UK metal quintet Rise To Remain were looking to kickstart their 2014 with a bang and promptly decided to do it with a London home-town show. Tonight’s gig at The Borderline on Tottenham Court Road was the beginning of Rise getting back up to full gear, alongside two fellow UK metal acts.
First up, Chapters (8) have been absent from UK stages for the past ten months and tonight is their first gig back with a new line-up. Not that it shows after opening with the thunderously heavy progressive metal stomp of ‘Chapters’ and ‘The Siren.’ Chapters showcase ‘Imperial Skies’ songs perfectly and tonight additionally demonstrate a more organic dynamic to the songs when performed live.
Next up, Idiom (7) are far and away the most ‘in-practise’ band of the night. Idiom have their live show perfected. In stark contrast to Rise to Remain and Chapters who are both making returns after lengthy hiatus’s they are a tight, well-oiled touring machine. It’s a shame then that their songs aren’t up to the business. There are some good moments but their bouncy nu-metal often feels a bit twee.
Where did it all go wrong for Rise to Remain? (7) Two years ago they were opening Download’s mainstage and playing major tours with the likes of Trivium, In Flames and Heaven Shall Burn. A new album seemed inevitable to keep up the upward momentum, yet, two years later there’s still not much sign of a new album. Tonight is, evidently, intended to kick off Rise to Remain’s 2014 and considering the amount of time they’ve been off-stage they put up a halfway decent showing tonight. Sure, they might be a little bit rusty in some areas but Ben Tovey’s guitar playing is constantly engaging to watch while Austin Dickinson remains a charismatic frontman. However the logic of playing for an hour and a quarter on an album and an EP given that Limp Bizkit play only fifteen minutes more the night after seems slightly questionable. Even more so given that Rise’s set has begun to drag by the time they’re dredging up ballad ‘Roads’ at the tail end of their set before pulling it round with an encore of Bridges Will Burn. By no means a bad performance, but not necessarily their best, but it gives them a platform to push on from for the rest of the year.
You can also check out our exclusive photo gallery of Rise To Remain from The Borderline just below:
Any further updates from Rise To Remain, including on the important second album, as well as on Idiom and Chapters will be reported right here when we have any news.
