Live Review: Spiritbox, Loathe, Brand of Sacrifice | The Roundhouse, London | 14/07/2023
It's been just over a year since Spiritbox last graced our shores for their debut headline shows at Islington's Academy. In that time their popularity has continued to skyrocket, and now they're back playing venues four times the size - including a special double-header at the legendary Roundhouse, which they're filming both nights of. We join them for night two as they complete their UK tour in extravagant fashion.
Brand of Sacrifice
Openers Brand of Sacrifice are widely regarded as one of the “it” bands in modern deathcore, supplementing downtuned chugging with symphonic flourishes and inhuman gutturals. Tonight, they sound barbaric, the live elements balanced against tracks without either overwhelming the other. While it’d be great to see them add a second guitar to the live mix, what they do have works well. Between Death and Dreams’ melodic vocals soar over the the barrage of double kicks, while Demon King is true to its name with a brutalising assault on the ears. They make use of the digital backdrop to project their logo and band name, without detracting from the crushing performance. An admirable warm up for the night’s fun.
Score: 8/10
Loathe
Liverpudlian outfit Loathe burst onto the stage to 2021’s I Let It In and It Took Everything’s Aggressive Evolution as silhouettes against their glaring red backdrop. It’s a striking image that accentuates the song’s savagery, followed by the equally crushing Dance on My Skin from their debut album The Cold Sun. Tonight’s setlist weighs heavily on I Let It In… and the band have clearly got the songs down to a T after so long playing them live. Screaming sounds colossal, while the one-two emotional gut punch of Two Way Mirror into Is It Really You? underscores their ability to seamlessly meld industrial, metalcore and dreamy shoegaze in a cohesive, stirring whole. As they close with a blistering Gored, the biggest question left is after so many shows honing themselves to a fine point – where’s the new album?
Score: 10/10
Spiritbox
Pulsing red lights flicker through haze, before Spiritbox stride onstage to deafening cheers; their opening salvo of Rule of Nines, Hurt You and Yellowjacket has fists pumping, pits swirling and throats singing back every word in a stunning display. The latter of those has Architects’ Sam Carter bound on stage for it, the cheers threatening to take the roof off. The production, too, is awe-inspiring. A huge, curved screen behind them cycles through visualisers customised for each song and lasers offer a futuristic lighting display. That’s not the only trick, though; spark fountains accompany latest single The Void, while pyro erupts constantly during an intimidating, crushing rendition of Holy Roller. The Garbage-channeling Rotoscope is all hip-shaking swagger along with its red visualisers, the crowd dancing with more than a few crowdsurfers.
That’s a theme of the night; as much as the band drop hammering breakdowns, there’s just as many moments of euphoria, from Circle With Me having the crowd belting its “this could all be yours” bridge to closer Eternal Blue’s explosion of confetti. If this all sounds like a show befitting of much larger venues, that’s because it is. With a production that could easily be in an arena and a band that sounds not only near-pristine live (just listen to Courtney LaPlante as she pulls off soaring vocal melodies and vicious screams, or bassist Josh Gilbert’s proggy, flowing lines) but has the stage presence and energy to match, the only thing that separates Spiritbox from arenas is a matter of time.
Score: 10/10