Since the release of their second album The Union Of Crowns last year, Bury Tomorrow have quickly risen up the ranks in the UK Metalcore scene. Tonight marks the final night of their biggest headline tour yet and with this show being completely sold it out it was definitely going to be a special one for the band.
First up was Heart In Hand (8), despite the room still slowly filling up as they took to the stage it soon became very clear that their Melodic Hardcore was the perfect warm up for tonight. With pits opening during the bands first few songs it was immediately clear the crowd was fired up tonight. Front-man Charlie Holmes continued to encourage the crowd and they responded and when Dani Winter-Bates joined him onstage to provide guest vocals for “Broken Lights” the energy levels from the crowd shot up even further. It was all capped off by the hugely anthemic “Only Memories” which saw plenty of fans screaming along with Charlie’s raw and emotional vocals.
Next up came Empress (7), who stuck out on this line up more than any of the other band did. It didn’t take long to realise that most of the young Metalcore fans tonight do not appreciate Stoner or Progressive Metal as a lot of them just don’t react to Empress. Fortunately Empress still have the songs to make up for this with “Deeper In Disguise” managing to get some heads banging thanks to its colossal grooves all whilst they are backed by an incredible light show.
When main support for tonight Feed The Rhino (9.5) take to the stage they are greeted like headliners and from the moment they start playing it is clear why. Feed The Rhino are one of the best live bands around right now. Before the band even play a single note vocalist Lee Tobin is in the crowd and once the band start playing the entire Academy erupts. Bodies fly around the room (both fans and band members) as Feed The Rhino rip through their 30 minute set and the pits never stop. Lee Tobin once again shows that he is one of the most terrifying front-men as he constantly screams for more from the crowd. “Tides” see’s an enormous wall of death open and brand new song “Behind The Pride” has every fan singing along as if it was a classic by the band. Closing with “Flood The System” Lee asked the crowd if they wanted to play one more game with him before getting them all to crouch down and jump up. It’s a chaotic end to an incredible set with several members of Feed The Rhino leaping into the crowd at the very end. Tonight Feed The Rhino prove the are the new kings of British Hardcore.
If Feed The Rhino were greeted like headliners then tonight Bury Tomorrow (9) are greeted like heroes. Kicking off with “Redeemer” the entire room screamed every lyric back at the band while “An Honourable Reign” see’s the biggest circle pit of the night so far. Before “Sceptres” Dani tells the crowd this is the heaviest song they have written so it’s their time to move and the crowd respond. As a front-man Dani Winter-Bates has more charisma than most over Metalcore vocalist and tonight his vocals are completely on form. What is also very clear is that Bury Tomorrow are a band who like to have fun, whether it’s getting the crowd to mosh with their friends on their shoulders, having a crowd surfing race for free merch or even trying to get the girls in the audience to twerk in a mosh pit it’s impossible to not have a good time watching Bury Tomorrow. It’s also helped that tonight their performance is incredibly tight with both Dani and Jason Camerons vocals sounding on form.
Dani continually thanked fans for their support and it is very clear that Bury Tomorrow really do appreciate everything their fans have done for the. The anthemic “Lionheart” brings everything to a close and Bury Tomorrow decide to take things one step further than Feed The Rhino did earlier by getting every fan to lay on the floor and on top of each other before jumping up. Whilst Bury Tomorrow couldn’t quite match Feed The Rhino tonight they did prove why they have become one of the most popular bands in the British Metalcore scene and with the announcement that they were about to go back to the studio to write their third album it’s clear that Bury Tomorrows rise to the top isn’t going to stop any time soon.
