ALL PHOTOS BY DYLAN DUNCAN
Killswitch Engage (Website) and their 2026 North American Tour brought the thunder to Hard Rock Live in Orlando this week, featuring a stacked lineup including Machine Head, Iron Reagan, and Havok.
Havok opened the night with a relentless half-hour set. Tight pants, blistering solos, and speed reminiscent of the 1980s. The show had a delayed start due to a storm in the area, but that didn’t stop the band from getting the crowd warmed up for what was to come.
Iron Reagan was up next. Featuring members of Municipal Waste, this crossover thrash group from Richmond, Virginia wasted no time, delivering a 15-song set in just 45 minutes. Their energy on stage was probably the highlight of the night for me.
Now that the room was nearly full, the band I was most excited to see, Bay Area Thrash legends Machine Head, took the stage. I’ve loved this band since high school, and seeing them felt like reconnecting with an old friend. I first saw them in 2008 opening for Metallica and in support of their genre-defining album The Blackening. Led by the always outspoken Robb Flynn, Machine Head has spent nearly three decades delivering some of the best live performances in all of metal.
Closing out the night was Killswitch Engage. For many people, this band was a gateway into metal in the early 2000s. Their blend of emotional songwriting, crushing riffs, and soaring sing-alongs would become the blueprint for modern metal over the last 25 years. Seeing them always feels like watching history unfold in real time. This performance celebrated their legacy while also demonstrating that they are still at the top of their game and remain one of the best live acts in the genre.
