Chain Reaction Gets Loud: Last of Our Kind Delivers w Stacked Bill

Show Review at Chain Reaction Anaheim

Last Friday night was anything but quiet, as Southern California’s own Last of Our Kind led a stacked lineup at Anaheim’s Chain Reaction. Sharing the stage were heavy hitters like Mark of the Altar, A Fractured Thought, inlowspirits, Meridian Parkway, and Aøkigahara—a bill that drew in longtime fans, new listeners, and even some lucky people who snagged free tickets courtesy of Evvntly. No matter how you got in, one thing was clear: this was a local show done right.

Photo: 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚍𝙾𝚆𝚊𝚛

Photo: 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔞𝔪

Last of Our Kind

The last time I saw Last of Our Kind, my ears rang for weeks. I’d missed that feeling. So, when I spotted them on our app (yes, I looked too late—you all beat me to the free tickets), I knew I had to pull up. Especially after a friend hyped up one of the openers. L.o.O.K always brings a loyal crowd, and this night was no different. I’ve seen them open for Angelmaker before, and even then, fans were sprinting from the bar to catch every second of their set.

When their set kicked off, the room’s energy felt dedicated. One of my favorite things about shows like this is witnessing the artist-to-crowd connection up close. It's the soul of live music. In that spirit, I decided to shake things up and get a fan’s perspective instead of just rambling with my own.

I spoke with long-time fan Zion Fox, who’s been following the band since 2022, after getting hooked by “Submerge in the Pain.” Here’s what he had to say:

So, Zion, what did you think of the show?

“The show was fun. Tripp’s vocals, as always, were insane. There was a good amount of crowd activity—moshing, two-stepping, throwing down. Musically, I’d say it was one of the best sets I’ve seen from them.”

Have you seen them before? How has the band evolved?

“I’ve seen them multiple times. What was special about this night is I’ve seen them open for many bigger bands and they usually don’t have much crowd activity, so I was really happy for them to see crowd activity as they were headlining this show.”

Photo: 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚍𝙾𝚆𝚊𝚛

What stuck out to you most about this show?

“Honestly, this was the first show I’ve seen of them live that had circle/push pits compared to others, so I that was a fun switch up”

Anything else you want people to know about The Last of Our Kind?

“I’ve been a fan of them for a long time and have said they are one of the BEST sounding bands live and are super underrated, so, overall, it’s great to see them getting more recognition for their work.”

There’s no doubt this band kills it live. And what makes these nights even more special is the way bands uplift one another. That mutual respect was on full display, and it added real depth to the whole experience.

Photo: 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚍𝙾𝚆𝚊𝚛

A Fractured Thought

This band came highly recommended by a friend, and they delivered. Can't emphasize this enough. After inlowspirits, A Fractured Thought took the stage and hit hard. As soon as unclean vocals began, my friends and I exchanged those “yeah, this is fire” looks—and we weren’t the only ones. Vocally and instrumentally, every act that night was impressive, but these guys in particular stuck with me.

After the show, I got in touch with the band and asked if they had anything they’d like to share with readers. Here’s what they said:

“After a few turbulent years with the passing of our previous singer, and a few setbacks it felt good to be back. It felt good to play new songs that we plan to release later this summer. Recorded by Josh Bearden.

We always strive to do the absolute best we can to put on the best show possible and to spread our late singer’s message:

‘No matter what you think, you are worth it.’

Which is not a usual deathcore message. We want to show a small window of positivity with lyrics that are thematically dark, while being uplifting and relatable.

We hope that people enjoy what we put out and put it all out there when we play. And we look forward to seeing and meeting you all.”

You owe it to yourself to catch A Fractured Thought live. Upcoming shows: July 11 – Cool Cat Tattoo, Bloomington September 20 – Callahan’s Irish Pub, Azusa.

Stream their music wherever you listen, easy access to Spotify is HERE.

Mark of the Altar + In Low Spirits

Mark of the Altar followed with pure force. Frontman Matty had the aggression dialed in, and the moshers wasted no time. I felt every stomp from across the room—and maybe too much of it (shoutout to the surprise bruise I left with). But totally worth it.

Earlier in the night, we caught inlowspirits, who brought a melodic yet high-energy presence that served as a perfect warm-up. Vocalist Ivan Carrano had a spark that shook off my traffic fatigue in seconds. While they weren’t first on the bill, their vibe made them a great gateway into the heavier sets to come.

Arriving Late (and Paying the Price)

I’ll admit it—I showed up partway through the night, missing a couple early acts. Note to self: never underestimate SD-to-OC traffic. Chain Reaction doesn’t wait. So, heavy regrets on missing: Meridian Parkway and Aøkigahara. Free signed-by-every-band posters were given out during door opening. But you can stream their music by tapping on their names.

Photo: 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔞𝔪

Final Thoughts

Nights like this might seem small-scale, but if you stop and really soak it in, they’re something really sick. The support between bands, the changing pulses of the crowd, and the shared love of music create something intangible—and honestly, indestructible.

To the bands: never forget your fans.

To the fans: always support your bands.

This scene lives and dies by the bond between the stage and the floor. It's not just music—it’s a mutual pact. Respect it. Feed it. Protect it.

-Special thank you to 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚍𝙾𝚆𝚊𝚛 and 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔞𝔪 media for the badass photos.-

-Thank You Zion Fox for your time-

Above Photo: 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔞𝔪

Above Photo: 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚍𝙾𝚆𝚊𝚛

Above Photo: 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚍𝙾𝚆𝚊𝚛

Above Photo: 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔞𝔪

Above Photo: 𝔴𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔞𝔪