Image: Spiritbox live @ Rock am Ring 2025 [Jonas Tellkamp, @bookings_always_closed]
It's been a good year and a half since Spiritbox released their latest album Tsunami Sea, but as we all know, it's never too late for an extensive release tour, right? And so it came to be that the band, led by vocalist Courtney LaPlante, once again made their way to Germany as part of the European leg of their tour. They had already stopped by Germany for a handful of shows last year, shortly before the release of the current LP. Back then, they played exclusively in Frankfurt at Zoom Club in front of around 500 people – pretty much an “understatement.” This time around, they sold out the Jahrhunderthalle in “Mainhattan,” attracting almost ten times as many guests to an almost sold-out show. And with a tour package like this, that's hardly surprising: Spiritbox brought not only their latest album, but also Jinjer and Dying Wish along for the ride as support.
Dying Wish
The evening kicked off promptly at 7 p.m. with a half-hour set from Dying Wish. We've already had the chance to see the metalcore/hardcore band live several times during festival season, including at Rock am Ring and Landmvrks' MVRKSFEST, but they never get boring. As energetic as ever, the US outfit fronted by vocalist Emma Boster got things going right away, opening with a Wall of Death. Just a relaxing Wednesday evening, right? Over the course of their 30-minute set, the band played eight songs from their three studio albums so far, while the crowd went wild to tracks like “Symptoms of Survival” and “Cowards Feed, Cowards Bleed,” moshing, circling, crowdsurfing, and throwing themselves into a Wall of Death. By the end of the opening set, the air inside the Jahrhunderthalle was already getting pretty heated.
Jinjer
Judging by the conversations in the crowd, many people had also come specifically for the second band of the evening. With Jinjer, Spiritbox had brought along a true metal powerhouse. This wasn't the first time the two acts had shared a stage – they have also played together on previous tours and at festivals, with vocalists Courtney LaPlante and Tatiana Shmayluk even frequently joining each other for songs.
Musically, Jinjer take things in a somewhat different direction. They blend groove metal with progressive metal and djent, making them considerably more intricate and less fast-paced than the first band of the night. That didn't hurt the atmosphere, though – quite the opposite. The crowd knew every word to songs like “Pisces,” “Duel,” and “Judgement (& Punishment).” Vocalist Tati was absolutely shining in every respect. A very strong set!
Spiritbox
After a slight delay and following a perfectly chosen break playlist (it’s Britney, b*tch), Spiritbox took the stage at 9:15 p.m. and – just like at their show at Zoom last year – chose “Fata Morgana” as their opener. The only difference was that hardly anyone knew the song back then, while this time everyone was immediately on board. The band had the entire crowd in the palm of their hand from the very beginning. The musicians delivered such an impressive stage presence that it was almost impossible to look away, even if you had wanted to. The Canadian outfit knows how to captivate an audience like few other bands. Courtney LaPlante's powerful vocals and the technical know-how of her bandmates formed the foundation, while the sound and production as a whole did the rest.
Between songs from their latest album Tsunami Sea (“Perfect Soul,” “Keep Sweet,” “Crystal Roses,” “Soft Spine”), Spiritbox naturally also played tracks from their debut album Eternal Blue and the EP The Fear of Fear. This gave fans the chance to go wild in the pit to “Holy Roller” and sing along loudly to “Circle With Me,” “The Void,” and “Jaded.”
After around an hour and a half, the set came to an end with the current single “Mourning.” Courtney LaPlante thanked the fans for their continued support, which makes it possible for her and her bandmates to tour in the first place. You're very welcome, Courtney! As long as you keep coming back to see us, we'll be here every time. See you soon!
