LIVE REVIEW: Of Mice & Men @ The Ritz, Manchester

When Austin Carlisle announced his shock resignation from OF MICE & MEN at the tail end of 2016, many feared that the end was nigh for the Orange County crew. And yet, after a period of turbulence, the band have forged on without their talismanic frontman. On the back of this year’s appropriately titled Defy, a nod to their recent struggles, the band aim to silence remaining doubters by hitting stages across Europe. We caught the show at The Ritz in Manchester to see if this remoulded OF MICE & MEN can live up to the hefty expectations.

Tasked with opening proceedings, New York crew SYLAR take to the stage and give a performance that can only be described as mediocre. Sure, frontman Jayden Panesso has charisma in absolute buckets but his over-reliance on rapped vocal lines wore increasingly thin and his execution of screams felt flat, especially on a stage of this magnitude. What didn’t help matters as a result of ongoing technical issues was that there was little creative flair in the guitar department from Dustin Jennings and Miguel Cardona, whose combined efforts did little to add bite and power to a style that demands it. However, Miguel Cardona‘s clean vocals was the one saving grace in their live arsenal and whilst it demonstrates a degree of variety in their sound, it did little to improve a performance that was as uninspired as it was predictable.

Rating: 4/10

Thank God for WAGE WAR then who dispatch a performance that instantly gets the adrenaline pumping. Granted, their brand of metalcore is nothing revolutionary and sticks firmly to the blueprints of the style, but what the American quintet do have however is a tightly knit chemistry on stage which allows them to give one hell of a thumping performance. Razor-sharp riffing from Seth Blake and Cody Quistad carried the bulk of their sound as they kept the tempo flowing at a rapid rate that ranged from punchy breakdowns that had heads banging and intricate dual play that demonstrated their skill on their instruments. Vocalist Briton Bond certainly impressed with his dynamic range of growls and cleans but the real highlight came from the combined efforts from Bond and his bandmates. Group vocal arrangements were utilised to wonderful effect that added a strong impact in choruses aplenty, a dynamic that demonstrated their melodic edge to great effect. They say if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it and whilst WAGE WAR certainly aren’t going to reinvent the wheel for metalcore, they offered a live performance that is nothing but solid.

Rating: 8/10

There may have been hesitation surrounding OF MICE & MEN without Austin Carlisle but these doubts were instantly squashed as the band hit the stage with all guns blazing. An opening salvo of solid cuts made an instant impression with the title track of their latest record, Defy, and Warzone boasting powerful riffing from Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby kept the momentum pumping whilst Aaron Pauley impressed with some powerful vocal deliveries. From there, things just got better for the band as Unbreakable‘s massive anthem of a chorus washed over the crowd effectively and You Make Me Sick’s gut-punching riffs packed quite the punch.

Obviously the main focus of their performances post-Austin Carlisle‘s departure is directed towards whether bassist Aaron Pauley can make the jump to fronting the band and for the most part, he certainly delivered in Manchester. His vocal range was on point for large portions of their set, especially in the tracks taken from their latest record, with Instincts being the crème de la crème. Despite the fact that crowd interaction was bare minimum, largely due to the simple fact that Pauley is both fronting the band’s lead vocal output of screams and cleans and maintaining his duties on the bass, you can sense that Pauley is certainly growing in strength with each passing day and adjusting to his new position.

Whilst the band were certainly aiming to deliver a whirlwind performance, there were moments where they stuttered. OF MICE & MEN‘s strengths now lie with their latest material that is more accustomed to Aaron Pauley‘s vocal abilities so when the triple-packed medley of YDG, Still YDG’n and Forever YDG’n was dispatched in their conclusion, it felt flat and lacked the same intensity as their material from Defy and the singular encore of The Depths felt rather rushed and marked an abrupt end to the set. Niggles aside, the band delivered performance, a shout to the world that they are still alive and very much kicking. If there were any question marks surrounding OF MICE & MEN‘s ability to deliver a solid live show without their talismanic frontman, then rest assured, as judging from their show in Manchester, the band are going to do just fine.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: