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	<description>Punk, Pop Punk, Hardcore, Metal, Emo Music</description>
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		<title>Electric Callboy, Bury Tomorrow, Wargasm @ Alexandra Palace, London</title>
		<link>https://www.punktastic.com/galleries/electric-callboy-bury-tomorrow-wargasm-alexandra-palace-london/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Karolina Malyan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:18:27 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.punktastic.com/?post_type=galleries&#038;p=239870</guid>

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		<title>While She Sleeps, Bury Tomorrow and Polaris @ Alexandra Palace</title>
		<link>https://www.punktastic.com/galleries/while-she-sleeps-bury-tomorrow-and-polaris-alexandra-palace/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Mikey Fox]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:33:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.punktastic.com/?post_type=galleries&#038;p=234968</guid>

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		<title>LIVE: While She Sleeps / Bury Tomorrow / Polaris @ Alexandra Palace</title>
		<link>https://www.punktastic.com/live-reviews/live-while-she-sleeps-bury-tomorrow-polaris-alexandra-palace/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Katherine Allvey]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Oct 2023 13:55:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.punktastic.com/?post_type=live-reviews&#038;p=234989</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The sound of thunder and breaking glass shatters our anticipation at Alexandra Palace. The prestigious and legendary venue is sold out for tonight’s show, and its interior filled with the glamour of a festival evening. An image rises onstage of a burning tenement, the embers crackling across the screen. With a burst, the floodlights reveal [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The sound of thunder and breaking glass shatters our anticipation at Alexandra Palace. The prestigious and legendary venue is sold out for tonight’s show, and its interior filled with the glamour of a festival evening. An image rises onstage of a burning tenement, the embers crackling across the screen. With a burst, the floodlights reveal While She Sleeps, posed like a boyband on a scaffolding catwalk stretching across the stage. After a motionless instant they spring into life and kick off what has to be one of the most visually impressive shows of the year.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Even before Lawrence Taylor and co launched us into the metal core stratosphere, however, this was a solid night of harder metal. The tragic loss of guitarist Ryan Siew earlier this year has not deterred first act Polaris from making exceedingly cool music that zooms around the sky like a jet. In fact, even the small pit did not put off vocalist Jamie Hails; he flings his hair, squats, bounces and opens his body wide to absorb our screams, all while ripping the most unholy, unclean vocals from the atmosphere around him. The industrial hints in Polaris’ studio sound are minimized live, but thankfully they’re still there in the smoke trails left by each high powered tone from the guitar. Polaris have successfully mined the core of metalcore, making music which is melodic and brutal while being fundamentally very interesting. “Fuck this place up,” demands Hails, and from a distance, a pair of skinny legs in grey jeans kick the sky above the crowd ineffectively as their owner is turned upside down.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Bury Tomorrow, next in line for our attention, have a Jekyll and Hyde character to their live sound. Vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates moves like a muscular, deliberate dancer, conducting our appreciation, while producing vicious vocals and swearing like a trucker. ‘Black Flame’ utilises his screamed obscenities, unifying them with soul-bearing, harmonic heat from vocalist and keyboardist Tom Prendergast. Bury Tomorrow manage to produce a set which is always heavy, but never oppressive, with nothing added that would dilute the darkness of their sound. Unconsciously, the front few rows have synchronised themselves to Winter-Bates’ every movement, and at points their quieter riffs have a monstrous arcade quality to them. All six members bask in out red reflected applause. During ‘DEATH (Ever Colder)’, their final song, even a security guard on patrol pauses for a few seconds to slam at the edges of the solid crowd.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>Even from the opening chords of ‘SLEEPS SOCIETY’, While She Sleeps have our full focus, almost to a hypnotic degree. Taylor bounces in his sequin bomber jacket over the crystalline, dying-star guitar riffs of ‘YOU ARE ALL YOU NEED&#8217; before the worshipful introduction of ‘THE GUILTY PARTY’ implodes with sledgehammer guitar and toxic, oil drum percussion. Their set is arranged as a narrative, with each section of twenty minutes illustrated by a dynamic backdrop. Their every move creates drama, from exaggerated guitar flings to pauses to let each chord fade out into the distance. There’s also never an off moment or a pause in their power. They build an image with each intro then smash it, returning to examine and unearth the remains while the floodlights burn.</p>
