BURY TOMORROW left no stone unturned on their ruthless escapades across the UK with their Black Flame tour, paying tribute to their recent offering Black Flame that will see it’s album performance in full, along with support from the outrageous duo of BLOOD YOUTH and EMPLOYED TO SERVE.
First on the bill were Harrogate underdogs BLOOD YOUTH. Since the release of their Closure LP in 2016, in short three years they’ve established themselves as a ruthless, teeth-gritting band whose discography offers a refreshing burst of creativity to the hardcore & heavy metal world that’s seen in their recent offering Starve. Their set was loaded with easy head bangers and a vivacious stage presence that made it impossible for the on flow of fans to look away. Like with their albums, BLOOD YOUTH continue to grow and evolve into better circumstances and the same can be said for their live performances, easily their best to date.
Rating: 9/10
Employed To Serve live @ Academy, Manchester. Photo Credit: Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography
EMPLOYED TO SERVE followed up with a ground-shaking performance as the main support. In the past three years, it seems the band have launched into a stratosphere of success, dominating 2019 with their acclaimed Eternal Forward Motion and thus their supporting role felt easily suited and well deserved. Lead vocalist Justine Jones commanded the stage and the band’s overall chemistry wrote itself throughout their performance as they powered through their show-stopping night with bangers like Void Ambition and I Spend My Days (Wishing Them Away). EMPLOYED TO SERVE knocked this set out of the park and set expectations high for what they’ll deliver in 2020.
The pinnacle of the night commenced as BURY TOMORROW kicked in with No Less Violent. BURY TOMORROW shows are hailed for their insane crowd energy and phenomenal stage efforts from the band, but what made this night especially different for those lucky fans is that the whole show was a homage to their most recent record Black Flame, that they played in full.
As the decade closes, this show feels like a reflective moment for the years of great success for the Southampton titans. Edging into 2010 with their eldest Portraits their discography extends their talents to four more albums, and in those brief 10 years they’ve amassed a large audience of passionately devoted fans who packed into the theatre hall like a can of sardines. Mosh-pits were alive, crowd surfers sifted through the room and from front to back, fans were absolutely losing their minds. It’s something to be said of if after 10 years you can still keep fans just as engaged with your latest works without being brandished as “sell-outs.” Arguably, what keeps BURY TOMORROW at the forefront of authenticity is their genuine interaction with their fanbase which is highlighted best the way this show in particular is specifically catered to the overwhelming response from Black Flame, truly giving fans the well-deserved end to an exciting year.
Although the set list was as expected, the rest of the performance exceeded all expectations. Seeing the band perform with a roaring energy that boasted through the room, as lead vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates pounced across the stage like a bolt of energy, one does have to wonder how they still attain that level of enthusiasm after so ritually performing on stage for however many years. For music lovers like ourselves, it’s inspiring to bands like BURY TOMORROW continually establish their sound throughout the years that still always maintains a refreshing, unique twist to what’s popular in the underground scene but doesn’t stray too far away in its experimental techniques from their original sound that’s become so beloved. That same mantra extends to their performances, watching their shows always feels like a first time because of their sheer passion that they put into every last sweat droplet, you’re left jaw-dropped.
Arguably, there couldn’t be a better way for BURY TOMORROW to close this decade, the career path they found within these years and the success that’s come from their ever-loving breakdowns and head banging heavy metal jams. They’ve set the bar high for the next 10 years and will undoubtedly deliver.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here:
