LIVE REVIEW: While She Sleeps @ Rock City, Nottingham

WHILE SHE SLEEPS would find themselves hurtling towards the upper echelons of modern British metal royalty following the release of their previous album; 2017’s You Are We. A sonic behemoth that blended crushing metal with guttural hardcore and arena-worthy hooks, it was a testament to the power of self-belief and determination that this band have retained during a thirteen-year career which has rewarded and tested them equally. With the release of album number four mere days away, the Sheffield crew are back in Nottingham for the first UK date of the SO WHAT? EU Album Release Tour – and they’re eager to prove to this near sold-out audience that the best is most definitely still to come.

LANDMVRKS’ tried-and-tested brand of aggressive heaviness and accessible, melodic hooks is impossible to deny and provides plenty of bang your head moments in a live capacity. The Marseille natives offer up modern metalcore with a distinct hardcore edge with material from both debut Hollow and current release Fantasy on the proverbial menu. Opener Hollow is granted a lacklustre reception, but both Blistering and the title track (of said aforementioned album) combine thundering verses and choruses that pack monstrous singalong power whilst the lick-heavy Scars showcases the band’s songwriting clout and penchant for chugging riffs. They may wear the musical influences on their collective sleeves, but it’s that unrelenting passion and refusal to waver that ultimately persuades this crowd to engage.

Rating: 7/10

At the very least, TRASH BOAT certainly qualify for the moniker of “luckiest band” on the bill. Talisman Tobi Duncan comically divulges how he almost didn’t get back into the country following a passport mishap in Europe so their collective presence is a blessing in itself. The St Albans quintet swiftly make that presence known encouraging the still modest sized crowd to bounce along to their grit-laced pop-punk which takes it cues from the likes of RISE AGAINST and NEW FOUND GLORY in terms of its driving rhythms and anthemic choruses. Earworm melodies frequently collide with hardcore-tinged riffery alongside plenty of breakdowns to ensure that the frenetic pace rarely slows down throughout the set. Songs like Inside Out and Shade from sophomore EP Crown Shyness showcase the band’s innate ability to lay down the heavy whilst juxtaposing power with raw emotion via Duncan’s angst-laden vocals.

Rating: 7/10

There has been considerable, and justified, hype of late surrounding THE FEVER 333 and their capacity to fill the politically charged rap-does-rock void left open following RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE’s indefinite hiatus. The truth of the matter, ladies and gentlemen, is that there was already a band worthy of such an honorific. Step forward STRAY FROM THE PATH. And if anyone previously neglected to consider these guys, then they did so at their detriment – for make no mistake they are not fucking about tonight. Tearing headlong into furious call-to-arms Goodnight Alt-Right, the New York wrecking crew proceed to unleash their brand of hardcore-fuelled destruction upon the Rock City masses. Drew York’s impassioned instruction of “I wanna see at least fifty bodies come flying over this barrier” undoubtedly strikes despair into the hearts of security as they brace themselves for the impending chaos. Baying pits open up on the frontman’s command and there’s even an impromptu cameo from LANDMVRKS’ Florent Salfati for closer First World Problem Child. STRAY FROM THE PATH remain determined to fight for all our rights (to party) as well as sticking a collective middle finger up at the establishment.

Rating: 8/10

With deafening chants of “Yorkshire! Yorkshire!” reverberating around this rapidly swelling venue during the thirty-minute changeover, the anticipation is palpable as the clock ticks round to 9.30 and there’s an unequivocal sense that something truly special is about to happen. And as WHILE SHE SLEEPS erupt into a relentlessly explosive opening salvo of Anti-Social and You Are We, any semblance of the Nottingham faithful’s self-control-cum-regard for their own safety immediately dissipates. Fists fly skyward as beaming axemen Mat Walsh and Sean Long watch the inimitable Loz Taylor make a beeline for the rattling barrier and outstretched arms amidst a cacophony of clattering riffs and bruising breakdowns. It’s a hero’s welcome that awaits the frontman down the front and one that he clearly relishes; a victorious grin cracks his face as his visceral shouts ring out inciting swirling front-to-back pits and countless singalongs. The likes of Brainwashed, fan favourite Seven Hills and Empire of Silence are rattled off in quick succession with just as much driving pace, but there’s this renewed sense of vigour at work when it comes to the material from fourth studio album SO WHAT?. Piercing screams of “I don’t need to feel like I can do this on my own!” render Taylor inaudible during a ballistic The Guilty Party whilst Haunt Me’s evocative blend of electronica-littered atmospherics and searing vitriol adds brand-new depth to the ‘SLEEPS arsenal.

An evening chock-full of career-defining anthems is brought to an emotional climax with a three-song encore comprising Silence Speaks, Our Courage, Our Cancer (dedicated to a long-time fan who recently passed away) and Hurricane – the latter of which drives the ongoing hysteria to ludicrous levels and almost tears the roof off. The Sheffield quintet have made a career out of confounding expectations, and tonight they proved that they now stand in a league of their own when it comes to live performances. It’s rare to feel such a sense of intimacy at a show of this magnitude.  Take a bow WHILE SHE SLEEPS – an absolute masterclass in modern British metal.

Rating: 10/10 

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Nottingham from Serena Hill Photography here: