By Josh Bicknell
As the nights grow longer and Halloween approaches, there’s no better way to dive into the spooky season than with a thrilling lineup of genre-defining acts. Headlining Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse were Columbus, Ohio’s Beartooth, who over the last decade have firmly established themselves as one of the best-known outfits within the metalcore scene. They were joined by Australia’s Polaris, who are still riding high following the success of their third full-length album Fatalism, and Landmvrks from Marseille, France, who are best known for putting on some of the highest energy live shows currently on the road. Thursday’s performance spanned several continents, and this exhilarating crossover certainly did not disappoint.
First to the stage were Landmvrks, who played one of the most electrifying opening sets that I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing. I first became aware of the French quintet on their European headliner earlier this year, and after being completely blown away by the quality of their live show, I was eager to arrive early to secure a prime spot for their set. Upon entering the venue, it was clear that several other fans shared this sentiment, given that the venue was swiftly approaching half capacity well before the beginning of their set.
The first song of the night was ‘creature,’ which begins with a seemingly 90s-inspired hip-hop beat that quickly progresses into one of their most frenetic guitar riffs. Along with being their latest release, this was the perfect way to quickly demonstrate their technical ability to members of the crowd who haven’t previously been exposed to their work.
Continuing their set, Landmvrks showcased more of their latest work, performing fan favourite tracks from their recent record, ‘Lost In Waves.’ This felt like the right choice as it’s generally considered to be their best work to date; however, one or two deep cuts from some of their previous releases could’ve added a touch more diversity to their setlist. That being said, each band member had their moment to shine. During the opening riffs of their latest album’s title track, a mist of white spotlighting shrouded the twin guitarists at centre stage.
Stripping back their visually stimulating production allowed concertgoers to focus almost exclusively on their musicianship, which was a nice touch. Additionally, the final three tracks, especially the popular ‘Self-Made Black Hole,’ featured a series of brutally heavy breakdowns, giving vocalist Florent Salfati ample opportunity to demonstrate the sheer power of his voice. The lighting, set design, and stage presence were on a level rarely among opening acts, and it’s likely the band will end this tour with a legion of new fans.
Up next were Polaris, one of the few bands capable of following such an explosive opening act. Beginning with three tracks from their latest full-length album, ‘Fatalism,’ the Australian five-piece wasted no time whipping the crowd into a frenzy. ‘All In Vain’ gave Polaris time to arrive on stage in a veil of smoke and fluorescent light, and as the song gradually became more intense, so did vocalist Jamie Hails’ screams.
This was followed up with their hit singles ‘Nightmare’ and ‘Inhumane’, which made for an exhilarating start to an action-packed set. Later in their performance, Polaris began to dive deeper into their discography, playing fan favourites from their previous two records, ‘The Death Of Me’ and ‘Mortal Coil.’ Each of these albums were standout releases in their own right, and it was great to see that Polaris still feels this way too.
Throughout their set there was no shortage of memorable moments, such as when the opening riffs of ‘Hypermania’ reverberated around the room, the venue erupted and was quickly transformed into one enormous circle pit. Due to the unrelenting nature of the track, concertgoers continued to swirl right up until its final bludgeoning breakdown. At this point, Polaris welcomed Florent Salfati back to the stage, giving him one final opportunity to deliver some visceral gutturals alongside Jamie Hails. After this epic crossover, Polaris concluded their set with their most streamed track, ‘The Remedy,’ where soon after they made way for Beartooth’s crew, who began setting up for the mammoth production that was their headline show.
After the changeover was complete and the lights began to radiate once more, a newly erected array of LCD panels glowed bright pink. A palpable sense of anticipation filled the air as the crowd sensed the imminent arrival of the night’s headliner. One by one, each member of the band took their place, with vocalist Caleb Shomo being the last to make his entrance.
Following a round of thunderous applause, Beartooth launched into their set with ‘The Surface,’ quickly riling up the crowd with their trademark chugging guitar tone. While their performance was well polished, the most impressive aspect of their live show was undoubtedly the visuals. As the instrumental for ‘Doubt Me,’ one of Beartooth’s heavier tracks, began to kick in, Shomo dashed to the back of the stage, promptly returning to the microphone and wielding a flamethrower. Combined with the other pyrotechnics lining the barrier, the venue became noticeably warmer, making their show all the more immersive.
As their set progressed, Beartooth’s visuals continued to captivate the crowd, with the opening sequence to one of their biggest hits, ‘Riptide,’ featuring more lasers than a science fiction space battle. With each new song, the stage continued to transform, further reinforcing the fact that their live show is not just a concert but an audiovisual experience. In accordance with this, Beartooth broke up their live show with several interludes to connect more deeply with the audience, with the most memorable of these moments being Caleb Shomo’s acoustic cover of ‘Mr. Brightside’ by The Killers.
At the midpoint of the show, Shomo vanished from the stage, leaving the rest of the band to perform an instrumental version of ‘The Last Riff.’ While the crowd was transfixed by an impressive drum solo, Caleb stealthily made his way to the back of the venue to set up his acoustic guitar on Victoria Warehouse’s more intimate B stage. After delivering his acoustic rendition, he rejoined the band, and the stunning pyrotechnics and lasers returned in full force for the remainder of the show.
Saving the best for last, Beartooth ended their performance with a two-song encore, featuring the fan favourite ‘Sunshine’ from their latest record, ‘The Surface,’ as well as by far their best-known song, ‘In Between.’ After one final heartfelt speech, the show concluded, and based on the excitement in the room, Beartooth succeeded in their aim of bringing people together through their music.
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