To move forward, first you must look inward. After a chaotic few years where the outstanding success of Cannibal was never truly celebrated because of the COVID pandemic preventing touring and the departure of founding guitarist and vocalist Jason Cameron in 2021, Bury Tomorrow have had to weather a significant storm. Faced with the reality of potentially calling it a day, Bury Tomorrow decided to overcome their adversity and move forward. After looking deeply inwards and reflecting on who they were alongside recruiting the duo of Tom Prendergast (vocalist/keyboards) and Ed Hartwell (guitars) to split Cameron’s once solo duties. This has allowed the band to carve a different path, experiment and expand, and the final result of this perseverance and resilience is The Seventh Sun.
With a refreshed mindset and a new line up, The Seventh Sun is the most honest and best version of Bury Tomorrow that people have ever heard. The album is stitched together with thematic threads of positivity, possibility alongside having inner strength and determination to carry on fighting for the things you love whilst operating in absolute chaos. With this in mind, The Seventh Sun is a very passionate, powerful and emotive album, and we see a new side to Bury Tomorrow musically. The awareness the band has a unit and the self-awareness they had individually knowing that things had to change, to progress and to remove them from their comfort zone is prominent throughout the album. With songs like ‘Begin Again,’ ‘Recovery’ and ‘Care’ emphasising this point, there is no doubt that this album will resonate deeply with fans old and new.
While Bury Tomorrow haven’t turned their back on metalcore, there are audible influences from places elsewhere. They all come together in line with the band’s forward facing vision, writing songs without any preconceptions of who they could or should be and it has given them a creative freedom that shines incredibly bright throughout the album. ‘Boltcutter’ is a great example of this. Bury Tomorrow use expansive keyboard atmospherics, thunderous riffs, continually evolving guitar leads and captivating vocal melodies to create not only a great song but a memorable one. In some ways it is reminiscent of modern Northlane songs, but with a distinctly gritty, British edge.
‘Wrath’ is a particularly hard hitting song that deals with loss and the plethora of different emotions that come with it. Grief can often feel alien and unfathomable to some, and once you realise that while it hurts, we do live on in the memories and moments that we have been a part of. There is a tenderness in Prendergast’s vocals that really pulls at your heartstrings. This followed by ‘Majesty’ and its beautiful piano introduction, safe to say you better make sure you have some tissues handy. Bury Tomorrow have taken the sometimes challenging path of reinvention and walked it with absolute courage. So much of The Seventh Sun is inspired by very real, very human experiences and that emotional depth alongside their musical expansion proves that no matter what chaos is going on around you, you can operate within it and still hold your head high.
There’s something magical about the number seven, a number that represents so many things including change and renewal. With that philosophy in mind, Bury Tomorrow have gone into the jaws of defeat and come out swinging. The Seventh Sun marks a triumphant return for one of the UKs most loved bands and will move people in more ways than they expect. Change is inevitable, Bury Tomorrow have embraced that and delivered a beautifully poignant album.