LIVE REVIEW: Oceans Ate Alaska @ Rebellion, Manchester

Fresh off the heels of releasing their third album Disparity, OCEANS ATE ALASKA close their correspondingly named tour at Manchester’s Rebellion. The slightly early door time of half past six leads to the arrival of the audience being somewhat diffused. Regardless, the excitement in the room for their inimitable rhythmic metal and ambient glitching electronics is palpable.

Setting the tone for the evening is French melodic metalcore outfit RESOLVE, giving an exemplary performance in how to open a show to perfection. They bring with them infectious melodies, brutal instrumentalism and a stellar vocal performance dragging the crowd up to match their energy level. Vocalist Anthony Diliberto swaps between his hard-hitting screams and almost studio quality clean lines with ease and is a dream to watch, often crouching to the height of the crowd encouraging their involvement even acting the running man during Of Silk And Straw. They end their set with the heartfelt Forever Yours dedicating it to tonight’s headliners, which begins boldly for a concluding track with just acoustic guitar and tender vocals before returning to the punchy aggressive riffs the crowd has come to expect. Despite the slowly amassing crowd, RESOLVE have cemented themselves as warranting the attention of those who witnessed them.

Rating: 8/10

As the room fills up, it becomes apparent that tonight’s main support INVISIONS have a dedicated core of fans who have arrived donning merch with their V logo and claiming the pit space in anticipation of the band taking the stage. The York-based metalcore four piece are ferocious from the off, providing riffs that hit you like a freight train and wielding some of the most malleable vocal cords in the scene in vocalist Ben Ville, shown off brilliantly in opener D V P E, inducing an audacious “Yorkshire” chant in the heart of Manchester after their second track. The high energy party atmosphere they yield is clearly intentional with Ville questioning “It’s Friday isn’t it? Are we all drinking?” There’s a certain swagger about him as he patrols the front line of the stage, as though challenging the crowd to mosh harder, scream louder and move more – clearly it works, guitarist Lucas Gabb even takes a moment of appreciation to call out a fan who has led the chants and pits for the duration of the set. If the energy INVISIONS have established can be maintained, it is clear the rest of the night will be one to remember.

Rating: 9/10

As the room is annexed by the thumping rhythms of an ambient trap beat and shrouded in darkness, the crowd know it is time for OCEANS ATE ALASKA and they have the floor filled, fluidly flowing as the jostling for position begins. “Did you miss me?” screams vocalist James Harrison as the beat melds into the intro of lead single Metamorph, and the response is clear after a five year wait for a new album. The heavy use of strobing lights and brief respites of darkness perfectly accompany this angular mechanical beast of unfathomable rhythmic bombardment. They punishingly blitz through tracks from their latest album as well as their first two, railing through Paradigm, High Horse, and Vultures And Sharks without much relief to catch breath. Harrison then takes a moment to laud the opening acts, including the absent KUBRICK, who was unfortunately forced to withdraw from the show due to illness.

Moments of relent to recuperate from the rhythmic onslaught are granted during Sol, with its lo-fi inspired spaced-out moments interjected between the usual rapid proceedings, with Harrison proclaiming “Manchester, this is your chance to mosh out to a love song”. A statement that few bands could profess to, but truly exemplifies why crowds connect so well with them as there is sentimentality and honesty underpinning many of these aggressive masterpieces. Fan favourite Hansha immediately garners a response once its highly recognisable vocal samples begin, reaping the loudest singalong moment of the evening during the chorus, all hands in the air to experience the song that got so many into the band.

OCEANS ATE ALASKA brandish their individual and collective prowess in every aspect of this performance, none more so than the consummate ability of drummer Chris Turner. His transcendent performance is one these fans have come to expect, as he seemingly hits everything under the sun within moments, all while robotically and meticulously binding all this brutality with his dynamic blows. They are a band who are exemplified by their extremes from the outrageous pace of the instrumentation and ferocity of the screaming to the ambient electronics and crystalline clean vocals. Despite the prolonged interval between releases, these fans have certainly not forgotten them, and OCEANS ATE ALASKA ratify themselves as a band not to be slept on.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Sarah Sidwell here: 

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