Arch Enemy Kicks off Their Dynasty in San Diego

Heather Vandemark
Apr 18
4 min read

Back again at our favorite San Diego venue, The Observatory North Park, for Arch Enemy on their Blood Dynasty Tour with support from Thrown into Exile, Baest, and Fit For An Autopsy! I’m always raving about this place, because who doesn’t love free parking right across the street at the parking garage? If it’s your first time there, it can be a little confusing where to enter the venue. The box office is on the east side, but the entrance is on the south side, so you’ll walk right by the tour buses on your way in. The staff is super friendly and always helpful. It’s our favorite!

I can’t always make it to see the opening band because of that day job thing that pays my rent, but I really try to get there on time for the first band because everyone starts somewhere and you might see that one band that you think ‘how have I missed this band?’ Thrown Into Exile was that band on this night and now they are on my playlist! Of course, as a photographer, my first thought when they hit the stage is long dreads and long hair that are headbanging, hell yeah!! They formed in 2011 and just a year later were on the Rockstar Mayhem Festival, Summer Slaughter Tour, California Metal Fest and also toured with bands like Fear Factory and Testament. Again, I don’t know how I missed them, but they are on my radar now. Make sure you get there early and catch them.

Baest is a Danish death metal band that started in 2015. My spellcheck is losing its mind thinking I’m dyslexic, but it is the correct spelling as Bæst is the Danish word for "beast" or "brute". They still have all five original members Lasse Revsbech (guitar), Svend Karlsson (guitar), Simon Olsen (vocals), Mattias Melchiorsen (bass) and Sebastian Abildsten on drums. They have three studio albums, with the last one Necro Sapiens released in 2021, but recently released a single “Colossal”, so a new album is possibly on its way. They were fun, goofy guys playing up to the camera at times, loved it.

Fit for an Autopsy, a deathcore band from New Jersey, was up next! They just released their latest album, The Nothing That Is, late last year in October. We of course had to go over to merch and buy the wall flag with the album art on it cause it's such a sick design! They opened their set with “Lower Purpose”, which is off that album. They had an absolute insane light show that brought a lot of power and dynamic to the performance. Even if we had to put some sun glasses on to watch, it was still pretty cool! They closed out with fan favorite “Far From Heaven”.

The first time I saw Arch Enemy was in 2015 at a Schecter Guitars party at NAMM. At that time, I didn’t know anything about the band. Alissa White-Gluz walks out on stage with blue hair, a stunning sparkly bodysuit with platform boots. I spent the first few minutes trying to figure out who was doing these insane dirty vocals, there’s no way it’s that girl. Blew my mind! At that time, Alissa had just joined the band the year prior, after the amicable departure of Angela Gossow. Since this was the first time I’ve seen Arch Enemy since 2015, she’s really come into her own, commanding the stage with confidence. She was absolutely stunning in her bodysuit outfit with a fan to blow her hair while whipping her neck around. Arch Enemy also consist of guitarist Michael Amott, drummer Daniel Erlandsson, bassist Sharlee D’Angelo, and guitarist Joey Concepcion. They band is celebrating 30 years this year! Since this was just opening night, there’s still plenty of time to catch this tour with a few more weeks left!