Over the course of the last 14 years Bury Tomorrow have molded themselves into one of the most exciting and consistent in the UK metal scene. Their last album Black Flame propelled them to new heights and is considered by many as a modern classic.
With success comes the weight of expectation, and as such fans have been waiting to see how they follow up an album that was so impactful. Well, the short answer is, you change direction and rather than doing more of the same, you opt for something completely different. Where Black Flame was a celebration of unity and hope, Cannibal opts to go down a more introspective path looking at the human condition, and the battling of one’s own demons and finding a way to overcome more internal conflicts.
Cannibal is a muscular, hulking record that not only packs a musical punch but an emotional one as well. By turning the focus inward, Bury Tomorrow have created their most human, and raw album to date. Choke, Cold Sleep, Dark, Infinite and the title track are some of the most impactful and thought provoking tracks the band has ever written and really underpin the central themes of the album; desperation, loneliness, anxiety are all covered in harsh reality.
Lyrically, this is the strongest and most mature record Bury Tomorrow have ever released. It speaks volumes not only to them as a band but them as people that they are willing to lay themselves bare like that, and lay everything with brutal, cathartic honesty. It’s in the moments where the lyrics hit and resonate with the listener that prove to be the most rewarding. In the world we live in where our anxieties, fear and mental health concerns are more prevalent than ever, it’s refreshing to hear something so relatable and personal in the world of heavy music.
Musically Cannibal more than lives up to it’s end of the bargain, proving to be a much tighter and heavier prospect than its predecessor, proving once and for all that Bury Tomorrow are a certified banger factory. This is an album that grows stronger with each repeated listen revealing new parts of itself to the listener over time, and rewarding you for sticking with it and giving yourself over to it.
Bury Tomorrow have reached a point in their career, where they not only raise the bar for themselves with each new album, they continue to raise the bar for everyone else around them. They have become one of the most consistent, tightly put together and mature bands in metal. In a year that has largely brought around a lot of negative things Bury Tomorrow remain a light in the darkness, offering an ever important escape from the chaos.
Cannibal is released today (July 3rd 2020) on Music For Nations. Pick up the album directly from the band on their official online store – or stream it on Spotify below.
