Dayseeker Initiates Dark Sun Protocol in Toronto

Dayseeker's performance in Toronto at the waterfront venue of REBEL would not be one forgotten by any. With beautiful stage production, heavy and emotional musical accompaniments and earth-shattering support from Kingdom of Giants, Catch Your Breath and Alpha Wolf, initiation of the Dark Sun Protocol was success in Toronto.

As the sun went down over water, casting a golden glow over the building, inside the crowd was anxiously waiting for the first openers of the night, Kingdom Of Giants. The metalcore five piece hailing from California brought an explosive energy, conquering the stage within the first few seconds. A blend of screams from Dana Willax and clean vocals from bassist Jon Reeves complimented the heavy and driven guitars of Red Martin and Max Bremmer. To round it all out, drummer Truman Berlin delivered drum beats fit for a rising kingdom. When the sun dipped below the horizon, so did the Giants depart the stage, and their lasting impact on the crowd would be just as big as their namesake.

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As the outside sky faded from orange to dark blue, Austin metalcore band Catch Your Breath came out to the stage. However, they were different from the band that came before them; instead of a completely driven set, they tapped in to a more emotional, slightly more melodic feel and allowed their audience to, well, catch their breath. But don't let that fool you; they still ripped a few riffs and sparked some headbanging, some crowdsurfing and a few mosh pits. Powerful vocals were brought forth by Josh Mowrey, while bassist Cianan Madigan and drummer Onell Hernandez added the classic metalcore blasts. Guitarist Teddy Herrera brought along some beautifully loud and emotional riffs to round off the unique sound of Catch Your Breath.

They played some popular songs such as 21 Gun Salute and Good In Goodbye, the latter of which was dedicated to Herrera's grandmother, who was their first fan but unfortunately never got to see the band perform live. However, with the energy, insane talent, and raw emotion that every member of Catch Your Breath displayed onstage, it's safe to say anyone who had known them from the start would be proud.

Even though the ever-growing crowd had a moment to catch their breath during the second opener's set, they would never be completely prepared for the nu-metalcore legends, Alpha Wolf. These Australians brought the heat from down under all the way to the north, with growls and screams that border on frightening from vocalist Lochie Keogh, skull-shattering blast beats from drummer Mitch Fogarty, driven bass lines from John Arnold, flesh-ripping riffs from lead guitarist Scottie Simpson, and haunting rhythm guitars from their infamous masked guitarist, Sabian Lynch.

Alpha Wolf's set would be laced with dangerous energy that pulled everyone in the room towards their mosh pits. Their energy spilled from the stage into the crowd and pushed everyone back for multiple walls of death. As Forgarty drove up everyone's adrenaline with suspenseful beats, Lynch took a break from the guitar to pose dramatically as Keogh would egg on an already energetic crowd by screaming "fucking kill each other" before leaving it all to chaos and watching everyone in the crowd (respectfully) tear one another apart like predators do to prey.

Looking around, no one in the room was standing still. If someone wasn't moshing during monstrous songs like Haunter, Sucks 2 Suck or Akudama, then they were crowdsurfing to songs like Bleed 4 You, or simply headbanging at barricade or on the sidelines. But wherever you were in the venue, you could feel the intense energy radiating from the stage, and were probably left with the feeling of your bones shaking inside you.

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Finally, at around 9:30pm, Dayseeker was set to initiate Dark Sun Protocol. Screens would light up and a calming robotic voice spoke to the crowd, telling them that "the dawn is closer than you think", before initiating a countdown. It was at this point that everyone in the room was no longer in Toronto; everyone had been transported to another dimension. The four members of Dayseeker found the stage as the crowd landed in an alternate dimension full of pinks, blues and purples.

When the synths of Dreamstate started, screens all around the stage lit up, fully immersing everyone in the beauty and artistry of the night. Vocalist Rory Rodriguez is easily one of the most technically sound vocalists out there right now, delivering everything from haunting melodies, to gritty screams and even holding high notes for what seems like forever. Guitarist Gino Sgambelluri provided the melodies everyone loves, drummer Zac Mayfield brought the breakdown everyone was anticipating, and bassist Ramone Valerio kept everything in line during this transportation to this unknown dimension. Midway through Dreamstate, Josh Mowrey of Catch Your Breath was brought on to sing a chorus with the band.

Dreamstate was followed by Crooked Soul, which preceded the ever-emotional Burial Plot. Once again, Rodriguez's vocals shone through, especially through the chorus, holding notes that the average person could rarely achieve, and still able to convey the heartache and heaviness that Burial Plot carried. Shortly after, the real Dark Sun protocol was executed when the band went on to play Dark Sun. At this moment, everyone in the crowd ascended once again to another area of this alternate dimension. With beautiful visuals lighting the band from behind and a light show that no one could complain about, Dayseeker's performance of Dark Sun was easily one of their best of the night. The otherworldly synths sparked as bright as the lights, and pair that with the impeccable guitar work from Sgambelluri and the beats from Mayfield, the Dark Sun protocol was initiated successfully.

However, the energy of Dark Sun would mellow out and fade into Without Me. This song was the perfect balance of bittersweet, enchanting and heart-wrenching. There was not one dry eye in the crowd as Dayseeker played their hearts out to Without Me. It was as if every member of both the band and the crowd poured out every bit of their soul into the music while bright lights flashed. The next song was a fitting one too, since everyone started dancing and moshing as they were wiping the tears from their eyes. Crying While You're Dancing (or moshing or crowdsurfing) was a perfect transition from the rawness of Without Me.

But the waterworks didn't stop there. As Toronto grew deeper into the execution of the Dark Sun Protocol, a whirlwind of emotions would pass through the crowd with songs such as Gates of Ivory, Paper Heart, Afterglow (Hazel's Song) and even a cover of Evanescence's My Immortal. Talk about emotional whiplash. To close off the main set on a high note, Dayseeker played through the energetic but emotionally raw Sleeptalk.

For an encore, they returned with a performance of Neon Grave. Now this was a song unlike any other from that night. Every member of the band worked together to bring their best song to life for the end of the night. It wasn't only a performance of a song, it was an experience. Bright lights and vibrant graphics complimented the rawness and heartache of the song. Neon Grave was the best demonstrations of Rodriguez's vocal range, whether he was screaming during the breakdown, or belting high notes during the bridge. The polarizing sounds between the verses and choruses allowed the other members of the band to showcase their skill as well. Sgambelluri brought beautiful ambience during the verses, but his skill shone through in the choruses and breakdown. Mayfield's drum beats and fills stayed nice and simple, but didn't take away from the technique exhibited. Valerio's bass lines had their moment during the breakdown, and throughout the song, the bass kept everyone in line and added a layer that would make the song sound empty without it. A gritty line screamed by Rodriguez and dramatic musical flourish drew the entire set to a close. Toronto had successfully executed the Dark Sun Protocol.