<p>It’s not just their spectacular visuals and commitment to providing a show in every sense of the word that delights the fans though, as new track ‘SELF HELL’ receives its live debut through a streetlight yellow haze. It’s a late night, post-clubbing dissolution of a song, stapled back together with guitar strings and soaked in aggression. In the moody breaks, we feel the spirit of Serj Tankian in the song’s righteous fervent rhythm and megaphone vocals. As well as new material, While She Sleeps crack open their rarities box and bring some less-performed tracks out for our enjoyment. ‘Our Courage, Our Cancer’ brings a distinct mood change as the smell of burnt matches from the pyrotechnics signals the halfway point of the show. It’s been reworked as a far more electronic song than it was in the studio, and it’s now an anthem for us all as we reach up to the rolling gas giant projected behind the band. “Put your arm around the person next to you. When this shit kicks in, we are united,” preaches Taylor before the white lights above him slice down like blades and fantasy notes begin ‘Our Legacy’. Whether the tempo is fast or slow, the band’s intensity does not let up for a second. There’s a desolation in each member’s isolated parts before they join together like a rocket launch.</p>
<p>After ninety minutes of a fairly unrelenting set, there’s a long blackout. Someone begins an impromptu singalong of ‘Hey Baby’ before an evil laugh echoes through the arena. A vast boom shakes us and the graphics shift to a slowly moving sunrise as the organ kicks in. We’re recharged by the perpetually splintering guitar, before Taylor emerges with a question. “Want a fucking old song?” he asks rhetorically before the melancholy guitar fuzz of ‘Seven Hills’ breaks over a hopeful vocal. It’s the final song, our &#8220;last chance to mosh&#8221; as Taylor puts it, that really pushes our admiration over the edge. The pit for ‘Anti-Social’ is less a circle than a vast swathe, a stripe which stretches from the stage to the sound desk. Between the minute pauses for drum pops, Taylor crawls on his hands and knees across the scaffolding. Wind chime effects repeat endlessly over the echo of &#8220;bullshit&#8221; before the song ends with an atomic roar of everything they and we have left. The graphics drop to plain white, with only the silhouette of a Hollywood sign reading ‘SLEEP’. The narrative has ended and While She Sleeps are back to being humans again. They MC their own departure, take selfies and wish us a safe trip home as ‘Forget about Dre’ plays on the sound system and the magic of the show burns itself into memory.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p>This was a show which deserves our respect. While She Sleeps sustained a frenetic and powerful show without pause for close to two hours. Every inch of the usually banal space was transformed into a cinematic experience, a passage to new worlds where our favourite songs were converted to pure energy. A film of this set is what should be shown to outraged civilians who think metal is monotonous and aggressive, because the bar has been raised across the genre for what can be accomplished in a single show.</p>
<p>KATE ALLVEY</p>
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		<title>Bury Tomorrow &#8211; ‘The Seventh Sun’</title>
		<link>https://www.punktastic.com/album-reviews/bury-tomorrow-the-seventh-sun/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Dave Stewart]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Mar 2023 16:06:12 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.punktastic.com/?post_type=album-reviews&#038;p=233014</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[A few years ago, the Bury Tomorrow camp was rocked when founding member and singer Jason Cameron announced he was stepping back from the band. Losing members is tough for any band to endure, but when that person has been there’s from the very beginning and is a core part of your sound, it can [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p1"><span class="s1">A few years ago, the Bury Tomorrow camp was rocked when founding member and singer Jason Cameron announced he was stepping back from the band. Losing members is tough for any band to endure, but when that person has been there’s from the very beginning and is a core part of your sound, it can turn that initial ripple into a tsunami. Rather than let it consume them, though, they did something far better. They rode that wave, and once they were on the other side they thought “wouldn’t it be fun if there was six of us?”</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Enter new rhythm guitarist Ed Hartwell and keyboardist/clean vocalist Tom Prendergast. Two new members to fill Cameron’s big shoes, but giving them the ability to add a texture to the band that they didn’t have before. They’ve explored their new sonic possibilities on new album ‘The Seventh Sun’ and, despite the hardships they faced and hurdles they had to overcome, they’ve come out on the other side standing taller than ever. Welcome to the new Bury Tomorrow.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">This is every bit as monstrous and meaty as you could’ve hoped for. Album opener, the title track, sets the tone perfectly &#8211; jagged metallic chugs, banshee like shrieks, groove-heavy riffs and soaring melodies, all coming together to provide an irresistible adrenaline hit. Tracks like the towering ‘Boltcutter’, the intense thrill ride of ‘Forced Divide’ and the crushing riff-fest ‘Care’ hit like several tons of bricks, all scattered with huge chorus hooks that all make the heavier sections connect just that little bit harder. It’s immediately very clear that they aren’t holding back.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">There’s a couple of surprises here too. ‘Majesty’ is a poignant piano-led ballad, littered with cinematic flutters and distant echoes to really summon the emotions to the surface. Album closer ‘The Carcass King’ really steals the show though; a wonderfully atmospheric and emotive journey that features a wonderful guest spot from up and comer Cody Frost, their vocals providing an almost ethereal element to the fury unfolding around them. It’s one of their most confident and cohesive sounding records of their career &#8211; beautifully paced, diverse and effortlessly executed, all the while staying true to their metalcore roots. