Miss May I Brings New Jersey Relentless Chaos With The Perpetual Iron Tour

11 minutes ago

6 min read

Halloween was officially over, with frost soon to cover the grass and cars. Mariah Carey was being thawed from her ice coffin just in time for Black Friday. But before we got too far ahead of ourselves, Ohio metalcore veterans Miss May I made a stop in Asbury Park on November 8 at the House of Independents, with a lineup that was sure to rival the Christmas shopping crowds. Downswing, Convictions, and Born of Osiris were in tow, bringing plenty of gifts for the fans: “The Perpetual Iron Tour”!

As fans funneled in, they were treated to a pre-show set from progressive metalcore band Graypath. Based in the New York/New Jersey area, they were no strangers to the genre, having previously opened for Born of Osiris during one of the band’s last visits to the state. This performance marked the final show for bassist Pedro Pintado and featured songs from their 2024 EP ‘Absym’, along with singles released in 2025.

Graypath is:

Bryan Lopez: Vocals

Michael Burgos: Guitar

Daniel Tejada: Drums

Pedro Pintado: Bassist (Final Show with band)

Downswing was a band I had been excited to see ever since they toured earlier in the year with The Word Alive. As the band came out onto the stage, the energy in the room immediately picked up. Vocalist Brett Colvin loudly told the Jersey crowd to pack in closer and not be lazy. This band demanded the same energy they projected. They immediately launched into “Drowned Out” off ‘And Everything Was Dark’, released October 24, 2025, via MNRK Records. The track blended modern metalcore with their hardcore roots. The pit was in full effect, with two-stepping and moshing underway. Watching the crowd was just as entertaining as watching the band. Knowing what was coming during the breakdowns, I focused on bassist Brandon Jared for his signature high jumps and kicks. Blink, and you might miss them, but he was certainly in no short supply of either. Following their explosive beginning, they launched into “Emptiness Remains,” another standout track from the same album. Catchy choruses hooked you in, followed by “bleghs” and breakdowns. Repeatedly asking the crowd to keep up the energy, they also played their latest single, “At My Worst,” which was released on September 15.

Downswing is:

Brett Colvin: Vocalist

Anthony Salvaggio: Guitars

Chris Arnold: Guitars

Brandon Jared: Bass

Nick Manzella: Drums

Downswing Setlist

Drowned Out

Emptiness Remains

Deadweight

Too Little Too Late

At My Worst (Live debut)

Serpent

For What It’s Worth

The lights dimmed, and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” began to play. Ironic for a few reasons. Naturally, the New Jersey crowd supplied the vocals for the chorus en masse. Well, because it’s New Jersey, of course. And because it was time for self-proclaimed “Aggressive Worship.” Convictions, a Christian metalcore band from Ohio, hit the stage to deliver a sermon of visceral vocals and breakdowns. When the lights came back on, “Stigmata” kicked off the set. Vocalist Michael Felker grabbed his mic, raised his hands in the air, and began delivering vocals with full force.

“I walked across a desert of strife and despair

Spent countless years afraid, choking on desperate prayers

I'm breathing doubt and depression

Exhaling aggression

I'm starving for salvation for a faithless world

God, hear these words

Guide me through this wasteland

Clear the dust from these eyes

Provide a path.

Give me the strength to survive”

Keeping up the pace, Convictions played the unreleased song “No Compromise,” as well as the live debut of “Atonement,” which had only been released a few days earlier, on November 5. The release also came with the announcement that the band had signed with UNFD Records. Having kept the crowd energized, Felker even performed one-armed push-ups between songs. During “Fear of God,” Felker let members of the crowd take over the vocals.

Convictions is:

Michael Felker: Vocals

Quinton Dreier: Guitars, Clean Vocals

Patrick Shekut: Guitars

Zach Schwochow: Drums

Convictions Setlist

Stigmata

Sleeping Lotus

No Comprise (Unreleased)

Hurts Like Hell

Atonement (Live Debut)

Teeth

The Price of Grace

Metonia

The Fear of God

Celebrating 15 years of their album ‘The Discovery’, originally released in 2011 via Sumerian Records, Born of Osiris took to the stage and performed nearly half of their set from the album. Strobes fired across the stage as fog filled the 500-capacity venue. Starting with the title track, “The Discovery,” followed by “Follow the Signs,” the blistering performance delivered everything you could want from a Born of Osiris set. Mind-blowing blast beats that only someone from another planet could pull off? Check, thanks to Cameron Losch. Impossible solos? In full supply, courtesy of guitarists Nick Rossi and Travis Montgomery. Bass lines that would make your fingers go numb? Courtesy of bassist Dan Mariano. And, of course, growls accompanied by some of the best facial expressions from vocalist Ronnie Canizaro. Now, I’m slightly biased, having seen Born of Osiris six times and had the pleasure of photographing them five times. They’re a force to be reckoned with in the progressive metalcore scene. After all, one could even argue they helped start the genre, having been around for nearly 23 years. The real star of the show, though, was when a friend of the band brought their baby onstage to rock out to “Machine.”

Born of Osiris is:

Ronnie Canizaro: Vocals

Cameron Losch: Drums

Nick Rossi: Guitar

Travis Montgomery: Guitar

Dan Mariano: Bass

Born of Osiris Setlist

Follow the Signs

Elevate

Bow Down

Recreate

Singularity

Automatic Motion

Empires Erased

White Nile

Poster Child

Under the Gun

Abstract Art

Ascension

Two Worlds of Design

Devastate

Machine

Miss May I has been a constant in the metalcore scene for nearly 20 years. Somehow, they had eluded me, despite my having seen nearly all the bands that inspired them. (Trust me, I triple-checked my Concert Archives app.) But not tonight. The crowd was getting a little restless, given that it was a Sunday night and the clock was slowly ticking toward 10 p.m. A nightmare for anyone who had to work Monday morning. The lights dimmed before the backlighting glowed hotter as the band walked out. It was quite a different lighting setup compared to the previous bands.

For one hour, the House of Independents was treated to Miss May I’s performance, which kicked off with “Relentless Chaos,” a staple from their 2010 album released via Rise Records. Vocalist Levi Benton took center stage, delivering ripping screams while holding one hand in the stereotypical metalcore claw grip. Drummer Jerod Boyd delivered vicious snare hits, reminiscent of the band’s influences, All That Remains and As I Lay Dying. Meanwhile, guitar riffs from Elisha Mullins held the track together like glue.

Standouts during the set included several live debuts of songs from the band’s latest album, ‘No Place for Me’, which had officially come out on October 2 via Solid State Records. “Pray for Silence” and “Hand Me a Halo” stood out vocally, thanks to the clean choruses from bassist Ryan Neff, while tracks from ‘Apologies Are for the Weak’ riled up the crowd. The energy was enough to bring out a few crowd surfers. However, with no photo pit, surfers were hurled onto the stage. One in particular overstayed their welcome and was eventually pushed back into the crowd. Closing out the set was “Shadows Inside,” from the band’s 2017 album of the same name.