Concert review: The Dark Horizon Tour feat. In This Moment, Motionless in White, Fit for a King, and From Ashes to New | 08.05.23, Ozarks Amphitheater (with photo gallery)

Photo of Maria Brink of In This Moment by Jen Ruff

Hot off their first top 10 debut for their new record “Blackout,” From Ashes to New came to deliver.  Adding guitarist Jimmy Bennett to the live show gave their already explosive sound just one more notch of rock. Previous hits “Panic” and “Heartache” had some attendees realizing they’d heard them before and the crowd as a whole were very supportive of the band’s incredible offerings. I personally won’t tire of bands who remind the crowd how similar we are with struggles and judgments that make us feel not so alone nor unusual as Matt Brandyberry spoke to this crowd. Their sound will only expand given the unique juxtaposition between Brandyberry and singer Danny Case’s sing/scream/rap combination. This band has truly found a niche and it keeps fans wanting more.

Fit For a King followed with some Texas rock! Bassist Ryan O’Leary was captivating to watch as he is so energetic, animated, and seemingly unable to stand still which was perfect. Out of seven songs, “Vendetta” was a standout, absolutely crushing the crowd musically and sonically. For the two openers, the crowd’s energy and attention felt elevated compared to any regular show or tour. This Dark Horizon tour’s lineup was solid.

Coheadliners Motionless in White were up next—and the reason for our three-hour travel—and they didn’t disappoint. Personally, it was my fourteenth show of theirs and, cliché as it is, they keep getting better and more refined. The first two songs were the opening tracks for their most recent release, “Scoring The End of the World,” written during and affected by the Covid pandemic.  They continued with MIW classic “Reincarnate,” increasing the temperature with beautiful pyro and nitrous for the remainder of the hard rocking show.

The yin to the yang for Motionless for fifteen years on several tours was the always stunning In This Moment. Lead singer Maria Brink has never allowed a show to be phoned in. It’s always a cinematic masterpiece, and this Saturday in Mid-Missouri was no exception. Albeit a short set of seven songs, it still felt longer given the attention to detail and theatrics, which there was no shortage of. Ending the evening as she always does, everyone on the tour was thanked: all bands, their crews, and techs—they were and are now a part of their community and, as a fan, it’s the cherry on top of a truly amazing evening. | Diane Ruff