Trinity of Terror : Part 3

Peoria Civic Center - Peoria IL | Nov. 10th, 2022

Written and Photographed by: Brandi Lyn

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Motionless In White, Black Veil Brides, Ice Nine Kills (w/ Atreyu)

The third and final leg of the Trinity of Terror tour with headliners Motionless In White, Black Veil Brides, and Ice Nine Kills. This time with Atreyu opening up the show. Fans gathered around the building of the Peoria Civic Center, waiting for the doors to open. First letting in the Saints and then the Sinners, which are the two upgrade packages you can choose to purchase aside from General Admission.

Atreyu

A countdown from 10 popped up on the screen behind the stage and the crowd began to countdown. Finally hit 1, the crowd screamed as Atreyu entered the stage. Kicking off the show with their song ‘Strange Power of Prophecy’ and leading into their song ‘Baptize’.

Atreyu is an American Metalcore band from Yorba Linda, California. Forming in 1998. The band consists of Vocalist Brandon Saller, Guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, Bassist and Vocalist Marc "Porter" McKnight, and drummer Kyle Rosa.

During their song ‘Right Side of the Bed’, they invited a fan (who was on the side stage) to come out and sing a verse of the song. Brandon gave the fan his microphone and he began to sing along to the song. Brandon high-fived him and the fan gave back the mic. and continued the song.

Brandon came out into the crowd during their song ‘The Time is Now’. Making his way through the crowd and to the people in the seats. During their song ‘Ex’s and Oh’s’, people began to crowd surf. A father decided to lift his son up as if to crowd surf. People held their hands up to help and let the father lead his son to the front. After the song ended the singer stopped to acknowledge what the father had done.

“What’s a better father and son bonding than that?” Brandon said, “It’s called raising your children right.” The crowd cheered in agreement. “I guarantee he’s not gonna go to school on Monday and see a bunch of other kids who went to the Trinity of Terror Tour.” A woman with the father and son had yelled she was the grandmother and Brandon yell’s “Grandma’s here?” and the crowd cheered. Brandon then began to start a chant saying “Grandma”.

“Listen, our world would be a better fucking place if we raised more of our children on heavy fucking metal.” He said. The father and son had made their way back to their spot and the singer pointed them out. “There he is, what’s your name?” He asked and the family yelled “Lakoda”. Brandon then began to chant “Lakota” and the crowd followed.

After performing their songs ‘Save Us’ and ‘Falling Down’, fans screamed that they loved the band. “We love you too”, Brandon said. “We, I think, are the nicest heavy rock, metal, whatever you wanna call us, band on earth. And we’re sensitive to goddamn it.” The crowd cheered. “Anyways, speaking of sensitive, I’d like to introduce you to one of my best friends in the world Mr. Porter McKnight.”

“Hello friends”, Porter said waving to the crowd as they cheered. He had put down his bass guitar and grabbed a mic. So he could join Brandon in singing the next song.

“We’ve done sing-alongs. We’ve done Crowd Surfing. I wanna see Illinois open up that fucking pit. Are you with me?” Brandon said and the crowd cheered. “This one’s called “Battle Drums”, it gets a little rowdy, let’s fuck shit up.” He said and they began playing their next song.

Before performing their last song of the night, Brandon started singing, ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ by Whitney Houston. The crowd laughed and sang along and the band chimed in. Brandon started to sing the first verse and then said “Just kidding”.

They introduced the next song ‘Blow’ and held up their middle fingers, “Sorry little dude” he said referring to the kid from before. The little boy raised his hands up just like everyone else in the crowd and “flipped the bird”. “There he is,” Brandon said pointing at the child and the crowd cheered.

Motionless In White

The venue went dark as Motionless In White we’re about to take the stage. The screen of the backdrop projected a loading Icon as well as the words “Motionless In White is Coming Online…” that switched to “Initiating Bangover Sequence…” glitching on the screen and repeated until the lights began to slowly turn on and fog started filling the stage. The lullaby tune of the beginning of “Disguise” began to play threw the speakers. The band started making their way onto the stage and fans cheered as they took their place.

Motionless In White switched up their performance for the final tour for Trinity of Terror. Adding their 2022 song ‘Werewolf’, which they had just dropped a music video for, as well as adding ‘Dead As Fuck’ to the list. They also added more elements to their performances such as bringing in Choreographers Talitha Thurstin and Amanda Sahr of Cherry Bombs.

After performing ‘Disguise’ and ‘Sign of Life’, Chris stopped to talk to the crowd.

“Light this crowd up, let me see ‘em”, Chris yelled and the crowd cheered waving at the band. “How’s everyone on the floor doing? Make some noise.” The crowd cheered louder. “How about everyone in the seats? Let me hear you.” More cheering roared from the people in the seats. “Interesting, we’ve got everyone on this side standing”, he said pointing to the right of him, “Everybody on this side sitting”, he said pointing to the left of him. “You guy’s comfortable? Just wanna make sure those butts got a nice place to rest.” Chris joked.

“Two songs in, we’re having a fucking blast, who’s having a good time so far?” The crowd cheered loudly to answer. “I struggle to say the name ‘Peoria’, for some reason I can’t fucking say it… But I noticed today that this is a place in Illinois that we rarely get to play, it’s usually always Joliet or Chicago, so I’m assuming we have some out-of-city travelers here tonight right?” He asked and the crowd cheered.

“My friends, where ever you are from, thank you for making the trip to come see the Trinity of Terror Tour. Take a look around and make some fucking noise for yourselves.” He said. “Now seeing as we do not get to play here that often, it leaves me curious. I just have one question, does Peoria Illinois fuck with the heavy shit or what?” The crowd screamed as if to answer.

“You guys wanna hear some heavy shit Illinois? Well here’s what we do, I say the words ‘One mutilation’,” and the crowd shouted back, ‘under God’. “For all of you that don’t know it, you say ‘Under God’. One mutilation,” Chris yelled and the crowd chanted “Under God”. “This song is called ‘Slaughterhouse’.” He said as they began playing their next song.

Bringing out Talitha and Amanda to perform alongside Chris, they wore a full grey body suit with cyborg-like designs. Holding a handheld circular saw along with metal attached to their hips, hitting the saw on the metal to create sparks that flew above the crowd.

Next, they performed their song ‘Werewolf’ which gave a Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ feel with their performance as well as Chris’s red leather jacket and referencing the lyrics, “feels like Somebody’s watchin' me”, within the song. The stage was filled with smoke, giving off a graveyard vibe, and behind them on the screen played the new music video to the song. The girls came out on stage dressed in matching red leather jackets and both wearing wolf masks.

During their next song, ‘Voices’, which has become an anthem for people to face their own demons within themselves. With their lyrics “Voices in my head again, trapped in a war inside my own skin. They're pulling me under”. For this song, fans like to throw pride flags onto the stage, and during this performance, three different flags were thrown Chris’s way.

First hanging up a pink, yellow, and blue flag (which represents the Pansexual Community) and hung it on his mic. stand. Next grabbing a Pink, Purple, and Blue flag (which represents the Bisexual Community) from a fan in the crowd and hung it on Justin Marrow's mic. stand. Then grabbing a rainbow flag that also had white, pink, blue, brown, and black (which is considered the Progress Pride Flag) from a security guard that a fan had given to him. Throwing it over his shoulder as he sang, then wrapped it around his mic. stand.

“How’s everyone doing?” Chris asked before their next song. “This is the best show ever. We’ve got no crowd surfers. Fuck yeah.” He joked. “Nobody’s getting their head or teeth smashed in, I fucking love it.” The crowd cheered and laughed along. “There’s the headline tomorrow. Chris Motionless bans crowd surfing from Motionless shows… or some dumb shit like that.”

