LIVE REVIEW: After The Burial @ The Exchange, Bristol

AFTER THE BURIAL have built a good niche for themselves. Their blueprint is equal parts down tuned grooves and fiddly lead lines that will cross your eyes thinking about them, and Evergreen was a fantastic release from the group earlier on in the year. Now touring off the back of that very album, AFTER THE BURIAL have made a rare appearance in the UK with two of the scenes finest rising stars in tow.

GHOST IRIS are the first brilliant talent to own the stage, and in doing so they obliterate the notion that support acts need to take things slow. The Danish quartet have LED banners that light up, and despite the shocking lack of space on the stage GHOST IRIS refuse to stay still as the guitarists stomp about and the vocalist leans as far into the crowd as he can without stacking it off the short stage of The Exchange. This is just effortless fun from start to finish, and GHOST IRIS make an incredible impression on the captivated crowd. “Do you know how to pit?!” asks vocalist Jesper as the eager crowd answers with exactly what the band ordered. And this is one of the best things about GHOST IRIS, that despite their enthralling progressive metalcore hitting every note, the band have enough quirks about them to keep you entertained. With the band asking the audience who they are to solidify the impact they’ve made, GHOST IRIS proved themselves to be one of the best support acts to take on the road, and with some louder vocals in the mix, could’ve stolen the entire night in a heartbeat.

Rating: 9/10

Following on from such an impressive display must be a hard time, if you aren’t FROM SORROW TO SERENITY. The Scottish metalcore troupe have deeper grooves than GHOST IRIS, but the style remains the same and the momentum is simple built upon. The young group are tighter than a tories wallet, and it simply amplifies every groove, every stop-start riff, and every thunderous breakdown. There is an early call for a wall of death that is answered, and it is here that the band show their taste for carnage as they continually ask for the crowd to split again, and again. This is minor nitpickery, and FROM SORROW TO SERENITY show just why Scotland seems to be a hot bed of deep, groove led music. It is clear that this young act have come into their own with their most recent record, and the newest songs played tonight come with the most energy. This is the perfect tour to nurture this talent, and this is also the best time to catch this band as they are on feral form.

Rating: 8/10

There is something special about watching an entire room bounce for a band. As AFTER THE BURIAL kick into Behold the Crown, The Exchange answers by doing just that, and the energy felt as a result is tangible. The band are on watertight form tonight as anyone would expect, and coupled with a really, really good sound, and you have a set fine tuned for impact. Lost In The Static is a huge way to kick open the set, and grooves like that of Your Troubles Will Cease sound thick with the classic djent tone everyone present has come to love from AFTER THE BURIAL. Given this being the Evergreen support tour, there is a shocking lack of cuts from the album, but Exit, Exist still hits with the weight of an anvil, and even then older songs like Aspirations sit so well in the setlist it hardly feels like a gripe to complain about the lack of new material, rather just a bit curious. AFTER THE BURIAL prove themselves to be a vital unit still, and their want to return to the UK is hopefully fuelled by Bristol giving such a warm and lively reception to the group. Don’t get us wrong, tonight was always going to be good, but this whole package performed a stunning night of technically sound and impactful music.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Bristol from Normandy Photography here: