Lonely god tour
Concert Review
Article and Photography by: Brieghanna Chase
On the first of May, in the heart of Minneapolis, fans of the Christian metal band Fit For a King flocked to The Fillmore music venue. Kicking off the band's headlining tour titled the “Lonely God” tour after their 2025 album release. The lineup was stacked with metal bands from different countries, including Acres, Ten56, and Invent Animate. The nice weather had everyone in even higher spirits than usual, as the sun was shining brightly and a slight breeze whipped around the buildings, surely a good omen for what was to come.
Doors opened, and The Fillmore quickly began to fill. Lines began to form at the merchandise booths to the right of the entrance and in front of the stairs leading up to the balcony level and secondary bar. The venue was beautifully appointed, very clean and chic, a combination of modern clean lines, mixed with eclectic graffiti-style art wall, yet as you step out from under the balcony and onto the main floor, four stunning crystal chandeliers hang above your head. The bars were bustling as people grabbed their drinks before searching out their spots for the night, waiting for the first band to take the stage.
The first band to open the night is the UK band, Acres, from Portsmouth, Hampshire. This English rock band kicked off their set with the second song from their most recent album, “The Host”, released in 2025. The setlist, though short, featured songs from their 2023 album, “Burning Throne,” as well as a song from their 2024 EP, “What It's Like To Feel Worthless.” Their job was to get the crowd ready and start warming up, and they did not fail in their duties.
Despite only being formed in 2020, the French deathcore band Ten56 has made a huge impression on the scene. Their first single, “Diazepam” from 2021, made an appearance on the night's set list, as well as a handful of songs from their 2025 album release “IO.” The performance brought out the rowdy side of the crowd, with large mosh pits and crowd surfers keeping everyone on their toes. This heavy quintet, led by vocalist Aaron Matts, came onto the scene strong, delivering heavy-hitting, killer performances that have catapulted their success, and tonight's performance was a testament to how much they deserve it.
Playing a selection of songs from their 2024 album release “Heavener (Definitive),” Texas band Invent Animate dominated the stage. With an aesthetic unlike any of their tour counterparts, this metalcore band clad in shades of white looked just as good as they sounded. After sixteen years, Marcus Vik, vocalist, had fine-tuned his sound, delivering a powerhouse vocal performance. With heavy, fast, and bone shaking break-downs, this band had the crowd moving and thrashing, while sending fans overhead in droves. Every person in the house was ecstatic to be a witness to the live debut of their most recent release, “Fall Like Rain,” garnering a strong and positive reaction from those in attendance. It may have been a bit since their last live performance, but Invent Aminate still owns a stage.
Finally, the lights dimmed as the speakers began to rumble, the air buzzing with anticipatory excitement, finding its only release in the cheers and screams of the crowd. The lights flashed, and the set kicked off strong with “Begin the Sacrifice” from their 2024 “Lonely God” album. Since lead vocalist Ryan Kirby joined the band in 2010, Fit For a King has found themselves ranking in the top 3 “Christian Albums” not one, not two, but five times, most recently in 2022. This Texas metal band has spent years building its loyal fan base and cultivating its well-deserved spot amongst the best of the best. Tonight's performance was an incredibly strong start to this tour run.
The heat in the building was peaking as a large circle pit formed in the center of the crowd, competing with the packed-in headbangers lining the barricade. This fifteen-hundred capacity venue was full of fans, screaming their hearts out along with the band. The energy was almost as impressive as the guitarists, Ryan O’Leary’s air he caught as he leaped from the risers onto the stage. With a good mix of old and new music, there was something to be enjoyed by fans of any era of this band. They closed their set with the title track “Lonely God”, leaving the crowd begging for more. As the stage went dark, the cheering from the crowd switched from cheers of elation to chanting, “one more song! One more song!” After letting them squirm in their desire, the band finally reemerged to give the crowd what they wanted, and more, playing two more songs, “When Everything Means Nothing” and “Witness The End,” a track featuring Chris from Motionless in White. The closing of the show ended with a thunderous applause, and a room full of people whose appetites had been more than adequately satiated by the performances given by all the bands that played that night.
