By Josh Bicknell
With winter’s chill setting in, what better way to escape England’s increasingly dark evenings than beneath the warm, bright lights of Academy One’s stage? Bury Tomorrow’s ongoing headlining boasts an impressive lineup, featuring some of the most exciting rock and metalcore acts in the alternative music scene.
Opening the show was As Everything Unfolds who, despite being the smallest band on the lineup, made a solid first impression. The up-and-coming quintet’s setlist was primarily comprised of their most danceable tracks from their latest album, Ultraviolent, with their electronic-heavy production managing to keep the early entrants moving while concertgoers continued to spill into the venue. With regard to the rising popularity of electronic-based rock and metal, ‘As Everything Unfolds’ shows great potential, and it will be exciting to see what they release next.
Next up was Melbourne, Australia’s Thornhill, who made waves in 2019 with their debut album, ‘The Dark Pool.’ Since then, they have continued to experiment with their sound, crafting a diverse discography that blends modern metalcore with alternative rock. Despite having only two full-length albums, the Australian four-piece’s willingness to innovate allows them to consistently deliver unique setlists, and their supporting set was no exception.
Thornhill opened their set with ‘Raw,’ a track that begins with a stripped-back instrumental and a spoken word delivery, gradually building into a mystifying soundscape that quickly demonstrates their reluctance to conform to any one particular genre. However, Thornhill wisely acknowledged a few of the songs that helped propel them towards these major tours, delivering the crushing riffs of fan favourites like ‘Coven’ and ‘Where We Go When We Die,’ much to the delight of their long-time supporters.
Unfortunately, their set fell victim to some technical difficulties, limiting their set design and forcing them to cut ‘Casanova’ short. However, despite these setbacks, Thornhill still delivered a brilliant performance, taking full advantage of the opportunity to showcase their most popular songs to Bury Tomorrow’s sold-out Academy One crowd.
After a brief interlude, it was time for back-to-back Australian acts, with the night’s main support, Make Them Suffer, storming into the stage. Their set was nothing short of incredible, with the show almost feeling like a co-headliner thanks to their exceptionally bludgeoning setlist.
As the opening riffs of ‘Ghost of Me’ reverberated throughout the venue, there was an almost instant shift in energy, quickly intensified by harsh vocalist Sean Harmanis’ demanding movement from what had previously been a fairly static crowd. By the end of their second song, ‘Bones,’ more crowd surfers had crossed the barrier than during the combined sets of the previous two bands.
As their set progressed, Make Them Suffer maintained this momentum, playing hit songs from their recently released self-titled album, alongside some equally exciting deep cuts from their earlier releases, ‘How to Survive a Funeral’ and ‘Old Souls & Lord of Woe.’ Just before it was time to vacate the stage, they somehow managed to raise the intensity one final time, closing their set with one of their most electrifying songs, ‘Doomswitch’. Harmanis goaded the crowd one last time, urging them not to disappoint him, which sparked what was so far the biggest mosh pit of the night. Fans began thrashing to the song’s final devastating breakdown, and Make Them Suffer exited to the sound of thunderous applause.
Once moshers had quite literally been made to suffer and were visibly exhausted from the five-piece’s sonic onslaught, the evening’s headliner quickly began making the final touches to their elaborate production, set to match the quality of the night’s previous performances. Soon, the overhead lighting at Academy One faded to black, and the stage flickered with bright green light. LCD screens and light strips illuminated the back of the stage with a TV glitch effect. After a minute of anticipation, Bury Tomorrow made their way onto the stage and were greeted by a legion of fans already chanting their name.
The ÜK metalcore heavyweights wasted no time ripping into their set, with vocalist Dani Winter-Bates delivering the visceral opening scream of ‘Abandon Us’. Being one of the standout singles from their latest album, ‘Seventh Sun’, this was the perfect way to open the show. It’s fresh and new yet has been out long enough for the crowd to sing back each chorus in full.
As their set progressed, Bury Tomorrow continued to build upon the hype generated from their set’s explosive opening, further riling up the crowd with back-to-back setlist staples, ‘More Than Mortal’ and ‘Earthbound’. Around the midpoint of their set, it became clear why Bury Tomorrow have remained at the forefront of British metalcore for well over a decade. Frontman Dani Winter-Bates delivered a masterclass in crowd control, effortlessly orchestrating moshes and circle pits at all the right moments. Backed by the blistering riffs of twin guitarists Kristan Dawson and Ed Hartwell, alongside the tight rhythms courtesy of bassist Davyd Winter-Bates and drummer Adam Jackson, the band’s performance was a culmination of years of experience, resulting in a clearly well-rehearsed live show.
In addition to showcasing their technical prowess, a central feature of Bury Tomorrow’s live shows is the time they invest in communicating the values they represent as a band. In between songs, Dani would frequently use his platform to promote ideas of inclusivity while also expressing the gratitude he has to everyone who bought tickets to the show. This felt especially poignant given that this tour has Bury Tomorrow playing some of their largest headline shows to date.
Moments like these are what separate a live show from a digital playlist, allowing fans to connect more deeply with artists, which in this case made the band’s already introspective lyrics all the more powerful both during and after the show. This was especially true during the final two songs of the night, ‘Last Light’ and ‘Choke’, as when their final notes began to dissipate, there was a brief moment of unity before everyone made a mad dash towards the merch stands.