LIVE REVIEW: Novelists @ Bunker 13, Stoke-on-Trent
WORDS: Eddie Sims
Small shows like this are great for a number of reasons. Not only are they great to discover and support the up and coming new talent but they also play host to some of the best atmospheres and run rife with the best vibes.
Kicking off tonight’s activities is local talent INCARCERATE whose rely so intently on the chugging breakdowns of every other cookie cutter deathcore band that it reduces their set to nothing but a boring mess. It’s heavy for sure but with no other substance to their sound, it falls flat after the first bass drop.
Rating: 4/10
THIS IS TURIN come up next and make a fierce attempt at stealing the night, as their progressive blend of hardcore, melodic passages and tremendous crescendos that fill the criminally empty room effortlessly. Spending plenty of time staring down the present audience members with a single flinch, each member of the band display a true talent for their respective instrument and they also prove that they deserve your attention.
Rating: 8/10
FROM HER EYES are representing our welsh counterparts tonight and hold up the reputation of the welsh hardcore scene with gusto. The post-hardcore sound that these guys made home is vital and utterly brimming with energy as each member bare the drummer takes turns bouncing into the crowd whilst they throw their considerably and rather unexpectedly heavy weight around the small venue. It’s clear that not only are the headliners proving themselves as a key act to watch next year as these welsh lads make a more than suitable claim to have your attention over the coming months. Music like this begs for bigger crowds.
Rating: 7/10
Being penned as THE band to watch next year, NOVELISTS have got some proving to do, but it would appear that they aren’t even aware of the obscene amount of pressure the scene is putting on them to be the band everyone is expecting them to be. Immediately after hitting the stage front man Matt Gelsomino tenderly beckons the crowd to come closer, and as the circle forms around the stage it is then that these modest lads prove without a shadow of a doubt that they deserve every ounce of attention they’ve received. The true joy of NOVELISTS is their ability to balance the technically heavy grooves and the soaring melodic intersections so brilliantly that it creates a seamless sonic landscape that ebbs and flows, creating arguably one of the most well realised metalcore sounds to date. Keep an eye on these lads, because it won’t be long before you too are gawking at how good they are.
Rating: 9/10