For their song ‘Cyberhex’, they brought Talitha and Amanda back on stage dressed again in the grey cyborg-like outfit, waving around the Motionless In White flags. Later, coming back out with LED light sticks, spinning them around.

After performing their song ‘Masterpiece’, Talitha and Amanda came out dressed as Zombies for Motionless In White’s 2014 song ‘Dead as Fuck’. One was standing on high stilts, towering over the band. As the band performed, Talitha and Amanda followed Chris around the stage in zombie-like motions. They ended up picking up pumpkin candy baskets and threw candy out into the crowd.

They next performed their song ‘Another Life’ and fans sang along with Chris, holding up their flash on their phones. They then went into performing their cover of ‘Somebody Told Me’ by The Killers.

They ended their set with their 2017 song ‘Eternally Yours’. Towards the end of the song, Talitha and Amanda came back out, this time dressed in black dresses and with a handful of roses. They started throwing roses out into the crowd along with Chris. Once the roses were all thrown and the song was over, Chris introduced the girls, taking their hands, and the three of them bowed.

Black Veil Brides

The BVB logo flashed on and off on the screen as they made their way to the stage. Black Veil Brides also had a change in their set. Adding their new song ‘Devil’ to the setlist, as well as changing their performances. This time rather than starting with their monologue of ‘The Phantom Tomorrow’, they started with their monologue ‘The Outcast (Call to Arms)’ from their 2010 album We Stitch These Wounds.

“This record is for the outcasts. Following our stories of Love, life, and never giving in. We are the Black Veil Brides” - The Outcast (Call to Arms)

Coming out onstage as their monologue ended and their song ‘Crimson Skies’ began. Their newer revamped logo flashed on the screen behind them.

Black Veil Brides played a good mix of songs from their records. Playing a lot of thier older music like ‘Coffin’, ‘Faithless’, Knives and Pens’, ‘The Legacy’, ‘Fallen Angels’, and ‘In the End’ as well as playing their 2022 song ‘Devil’, and their 2021 songs ‘Shadows Rise’ and ‘Scarlet Cross’.

Black Veil Brides is a band that utilizes its stage pretty well. With Andy giving both sides of the stage just as much attention. Jake and Jinxx also running back and forth, switching from side to side.

Fans who have been listening to Black Veil Brides for a long time were excited when they began playing their 2010 song ‘Knifes in Pens’. For a lot of fans, they resonated with this song as well as the band. Being outcasted for looking or dressing differently than everyone else.

Ending their set with their 2012 song ‘In The End’, fans jumped to the beat and sang as loud as they could. Andy held out the microphone towards the crowd as they sang the final chorus, “In the end, as you fade into the night”.

Before leaving the stage, they threw guitar picks and set lists into the crowd. Waving goodbye as they exited the stage.

Ice Nine Kills

Before Ice Nine Kills took the stage, red balloons were handed out in the crowd. People blew them up and started hitting them around the arena.

Ice Nine Kills started the show with their song ‘Funeral Derangements’, which is based on the 1983 horror film ‘Pet Cemetery’. The band came out wearing animal masks and Spencer came out holding a shovel. Throughout their show, Spencer dressed as characters from the movies that their songs were written about. Also adding Shevy Marrie and Michael Meaney to perform as characters from the horror movies as well.

For their song ‘Würst Vacation’, which is based on the 2005 horror film Hostel, Michael Meaney came onstage dressed in a butcher's outfit holding an axe and a butcher's knife. “Eins, Zwei, Drei, die!”, Spencer shouted as Michael pointed the “weapons” towards the crowd.

Michael came back out this time wearing a goat's head and carrying a chainsaw. Chris later came back out again, but this time as Spencer’s victim. As Shevy shoved Michael to the front of the stage, Spencer put on the butcher's outfit.

“What the fuck is this? Where the fuck am I? Please, please, I'll pay you anything, please let me go.

Stupid kid, it's not about the money. You don't like our customs? Then stay in your country. 'Cause on this trip, there are no survivors, and in this club, your life don't mean Scheiße.” - Würst Vacation

Spencer took his butcher's knife and began “cutting off” Michael's arm. Once he was done, Spencer held up the prop arm towards the crowd.

For their song ‘Hip to Be Scared’, which is based on the 2000 thriller ‘American Psycho’, Spencer put on a clear raincoat and picked up an axe. Michael stumbled onstage in a drunken manner, “Do you like Ice Nine Kills?” Spencer asks, “Not really.”

“Their early work was a little bit too scene for me, but when The Silver Scream came out, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically,” Spencer continued, throwing a fake punch at Michael.

“The whole album has a refined melodic sensibility that really makes it a cut above the rest…Hey, Paul,” the crowd shouted along as Spencer began to “decapitate” Michael with the axe. Spencer held up the fake bloody head towards the crowd as he continued to sing.

Dressing as Georgie from the 1990’s horror film IT, Shevy came out in a yellow raincoat, holding a red balloon and a paper boat. She waved at the crowd in a childlike manner, and the crowd cheered and waved back. Spencer came out wearing a clown mask, portraying the character of Pennywise.

“Allow me to introduce myself. They call me the dancing clown. And you must be Georgie, did you hear my circus was in town?” Spencer sang, taking away the paper boat from Shevy, “It seems I have your boat here. The storm blew her off track. Just reach your hands down here and take it if you really want it back.”

“Oh, Georgie. You can trust me, sweet child. Step right this way, I'm at your service with a smile. Believe me, IT's nothing to fear. When I feast on your flesh You'll see that we all float down...Here!” Spencer let go of the red balloon he had also taken from Shevy, and fans started throwing around the red balloons they were given. Hitting them around in the venue.

Spencer came out in a large brown fur trench coat with a hand for a hook, dressed as the Candyman, a 1985 film under the same name, for their song ‘Farewell II Flesh’.

“Left to die under the sun.

The hive never spared anyone.

How 'bout a hand for the honey bees?

Hooked on the creed of their colony.”

- Farewell II Flesh

For their song ‘The American Nightmare’, Spencer came out wearing a brown fedora and had a glove in with knives for fingers. Dressing as Freddy Krueger from the 80’s horror films, The Nightmare on Elm Street.

The monologue for ‘Opening Night’ began to play on the speakers. Leading into their final song of the night, ‘Welcome to Horrorwood’.

“Are you misunderstood?

Are you more bad than good?

Welcome to Horrorwood.

Where anyone would kill for a callback” - Welcome to Horrorwood

The Crowds Perspective

“Trinity of terror is certainly not an experience to be missed. Whether you are a hardcore rocker or haven’t listened to any of the bands and you ‘re a fan of heavy hitting riffs and songs, this is the experience for you. I had the opportunity to attend the VIP trivia with all three headliners. All of the bands are incredibly down to earth and took pictures with our trivia teams. During the concert, I caught two picks, an Atreyu and INK pick, and a rose from the MIW set! All of this was possible from me being in the front of the crowd. It was truly one of those once in a lifetime experiences!” - Meredith Baldwin

“The Trinity of Terror is definitely another one for the books! When all 3 bands can bring you back to your teenage years with their older music and You’re there singing your lungs out (and maybe shedding a tear or two like me…) is honestly a feeling words can’t describe. I live for metal shows, I live for a good bangover, I live for the metal community and the people in it!” - Marisol Velazquez

“The show was amazing! I have always been impressed by seeing these bands live! Chris Motionless really brings Motionless In White’s set to life. He is an excellent stage man. This is the 4th time I’ve seen Motionless, 3rd time ive seen Ice Nine, and I’ve seen BVB and Atreyu twice. They are all amazing artists and I will definitely be going to more of their shows!” - Brooke Bark