LIVE REVIEW: Blood Youth @ The Parish, Huddersfield

It’s a quiet Sunday night in Huddersfield, but upstairs in The Parish a ruckus is being made by some metalcore bands in the form of BLOOD YOUTH and DEATH BLOOMS who are on the last date of their UK tour.

One of the first things noticed tonight was that every other person in the venue tonight seemed to be wearing an ALTERED t-shirt. The quartet appear to have amassed quite a following around Huddersfield in their seemingly short time as a band with their old school brand of metalcore. They have big and heavy mid parts that complement their sweeping melodies and choruses beautifully in fashion that isn’t too dissimilar to something you’d expect to hear on KILLSWITCH ENGAGE’s Alive Or Just Breathing.

Rating: 6/10

Next to the stage are Northern metallic hardcore mob DIVINE HATRED. From the start you’re lured into a false sense of security as frontman Bradlee Clarkson dances around on stage during the intro with a huge grin on his face before the band kick things up a notch and the crowd is met with a scathing roar. The guitars and bass are as punishing as the drums are fast and pounding, all of this ties together wonderfully to deliver an unrelenting onslaught to the sense that leaves you craving just a little bit more.

Rating: 8/10

DEATH BLOOMS take to the stage and kick things off with Shut Up which is aggressive, expletive-riddled and disturbing enough to make you consider denying them a bed at your Airbnb. The band sees the audience begin to get more lively now, with people jumping around for the majority of the set. Paul Barrow has a voice that lends itself to this ‘nu-metal revival’ sound very well, sounding very unhinged at moments. Songs like Fuck Everything have electronics and vocal melodies that wouldn’t be out of place in a MOTIONLESS IN WHITE song but have been blended with some very bouncy nu-metal riffs to boot and as the band wrap things up with Life Is Pain, this is nothing short of a strong performance.

Rating: 7/10

This tour sees BLOOD YOUTH on their first performances since the departure of former frontman Kaya Tarsus. Live shows can always be a tricky one after such a major lineup change and losing an integral member of the band, but they waste no time whatsoever as they dive head-first into the industrial-tinged Iron Lung which is a particularly good song to start with this in mind.

Immediately any doubt is quashed as vocalist Harry Rule, adorned in a black boiler suit and looking particularly menacing, is able to change seamlessly between the screamed vocals and the softer parts of the song. The band power through material off the new album Visions Of Another Hell with songs like Colony3 which allows guitarist Chris Pritchard to show off a bit as well as some older material in the likes of Nerve and Keep You Alive. The night draws to a close with Cells which sounds very grandiose with it’s blistering verses and soaring chorus. A very good performance and it will be interesting to see what the future has in store of BLOOD YOUTH.

Rating: 7/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Huddersfield from Connor Morris Photography here: