LIVE REVIEW: Bury Tomorrow & August Burns Red @ Electric Ballroom, London

It’s a Thursday night, the air is cold and the sky is dark. It’s not quite sunk in that summer’s over and festival season has been laid to rest for another year; a season that saw BURY TOMORROW appear at three of the most beloved alternative music festivals in the UK; Slam Dunk, Download and Bloodstock. For this reason we see men and women in a variety of band tees, ethnicities and ages gather towards the doors of the Electric Ballroom in London for a spectacular night of metalcore goodness to feed our hungry souls. A surreal feeling in the air as many were unsure if this event would happen when it was first announced earlier this year only for THORNHILL and MISS MAY I to drop out of the lineup however, they didn’t disappoint when they added NOVELISTS to the bill. Something was in the air that night, a foreshadowing of something greater.

With less than a week’s notice before NOVELISTS accepted this monster of a tour they brought their A game for tonight despite the curveball thrown their way with vocalist Tobias Rische unable to make the UK leg of the tour. However, the band defeated the odds with SHIELDS‘ Sam Kubrick stepping in for what is undoubtedly the most exciting step in their career. The moment they stepped foot on stage they brought the energy to match those djent fused guitar riffs of Terrorist and Heretic that will demolish your braincells in those moshpits whilst Lost Cause has a melancholic ambience that draws you into the chaos with their intense breakdown with Kubrick’s vocals matching the intensity and smooth tones throughout the set. The star of the show is Florestan Durand’s whose solos are a breath of fresh air; they’re chaotic and emotional, capturing the essence of each song. As their set draws to a close it leaves us aching and longing for more; a bittersweet love letter before the storm erupts.

Rating: 8/10

Next we are graced with the presence of AUGUST BURNS RED who have proven for the best part of nearly two decades that they’re so much more than your average metalcore band, they’re always pushing boundaries and going against what you typically hear in the genre. Treating us to a cover of SYSTEM OF A DOWN‘s Chop Suey! which turned into your typical metal karaoke night as everyone shouted the words back before jumping into their back catalogue of treats; old and new. Tonight they went above and beyond on their delivery with Jake Luhrs’ impeccable gutturals that sound better live than on record, JB Brubaker’s incredible guitar tone paired with his inability to miss a note and his sickly sweet guitar solos that sound like heaven and hell battling it out for power. But lets not forget Matt Greiner’s insanity on the drums – we’re surprised his arms haven’t dropped off, never missing a beat and ensuring the band sound as tight as ever.

Between the newer material we had the classics; Marianas Trench, Back Burner and Meddler. Thus came the onslaught of mosh pits and crowd surfers as you’d expect for a band of this calibre. They’re the type of band that get the desired results they ask for: they want a pit? You give it to them. Lighters in the air? You raise them. Even commanding a wall of death with spoken silence as every watched with gleaming excitement. Jake Luhrs is a puppet master and we’re nothing but his puppets. AUGUST BURNS RED prove to be a band that remains consistently heavy for the fans and for themselves; finding ways to challenge themselves without losing what makes them unique. There’s a reason this band is credited and honoured as being one of the greatest bands to date.

Rating: 9/10

Alas, the moment has arrived. The excitement is brewing in the air for what will undoubtedly be a spectacular return for BURY TOMORROW after the departure of Jason Cameron. Kicking off the night showcasing the glory of Cannibal and how that album truly shaped the band into a force to be reckoned with. Jumping straight into Choke; you could hear the cries of the audience as they sang “find me trapped inside my head, choking on these words unsaid” before hitting us with The Grey (VIXI). It’s evident that Dani Winter-Bates’ screams are nothing but crisp and gnarly as he launches into Black Flame and Tom Prendergast’s cleans might not replace those of Jason Cameron, but they hold up well on the older tracks and really shine through on their newer track LIFE (Paradise Denied), bringing emotion and grit as he soars through the chorus; a nice contrast between the brutality Dani brings.

As the night carries on Dani makes it clear that he wants us to leave our insecurities outside for tonight as he encourages the crowd to jump around and get into it, regardless if you’ve packed on a few pounds over lockdown or feel too old, there’s no judgement in this family and no excuse to let your worries simmer. BURY TOMORROW have created a welcoming community with Dani encouraging long time fans to welcome new ones into this madhouse; going as far to encourage friends and strangers alike to latch on to shoulders and jump around together – with consent of course. Moments like these make it impossible to dislike Dani; his confidence and honesty has blossomed a star quality that shines when he sets foot on stage – a connection that brings a sense of belonging in an often confusing reality.

As the night draws closer BURY TOMORROW decide to treat us to a new track; Boltcutter. The synths intro add an eerie atmosphere before Dani roars “BOLTCUTTER”, the guitars lead a fast paced riff that cuts to a slower, more atmospheric build in the verse that the audience are commanded to clap along to. Without giving too much away, Tom’s otherworldly vocal melodies mixed with Dani’s scream make this track hard hitting and above that, the guitar work from new guitarist Ed Hartwell and Kristan Dawson flow smoothly leaving no mistakes to fault.

Before we can even process the excitement it’s soon over as they depart us with the final song of the night; DEATH (Even Colder). Tonight we witnessed the return of BURY TOMORROW who rose from the ashes of uncertainty; a band of brothers who sound stronger than ever. A glimpse into all the possibilities the future holds for a band who speak from the heart with gratitude worn on their sleeves. They left us yearning for more but one thing is clear: they aren’t disappearing anytime soon.

Rating: 10/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Adriana Vasile here: 

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