Julia Dunagan On March 5, 2025, The Pinnacle in Nashville hosted its third-ever show—and its first metal one—proving the genre isn’t just alive but thriving. Headlined by Killswitch Engage, with support from Fit for a King and Kublai Khan TX, the night delivered a relentless surge of intensity and raw energy.
Fit For a King
Fit for a King hit the stage with force, locking the crowd in from the first note. Heads nodded, hair whipped, and the circle pit fired up fast—a swirling pulse of energy. Right in the mix was a concertgoer in a wheelchair, fully part of the chaos; a reminder of how inclusive this space can be. I always get that flicker of nerves with pits—will it tip into aggression or become a shared release? That night, it was the latter, a perfect balance of fury and respect that set the tone for the rest of the show.
Photos by Julia Dunagan Photography. All images © 2025 Copyright Julia Dunagan Photography. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Kublai Khan TX
Kublai Khan TX came next and cranked the energy even higher. Matt Honeycutt’s growls dominated the room as the floor turned wild—crowd surfers flying, pits thrashing. Somewhere in the madness, a group of guys in banana suits surfed the crowd with reckless joy. Wait—was that dog barking? Their set was short, sharp, and unrelenting, leaving bodies buzzing and minds blown. So much chaos, so much energy, and as a first-timer, I was just trying to take it all in, barely processing before the next wave crashed over me, leaving me reeling long after their set ended.
Photos by Julia Dunagan Photography. All images © 2025 Copyright Julia Dunagan Photography. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Killswitch Engage
Then came Killswitch Engage. Jesse Leach had the crowd in his hands—off the stage, up to the barricade, matching every bit of energy and love the crowd gave him. Songs rolled one into the next, barely a second to breathe, with just a few pauses—one where he told us, “We’re more alike than the people who want to keep us divided,” a call to stick together that landed deep. It was one of those moments where you feel seen, like everyone’s digging deep from the same truth. The pit showed it too, holding steady even in the quieter moments, sometimes with one person standing in the center, defiant but calm, the circle never broken but cradling this space for release.
Metal is movement—physical, emotional, undeniable. That night, with hair thrashing, heads banging, and an energy that refused to fade, one thing was clear: metal’s heart is still beating strong.
Photos by Julia Dunagan Photography. All images © 2025 Copyright Julia Dunagan Photography. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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