LIVE REVIEW: Beyond Creation @ Satan’s Hollow, Manchester

Satan’s Hollow is notorious in Manchester. Known as one of the city’s iconic rock clubs, for those that fall under the umbrella of alternative, the venue is often a safe heaven. Whilst most famous for it’s raucous night-outs, tonight, it sees Canadian tech-death wizards BEYOND CREATION grace the ‘Hollow with GOROD, ENTHEOS and BROUGHT BY PAIN coming along for the ride.

BROUGHT BY PAIN take to the stage first and despite the venue being far from capacity, the quintet was no time in setting a solid first impression. Utilising Satan’s Hollow’s somewhat-unusual circular centre-stage to their advantage, the band get up close and personal with those in attendance, showboating their technicality by executing wicked solos right under the nose of unsuspecting punters whilst vocalist Samuel Ouimet‘s strong charisma and gut-punching vocals come across positively as he charges from stage to crowd with absolute ease. With two members of BEYOND CREATION, guitarist Kevin Chartré and bassist Hugo Doyon-Karout respectively, performing in the band, the technicality on offer here was more than evident and one that only bolsters their firepower. An impressive opening performance.

Rating: 7/10

Sadly, the same can’t be said for ENTHEOS whose brand of technical death metal is plagued by an awful sound mix, perhaps enhanced by the central location of the stage that left those not stood front and centre to the band being hit full-on. What follows is a performance that is completely awash with noise from Navene Koperweis‘ drumming and muddy riffs that are completely overbearing. Charney Crabb tries to make the best of a bad situation by displaying an energetic stage presence, regularly climbing the barricade to unleash her vocals and interacting with the crowd (generating laughs as she comments on the venue’s decor), but all too often, her guttural snarls are lost in the mix. When the technical issues ease in moments throughout the set, ENTHEOS show glimpses of their quality with The World Without Us proving to be the highlight in the performance as the execution is pin-point precise. Regardless of these moments though, it did little to render the situation and instead unfortunately, the performance left a lot to be desired.

Rating: 6/10

GOROD are sometimes criminally overlooked in the tech metal scene. Whilst the French quintet have slogged away in the scene for over a decade, they have never reached the same global acclaim as some of their peers. Looking to make an instant impression as main support to BEYOND CREATION, they don’t get off to the best start, spending time rectifying the mix to ensure it is just right, but once they explode into life, the quintet proceed to quickly remind everyone of the quality at their disposal. The barrage from guitarists Mathieu Pascal and Nicolas Alberny is simply stunning, with riffs that dazzle with technicality and combine to create pulsating moments that pack sheer power whilst frontman Julien Deyres commands the stage with absolute ease and rarely dips in intensity with his monstrous vocals sounding crystal clear above the technical flurries from his bandmates. With a bountiful offering from the band’s most recent effort, Æthra, sounding as impressive as their older material, it’s clear that the future is certainly bright for GOROD, and based off their storming performance in Manchester, perhaps they’ll finally receive the attention they wholeheartedly deserve.

Rating: 8/10

BEYOND CREATION‘s visits to the UK have been sporadic to say the least. With their last performances on our shores being slots at last year’s Damnation Festival and UK Tech-Fest, this tour marks the first time the band have undergone a true headlining tour of our shores. With a headlining slot comes great expectations and as Simon Girard announces they will be performing their brand new album, Algorythm, in its entirety, it comes across as a total surprise. If anything, it shows that the band are not only proud of their latest endeavour, but also confident in their ability to dedicate the majority of the set to tracks that might not be overtly familiar with those in attendance.

However, their confidence proves to work a treat as BEYOND CREATION proceed to display a masterful performance, one oozing technicality, brutality and a razor-sharp sound. The material from Algorythm sounds even more impressive live, the blistering solo in Surface’s Echoes keeps your attention hooked towards the stage whilst lead single The Inversion creates a rapturous response from the crowd. Deeper cuts from the record, most notably In Adversity and Binomial Structures, sound mighty and demonstrate the sheer expertise within the band’s repertoire. The dual harmonies between Girard and Kévin Chartré guitar-play continuously impress with their complex rhythms, bassist Hugo Boyon-Karout works meticulously to keep the pacing flowing naturally and Philippe Boucher‘s work behind the kit resembles a machine, unleashing rapid-fire drumming like his life depended on it.

Whilst the new record certainly translated well in the live environment, the absence of older material will certainly be on the minds of fans who have followed the band since their inception. Concluding with a three song encore of tracks from their first two records, BEYOND CREATION certainly answered that demand. Whilst more would certainly have been welcome, the triple-threat assault of Earthborn Evolution, Omnipresent Perception and Fundamental Process proved to generate the loudest cheers of the night and the band ensured they matched the intensity they gave to displaying Algorythm earlier on. As the dust settles and the band conclude, one thought remains, BEYOND CREATION are one of the most impressive and premier bands in the tech metal scene and judging from that performance, long may it continue.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Manchester from Jacob Kazara here: