UTG TV: Crucible, Ghost Key, Toothgrinder at The Loft in Lansing, MI

crucible band

On January 8, Crucible rolled through The Loft in Lansing, MI for the first stop on their mini tour with Ghost Key and Toothgrinder.

Crucible, the heavy metal side project made up of members from We Came As Romans, Taproot, and Assassins made their first appearance at the end of last year with the release of The Trials EP through iTunes on November 7. Shortly after the release, they announced a headlining tour with Ghost Key and Toothgrinder. Below are some exclusive videos that we had the privilege of capturing at their first stop in Lansing, MI.

After a few local opening acts, Ghost Key took the stage and dramatically changed the atmosphere in the room with material from their latest EP, The Things I Am Not. There were stories of depression, failure, and perseverance as we followed Austin O’Brien through an incredible story of struggle and personal accomplishment. Leaving everything on the stage, this was one of the most emotional sets that I have ever had the opportunity to witness.


Next up was Toothgrinder, who turned out to be a completely different kind of monster. As we felt the wave of emotion start to fade from the room, it was instantly replaced with a terrifying energy – a violent reminder that we were at a metal show. As soon as they took the stage, the crowd went nuts. The pits that had previously just been shoving wars had started to fan out and increased with intensity at every passing song. The crowd itself started to grow exponentially. People were swarming in from all over.

Toothgrinder’s new album, Nocturnal Masquerade, was just released on January 29 and is available now through Spinefarm Records.


By the time Crucible was ready to take the stage, the whole venue seemed to have changed. Everyone was packed in tight, with a few drinks in their system, ready to get rowdy. And when Crucible stepped out, the screams were deafening. There were stories of betrayal and progression complemented with a ton of crowd interaction and an unmatched energy level. They played The Trials EP in its entirety, closing with a special encore cover of “Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit. The performance was even better than I anticipated – a perfect grand finale.

Benjamin Howell
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