bands history. Ending the set with "Engine 45", arguably one of their most beloved songs, the crowd was in full attention as they delivered their heavy and emotional anthem.
August Burns Red, Night 2, Constellations in Full Beaten, bruised, and sore, the crowd stood in anticipation for what will be the greatest finale to Christmas Burns Red. The entire weekend led up to this moment as ABR took to the stage for the final time of the weekend. Every song played, every pit that opened, every crowd surfer that made it over the railing has led to this very moment. The powerhouse of band came out swinging with their song "Thirty and Seven", blowing the fans away with their intense powerful sound and incredible lighting.
With each song off of the Constellations album played, the pits once again swallowed the room creating one centralized mass of moving bodies. Many of these songs aren't normally on their setlists when they tour so the crowd was feeling even more alive with every note. "Songs like Ocean of Apathy", "Indonesia", "Paradox", and "Crusades" all set the stage a blaze, literally and figuratively. As their album Constellations came to a close with "Crusades", the band once again broke into Christmas cheer and performed "Carol of the Bells", even Santa was caught ripping the guitar. Confetti was flying, presents were thrown, and every soul in that room had a smile on their face.
Between the Christmas joy and the epic metal music blasting through the speakers, you'd be hard pressed to find a unhappy individual anywhere in that crowd. They rounded out their set with an extended encore with songs like "Back Burner", "Defender", and lastly "Composure". With the ending of "Composure" came the ending to Christmas Burns Red 2024.
There is something special about the metal community. Even more special is the connection that August Burns Red has built over the many years. People of all walks of life came from around the world to be at CBR with the fellow fans. Laughter and tears filled the building anywhere you looked. Endless stories of previous CBR's were heard just walking around. Fans who only see each other once a year meeting again and celebrating the most wonderful time of the year.
This was more than just a concert. This was more than just a festival. This was Christmas Burns Red.
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