Destroy the Runner

On its debut album, Saints, released in September, Destroy the Runner shows a knack for harmonies of both the dual-guitar and vocal varieties. But live, the San Diego band is all about crowd-pleasing breakdowns. Opening for the Chariot at the Grand Emporium earlier this month, Destroy the Runner came out chugging, launching immediately into the sort of stutter-step riffs usually heard midsong or as a coda. Each subsequent song featured at least one massive half-time stomp. With a showman's flourish, Destroy's guitarists moved to the front of the stage to demonstrate their finger-tapping mastery during solos. Singer Kyle Setter doesn't pull off his melodic choruses live, but clear vocals are overrated in metalcore, especially at all-ages shows, where crooning only interrupts the kids' windmill-kicking fun. — Andrew Miller