Baptism by Pit: A First-Timer’s Descent Into Metal Mayhem

Arch Enemy and Fit for an Autopsy bring brutal brilliance to Portland’s Roseland Theater. By Bren Swogger.

I never used to like heavy metal. In fact, if you had asked me even a few years ago what kind of music I listened to, I probably would’ve said something along the lines of, “Anything except that screaming shit.”

But God, was I wrong about metal. I was so wrong. Metal, I am so sorry. Because my eyes have been opened.

It all started two Christmases ago. I don’t know what compelled me—maybe some ancient force screeching up from the depths of hell, who knows—but I picked up a copy of A History of Heavy Metal by Andrew O’Neill.

I devoured it. Every page pulled me deeper. I soaked in the different styles, the sprawling branches of the genre, the vast, snarling underbelly of it all. The sheer complexity of it… I couldn’t believe how much I had missed.

Suddenly, metal began to sound like classical music to me. Intricate compositions. Wild time signatures. Vocal performances that sounded less like “screaming” and more like summoning something. The skill it takes to pull off those harsh vocals? Unreal. I was overwhelmed. And completely hooked.

I ate it up—album by album, band by band. I started hunting through the bins at record stores, snatching up copies of Meshuggah and Dream Theater, Cannibal Corpse and Cattle Decapitation.

Who even was I? But I fucking loved it.

There was only one thing left to do: baby needed to go to their first true metal show.

Sure, I’d been to the metal-adjacent stuff. And no offense to them—because they are metal. I’ve seen Evanescence twice. Poppy three times. Those artists are absolutely part of the genre. But when I imagined a metal show? I pictured something a little different. Big dudes in patched-up denim jackets. Blasting amps. Circle pits. Sweaty chaos. Bodies slamming into each other like atoms.

That experience had, so far, eluded me.

Then, in the middle of my metal obsession, two albums came into my orbit and never left rotation: Swedish metal band Arch Enemy’s newly released 12th album Blood Dynasty, and New Jersey outfit Fit for an Autopsy’s 2024 release The Nothing That Is.

Both records blew my mind. FFAA’s rhythm work is pure insanity—groovy, brutal, technical, all at once. And Arch Enemy’s frontwoman, Alissa White-Gluz? Her voice sounds like it was summoned from another plane of existence.

So when I saw both bands on the same bill at the Roseland Theater, there was no question. I had to go.

Coming into the venue, the people were exactly what you’d imagine… but as I looked at them, I thought, “These are MY people.”

A Spiritbox shirt here, a Metallica shirt there. All black, head to toe, long hair; men, women, trans and nonbinary… all joined for bleeding ears and sweaty circle pits.

Heading upstairs during opening band BAEST’s set, the energy was immediately contagious. But it was still nothing compared to the crowd energy as soon as Fit for an Autopsy took to the stage.

Launching off with The Nothing That Is track “Lower Purpose,” the room was immediately in chaos. But it was such a controlled chaos. It’s actually unlike any other crowd I’ve been in. Despite the massive circle pit swallowing the center of the room, I was able to comfortably make my way up to the barricade at the side to get a closer view. Nobody was pushing.

As someone who has also been in pop crowds, indie crowds, and rap crowds… this metal crowd had to be one of the most respectful. Those who wanna mosh, mosh. Those who wanna surf, surf. But outside of these areas, there is no pushing, nobody is disrespectful. Everyone’s just vibing and enjoying the music.

Quite the contrast to so many pop music crowds who kick and claw each other to get closer to the star. Nobody here seemed to give a fuck. They were just here for the music.

Before launching into fan-favorite track “Pandora,” Joe Badolato screamed to the crowd: “Show me the biggest fucking circle pit in the middle of this room!”

Looking over my shoulder, I saw the red sea part. Sweaty drunk men moved to the center to join the chaos. And my god… these fuckers were sprinting in there.

A circle pit might look scary, but there’s something so friendly about it—the circle keeps going and going, people leading, people helping each other.

When someone did get hurt in the circle pit, FFAA immediately stopped the music to check in and make sure the person got the help they needed. (Once again, I have been at pop and rap shows where the artist did not care.)

Other difference from a pop show? The men’s bathroom line was much longer than the women’s. There was definitely a lot of testosterone in that room (a little more than this little nonbinary queer is used to…) but despite that, there were a lot of women in attendance. I’m positive that’s in large part thanks to Arch Enemy’s lead singer, Alissa White-Gluz—the epitome of badass, with a demonic death growl.

Amongst the women in the crowd were little girls with their dads, pushing up through the gaps in the crowd to get a better glimpse of the stage when Arch Enemy descended.

Both BAEST and FFAA were all about the music—just dudes in t-shirts shredding. But Arch Enemy? They put on a fucking show.

As soon as White-Gluz took the stage, adorned in a blacklight diamond jumpsuit that literally made her glow, she owned the entire room. High kicks. Headbanging. Hair whips. And the most insane harsh vocals to come from a woman who looks like a fairy princess. She was a blue-haired hurricane, creating a tornado that carried into the pit spinning in the middle of the room.

But looking around amidst the chaos, it was those little girls who caught my eye the most. Their eyes lit up, looking up to this powerhouse of a woman on stage, completely owning a genre that is—no secret, we all need to agree—way too heavily dominated by men.

Even with my ever-growing love for the genre, it’s one of my main gripes with metal: it’s too much testosterone. But I’ll tell you this—among all the bands I’ve grown to love… it’s the women who fucking own it.

Arch Enemy is proof, exhibit A. And seeing those little girls look up to her with fire in their eyes—it hit me just how important it is to have women like White-Gluz kicking ass on a headline stage. They look at her—all fire and hurricane, screeching vocals—and they know: I can do fucking anything.

That’s power. And Arch Enemy brought it.

For my first real metal show—my baptism by pit—I couldn’t have asked for a better one. This genre may still be loud and messy and way too male sometimes, but nights like this remind me why I fell in love with it in the first place. And I don’t know if all metal shows feel this way, but if they do, sign me up for more.

Visual Evidence of the Mayhem…