First up was New York-based hardcore punk Stray From The Path and they were really well received for good reason. Their stage presence was phenomenal and the raw aggression came from a genuine place and a sense of injustice in the world, a feeling that punk thrives in.
Stray From the Path are incredibly politically conscious with songs like ‘Goodnight Alt Right’, a track that staunchly establishes the band’s antiracism / homophobia / transphobia / nazi stances – luckily this track and the left-leaning, pro-human speeches throughout the night were met with thunderous applause.
The band were full of youthful energy and rage throughout and that seemed to rub off on the audience as time went on and there were a number of moments where the audience were psyching themselves up to open up the pit, a theme that would continue for the entire night.
Outside of their based political stances, the music was brimming with energy and aggression and whether or not you agreed with them you could still get lost in the intense drumming and guitar work as vocalist Andrew Dijorio spat lyrical venom with a really solid rap flow.
Next was the band so many people bought a ticket to see, modern Metalcore icons Motionless in White blasted right out the gate with the stomping riffing of ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ and from the first blech; Chris Motionless had absolute control of the crowd. His skills as a vocalist, as impressive as they are, were never the focal point of his image and they never needed to be considering his abilities as a charismatic frontman, he’s able to take an image that could otherwise be considered too edgy and refine it into something that constantly evolves and shifts.
‘Cyberhex’ was next, this was a song I hadn’t heard before and my first thought was how much it sounded like a Doom Eternal song, which is incredibly high praise. The balance of electronica and crushing guitar work along with the slower-paced stomping drum work make this song formidable in a live setting and it goes without saying that the middle of the room became uninhabitable once the breakdown kicked in.
Motionless in White are a band that are full of individual moments that absolutely make a song and it’s no surprise that they’ve become popular out of context, ‘Slaughterhouse’ contained the abrasive “One mutilation under god” led to some unbridled hostility in the centre of the room. Later on Motionless would play ‘Soft’, a song I didn’t recognise by name but knew as the “YOU’RE MINE MOTHER FUCKER” song, which went harder than many of the older heads in the extreme metal genre, proving that the new school metallers aren’t to be underestimated.
It’s always an amazing experience going into a concert and eventually recognising a song you’d always heard by accident like ‘Another Life’ which I had always assumed was a 36 Crazfists song due to the vocals and mid-2000s Nu Metal style riffing and there was even a cover of ‘Somebody Told Me by The Killers’ which is like catnip for British people. Motionless ended their set with the anthemic ‘Eternally Yours’ which made for the grand sing-along moment everyone had been waiting for.
Considering how many people were here for Motionless in White, I was waiting for a repeat of the I Prevail US tour where a massive chunk of the audience left after the support but the room was still rammed long after Motionless had left.
Even during soundcheck, the drum kick was so intense you could feel it in your stomach and that made people all the more anxious for Beartooth‘s imminent arrival. They would storm the stage with ‘Below’ and from the first notes, the bass was punishing and even though the sound was a bit messy and hard to make out the higher end, Beartooth’s stage presence was unmatched.
The first few songs were still hard to make out but the mix always shifts throughout the show and by the time ‘Body Bag’ kicked in, the sound was great. The heavier tracks didn’t really rely on melody and the big muddled tone helped add impact and aggression, two things that Beartooth already excelled at.
Many people at the show were younger people and likely haven’t been to a show before and still need to learn how to look after themselves and other people and that’s down to the older crowd to teach them. Listen to your body and be aware of your surroundings, the reason a metal show is so safe is because of the people around you but they can miss things and you can get hurt. Don’t try to hurt people but brace yourself in case you get hurt.
Tracks like ‘Disease’ still had a lot of melody and brighter moments that could be considered lighter but there were still very clear indications that it was Beartooth staying true to their sound. These tracks also for brilliant moments of contrast like the bass rattling of ‘Skin’ and the syncopated hardcore riffing of ‘The Lines’ which also had some blood-curdling screams from vocalist, Caleb Shomo.
Before the encore, Beartooth broke into ‘In Between’, one of the catchiest songs I’ve ever heard and it has been firmly embedded in my brain from the very first chorus. There were so many people singing along and it always makes for a beautiful moment seeing so many people coming together and bonding over a bright chorus in between angry screamy music.
Many people were not at the show for Beartooth but a massive amount of people left as Beartooth fans and that is the most important part of staying for the headliner after your favourite band has left. You can find amazing new music at these kinds of shows and bands like Beartooth who put on spectacular shows are plentiful if you just stick around for the whole show.
