Chris Earl
Coming on stage just after 7pm , the Australian’s kick off the four band bill by coming onto some classic Abba and before a note is even played, the pit is wide open. Limbs are flying as they proceed to set the tone for the night with a ridiculously heavy set, with frontman Bobak Raffiee cutting an endearing, grateful figure getting the crowd banging their heads along to their chunky, if at times a little predictable heavier-than-average metalcore. Judging from the amount of people getting involved, the band have won themselves over a whole host of new fans with their deceptively introspective brand of stinkface inducing extremity. Finishing on ‘Pain Is Power’, the security already seem a little bewildered at this frankly destructive and wild way to start the night off.
MLVLTD label members Guilt Trip are a punkier, snottier proposition but no less deadly than their down under brethren. The Manchester crew recently dropped their full debut to massive acclaim, and this tour is serving as a pretty spectacular release party. The album’s title track, ‘Severance’ incites the sold out crowd into a frenzy. Not overawed by the occasion, they throw old and new tracks into their set-list, the more obscure tracks being greeted with incredible excitement from a section of the crowd. As they close off with ‘Thin Ice’, the band look out and see a throng of raised fists and shit eating grins before them. The future is extremely bright for this young band who we’ll no doubt be seeing on tour again soon.
Often overlooked yet never outplayed, Josh Middleton is one of the best guitarists in the modern rock and metal world today. That isn’t hyperbole, it’s a fact. As he enters to rapturous applause, it’s easy to forget his unceremonious departure from Architects earlier this year. The outlier of the bill, Sylosis still manage to get the more hardcore leaning crowd moving with their newer material, ‘Pariahs’ in particular being an early highlight. “We’re Back for Good” proclaims a passionate and ecstatic Josh, as the band delve 15 years back into their catalogue, to a time when none of the other bands on the bill even existed to play ‘The Blackest Skyline’ to amazed delight. Being the most progressive band on the bill does them no harm, as the band show they can be as heavy as their stagemates with ‘Worship Decay’ and brutal set closer ‘Deadwood’ dishing out riffs like nobodies business. Acknowledging the crowd with a bow as he leaves the stage, it’s easy to see how much this hometown show means to the band, who appear to have a new lease of life.
The night, for all it’s fantastic supports, is all about Malevolence. Having travelled the country in their own personalised bus selling out shows from north to south, it all comes together tonight. The Sheffield crew have taken the road less travelled to this point, but they’ve done it by never giving up, never softening their sound and always laying waste to wherever they played.
With a set-list that mixes the newer material with some debut album classics (A celebration of a decade of Reign Of Suffering), Alex and Konan lead the crowd to crowd surf, circle pit and absolutely destroy one another (In a loving way of course). The first highlight of the set is an unexpected one, as for the emotional wrecking ball that is Higher Place, the band are joined by none other than Sleep Token’s backing vocal trio Espera, for an incredibly haunting experience. The second highlight is the beautiful yet skull crushing medley of Turn To Stone and Wasted Breath, a combination that blends the bands seldom seen vulnerability with perhaps the heaviest track they’ve written to date.
The momentum and sheer beauty of their set is slightly derailed by a drum solo, but when it’s followed up by a rendition of Keep Your Distance that threatens to turn into a riot and the stadium ready stomper of On Broken Glass to close things out, nobody is really bothered. Posing for the typical end of set photo, the entire venue arms aloft in celebration, exhaustion and delight, it’s hard to imagine that this same band will be doing a tour of sub 300 cap venues in just two months. This is their benchmark for now, but it’s incredibly clear that this band can ascend to a much higher place.