Fit For An Autopsy Delivers a Ferocious Performance at Theater of Living Arts

On October 20th, deathcore band Fit For An Autopsy visited Philadelphia, PA on their The Nothing That Is Tour to put on a show that fans will never forget. The tour, named after their upcoming record “The Nothing That Is” which will release later this week on October 25th, celebrates the new album while also appealing to longtime fans with a plethora of older tracks. With Fit For An Autopsy’s intense style and the crowds’ unrelenting energy, it would be no surprise if those beyond the Theater of Living Arts could hear the mayhem brimming from the venue.

Hardcore band Judiciary started the night off, the first band in a stacked lineup of four openers. Their heavy riffs, crushing breakdowns, and powerful screams quickly invigorated the crowd and set the tone for the rest of the night: the energy will only get stronger from here! Even if it was their first time hearing Judiciary, the crowd was immersed in their performance as fans were moshing throughout the whole set, making the band a fitting first opener for Fit For An Autopsy.

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Fifteen minutes after the initial set, Sylosis took the stage. A modern metal band from England, this tour marks the first time since 2013 that they performed in the US, making this performance a particularly special moment for anyone in the crowd. Unfortunately, vocalist Josh Middleton informed the crowd that he’d been battling the flu. He elaborated that their set would be mostly instrumental so that he could prevent unnecessary vocal strain, ensuring that he and the rest of the band would still deliver a full set. Sylosis’ determination to give fans a full performance despite the circumstances was much appreciated as the pit moshed to their heavy breakdowns and rhythmic riffs.

Distant, a deathcore band from the Netherlands, was the third opener of the night. The band put on an astounding visual performance with flashing lights that matched the heavy beats of their music. With versatile, brutal vocals from Alan Grnja, intricate guitar licks, and killer breakdowns, Distant easily made a fan out of each person in the crowd within their first few songs. Early in their set, a circle pit formed which was then followed by a wall of death during their next song. This marked the night’s first circle pit and wall of death, and this unwavering energy continued for the rest of Distant’s set.

The fourth and final opener of the night, Bodysnatcher, raised the crowds’ energy through the roof, fully preparing them for the headlining act. During the first song of their set, the band saw the night’s first crowdsurfer as they opened with the fast-paced “King of the Rats”. Bodysnatcher’s aggressive lyrics, brutal breakdowns, and vitriolic riffs made the perfect inception of complete chaos at Theater of Living Arts. From two-stepping to moshing to circle pits, the fans’ enthusiasm never dwindled for a second for the entirety of the band’s set. “This is why you’re one of my favorite cities,” vocalist Kyle Medina told the crowd as he proudly watched the havoc ensue from the pit. Needless to say that after Bodysnatcher’s vicious set, the crowd was fully prepared for Fit For An Autopsy’s headlining performance.

Twenty minutes after the final opening set, the crowd cheered as the lights began to dim and Fit For An Autopsy walked onto the stage. Opening with “Lower Purpose”, a brutal single from “The Nothing That Is”, the band took no time to raise the intensity tenfold. Vocalist Joe Bad immediately delivered vicious, powerful screams, with guitarists Patrick Sheridan and Tim Howley shredding scathing riffs. Drummer Josean Orta’s heavy beats and drum fills boomed throughout the venue, and bassist Peter Blue Spinazola brought his intricate basslines. With these musicians’ talents combined, Fit For An Autopsy immediately ignited the fans with violent passion as they moshed along.

For the third song of their set, Fit For An Autopsy played a currently unreleased song, “Red Horizon”, which will release with “The Nothing That Is”. Despite this song being unreleased, it instantly became a favorite as nonstop crowdsurfers were carried along throughout the entirety of the song. After opening with newer tracks, Fit For An Autopsy gave the fans some older tracks to enjoy, “Black Mammoth” and “The Sea of Tragic Beasts”, before playing another recent single from “The Nothing That Is”, “Savior of None/Ashes of All”. The band continued to showcase fan-favorites from a wide range of their discography, keeping the crowd engaged through the entire set as constant moshing and circle pits commenced.

Towards the end of the set, Fit For An Autopsy played the third recent single from “The Nothing That Is”, “Hostage”, a versatile track that combines brutal screams and heavy instrumentals with melodious clean vocals. The band ended the night with the 6 minute-long “Two Towers”, a stunning conclusion to a fantastic set. The crowd was moshing and crowd surfing until the very end, ending the night with a bang. Fit For An Autopsy’s status as deathcore icons was solidified on this night, giving a killer performance that had fans nearly bouncing off the walls at the Theater of Living Arts.