Queensryche and Armored Saint play to a sold-out crowd at The Legendary Toad’s Place in New Haven Connecticut on April 28, 2024

April 30, 2024
International Concert Reviews, International Galleries
by Jody Wilk Photographer/Writer

“Toad’s Place, Where the Legends Play” is their motto, and Queensryche is certainly legendary in the heavy metal world. They brought their Origins Tour to New Haven along with support from heavy metal icons, Armored Saint. The line snaked around the building on a dreary Sunday night, as fans chatted with each other about the very cool set they were going to witness in a few hours. Queensryche was going to play their EP and The Warning in their entirety. This was a treat for any hardcore Queensryche fan as there are a number of songs that aren’t included on their setlist on a regular basis.

Hailing from Los Angeles, California, metal giants Armored Saint took the stage at 7:30 pm to open the night. It had been 33 years since they had performed at Toad’s Place while on their Symbol of Salvation Tour. The venue was overflowing even before they started to play, a feat that many opening acts get to enjoy. They hit the stage with “End of the Attention Span” off of their Punching the Sky album which was released in October of 2020. These heavy metal badasses played a 10-song set of music spanning their forty-two-year career. Guitarist Phillip Sandoval commands the stage and takes the time to give the photographers some rock star poses. Gonzo‘s drum kit was inches from the front and center of the stage so much that John Bush, the lead singer couldn’t even pass in front of it. I did see him go backstage and come out on the other side one time. John can still belt out the vocals just like back in the day. What an amazing singer he is, and for those of you who don’t know, John had also had a long run as the singer for Anthrax. The last time I saw Armored Saint was back in 2022 when John was sick with a respiratory infection, and he had Jason McMaster step in for the night. So, this was the first time I saw him perform an entire set. Armored Saint kept the entire venue pumping their fists and singing along to many of their classic songs as well as some of the more recent stuff as well. They ended the night with “Reign of Fire” off of their 1991 release entitled Symbol of Salvation”.

Armored Saint is:

John Bush – Lead vocals

Joey Vera – Bass, backing vocals

Phillip Sandoval – Guitar

Jeff Duncan – Guitar, backing vocals

Gonzo Sandoval – Drums, backing vocals

Setlist:

1. End of the Attention Span

2. Raising Fear

3. Tribal Dance

4. Missile to Gun

5. March of the Saint

6. Left Hook from Right Field

7. Aftermath

8. Win Hands Down

9. Can You Deliver

10. Reign of Fire

Queensryche was a treat to see playing at Toad’s Place as it is more intimate than many of the venues I have seen. Back in the day, we would see them at The Agora Ballroom or The Hartford Civic Center. I believe this is the first time they’ve played at Toad’s Place. They came out on stage with that ear-piercing scream that begins “Queen of the Reich”, and Todd LaTorre handled it with ease. “Queen of the Reich”, although not a mainstream media hit, is probably one of the most iconic songs for any true Queensryche fan. On this tour, they perform their EP and The Warning in their entirety. Todd has been fronting the band since 2012 and has put out 4 albums with them which contain some killer songs that I usually enjoy hearing them perform as well as the classics from Operation: Mindcrime and Empire. Rumor has it that this weekend at the M3 Rock Festival in Maryland, they will take a break from the Origins Tour and play their more normal set of songs.

Original members Michael Wilton and Eddie Jackson always play on point and bring their a-game to the stage. Mike Stone makes the perfect pairing on guitar to compliment Michael. Casey Grillo‘s drum kit was up on a riser and had his symbols hanging from a bar above him which made it near impossible to get any great photos of him. The first part of the set ended with “The Lady Wore Black”, another favorite of any diehard Queensryche fan.

With a quick change of the scrims flanking the sides of the stage to match The Warning album, they came back on stage to play two of my favorites, “The Warning”, and “En Force”. Two songs that just get the crowd really pumping their fists and singing along. At one point Todd took a fans phone and was videoing himself singing and moving about the stage. They continued on to play the rest of this iconic classic Queensryche album and then ended their encore set with “Screaming in Digital” off of Rage for Order. They have been changing the last song from night to night on this tour.

The Origins Tour by Queensryche is one not to be missed. After playing the Legendary Toad’s Place for a sold-out show, they have proven that even their early albums still stand the test of time. Armored Saint also pulled just as much energy from the crowd as they had on stage. You can catch them both on tour together through May 12th, then both bands have some separate dates after that. Check their website links below to find up to date tour info.

Queensryche is:

Todd LaTorre – Lead vocals

Michael Wilton – Lead guitar, backing vocals

Casey Grillo – Drums

Mike Stone – Rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Eddie Jackson – Bass, backing vocals