156/Silence Tear Through Sacramento on the From A Distance Tour

Fresh off the release of their fifth studio album and having amassed a cult-like following since their inception in 2015, Pittsburgh’s very own 156/Silence are about to wrap up their “From A Distance” headlining tour with Aviana, heavensgate, and fromjoy. With Aviana from Sweden, Heavensgate from Australia, and 2 US bands from different parts of the country, this tour shows how worldwide metalcore has become. With their almost completely sold-out tour, 156/Silence shows that they have no intention of slowing down.

Opening the show was Texas’ fromjoy. A coalescence of fast riffs, heavy and abrasive guitar and drum work, and bone crushing breakdowns, their sound is also blanketed by an atmospheric, almost dream-like glossiness that made you feel like you were taking place in a PlayStation 2 boss fight.

They were followed by Heavensgate, another band that excels at showcasing the heavy alongside an almost angelic atmosphere, but with their own, abrasive approach. These two openers complimented each other well, as both showcase where the heavier side of metalcore has gone in recent years — willing to embrace the more atmospheric, sonically painted, abstract side of the genre. With these two openers, it was clear that this tour package wasn’t going to be a traditional metalcore show.

Traveling all the way from Sweden was Aviana, one of the most theatrical and spectacular modern metalcore acts to watch live. Covering songs from their album Corporation and their most recent 2025 release, VOID, Aviana gave fans a setlist spanning some of their most notable material. Shrouded in mystery and making the music the focus, Aviana’s presentation goes above and beyond. From the masks and outfits worn by the band, leaving only vocalist Joel Holmqvist exposed, to the silhouetted blue and green lighting that washed over the stage, their entire performance adds a visual element that can sometimes be missing from modern concerts. Aviana is always a spectacle to not only see, but an absolute joy to listen to.

Wall to wall, with the second balcony jam-packed and fans sitting on the staircases just to get a view, 156/Silence was the reason everyone was here. Formed in the mid-2010s and carrying almost nonstop momentum since then, 156/Silence has built an almost cult-like following over the years. Fans adorned in masks of the band’s mascot Philip and surrounded by a sea of people wearing their merch were in for a treat, as the setlist covered a massive 16 songs spanning their full-length albums as far back as Undercover Scumbag and Irrational Pull, while showcasing their most recent release, From A Distance. Security certainly earned their paycheck this night, as I was constantly yoinked out of harm’s way the entire night being saved by crowdsurfers. For the next hour, 156/Silence had the room in the palm of their hand, never dropping their energy for the entire set.

With the release of their latest album and a lineup that feels deliberately built around the different directions modern metalcore can take, 156/Silence’s From A Distance tour is a strong snapshot of just how broad the genre has become. Heavensgate and fromjoy bring the younger, heavier, and more abstract side of metalcore, Aviana turns that intensity into something theatrical and visually striking, and 156/Silence closes the night with a career-spanning set that reflects both their own growth and the genre’s evolution alongside them. From the atmospheric chaos of the opening acts to the spectacle of Aviana and the relentless energy of 156/Silence, the entire night felt like a reminder that metalcore is no longer confined to one sound or aesthetic — and judging by the response in the room, it isn’t slowing down anytime soon.