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Speaking of the execution, the band have never been tighter. Hartwell and lead guitarist Kristan Dawson’s riffs are so clear and punishing, drummer Adam Jackson and bassist Davyd Winter-Bates are so locked into the endless stream of grooves that you’ll find yourself head-banging to every song in seconds. The most impressive performance here, though, is vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates; he has never sounded better. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Whether he’s demonically growling “how could they do this to us” on the evil ‘Abandon Us’ or venomously spitting “consume, ignore, restrict, behead” on the relentless ‘Heretic’, his vocals are both terrifying and crystalline. You hear and feel every word that leaves his mouth, and the range he’s developed over the years has given his vocal performances so many different shades. They juxtapose Prendergast’s voice perfectly, like light and dark. They’ve always been strong in the ol’ vocal department, but this album puts them on another level entirely. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Bury Tomorrow have fine-tuned every part of their sound and come back even stronger than they were before. That’s a hell of a sentence to take in considering they were already one of the flag-bearers for British metalcore, but this album feels like they’ve unleashed something that hasn’t been a part of their genetic make-up before. It sounds so cliche, but the heavy bits really are heavier, the melodic bits really are more melodic, and the overall impact that this album has is borderline nuclear. The fact that the band lost one of their key members and have come back to release something that has so much focus and power is staggering. They’ve always been powerful but now they’re unstoppable, and this album is definitive proof of that.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">‘The Seventh Sun’ is a visceral, brutish, ominous giant of a record, and the shadow it casts across the metalcore genre is enormous. A new bar has been set &#8211; who dares to try and raise it?</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">DAVE STEWART</span></p>
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		<title>Download Festival 2022 &#8211; Friday</title>
		<link>https://www.punktastic.com/galleries/download-festival-2022-friday/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Penny Bennett]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2022 12:02:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.punktastic.com/?post_type=galleries&#038;p=230957</guid>

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		<title>LIVE: Download Festival 2022 &#8211; Friday</title>
		<link>https://www.punktastic.com/live-reviews/live-download-festival-2022-friday/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellie Odurny]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jun 2022 12:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.punktastic.com/?post_type=live-reviews&#038;p=230821</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[It’s been three long years since we’ve been able to grace Download Festival at its full capacity, and we are delighted to finally have it back in 2022. All four stages, countless amazing bands, beautiful sunshine and tens of thousands of eager, smiley, energetic and ever-so-slightly drunk rock and metal fans are all here to [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p1">It’s been three long years since we’ve been able to grace Download Festival at its full capacity, and we are delighted to finally have it back in 2022. All four stages, countless amazing bands, beautiful sunshine and tens of thousands of eager, smiley, energetic and ever-so-slightly drunk rock and metal fans are all here to make up for lost time, and we are overjoyed to be a part of this reunion. With three jam-packed days of incredible music to explore, we made sure that we went well over our daily step count to indulge in as much live music as we possibly could and experience everything that rock’s spiritual home has to offer. It feels AMAZING to be back.</p>
<h6>Words: Ellie Odurny; Images: Penny Bennett</h6>
<hr />
<h4>Pengshui</h4>
<p>The gates of the arena haven’t yet been open an hour, yet a few of the crowd assembled in the Avalanche stage for Pengshui seem to have been on the breakfast beers, already throwing themselves around to the sing/shout-along chorus of ‘Break The Law’. For those not quite as awake yet, the thundering bass and infectious energy from the genre-crossing trio quickly spreads throughout the tent, with even the stragglers around the edges nodding in agreement when MC Illaman asks, “Ain’t it nice to be back in a field with loud music?”. By the time we get to penultimate track ‘Nobody Cares’, the circle pit erupts with fervour, peppered with additional percussion from Illaman smashing the microphone against his head. If every band on the bill over the next three days brings this level of enthusiastic, filthy noise, we’re all in for a treat.</p>
<h4>Bury Tomorrow</h4>
<p>Instantly aggressive, Southampton metalcore outfit Bury Tomorrow waste no time making their presence known, opening with the brutal onslaught of ‘Choke’ and ‘The Grey (VIXI)’ from 2020 album ‘Cannibal’. Perhaps luckily for the throng of energetic fans, the melodic moments of keyboardist Tom Prendergast’s clean vocals in both tracks give everyone a chance to breathe, soaking up the relentless heat of the early afternoon sun. Lead vocalist Dani Winter-Bates tells the crowd “I’ve been dreaming about this day for a long fucking time” and the sense of pride, relief and excitement to perform from the whole band is palpable. With both Prendergast and rhythm guitarist Ed Hartwell being new additions to the band, replacing Jason Cameron last year, today gives us the first live rendition of recent single ‘DEATH (Ever Colder)’, complete with flames bursting from the front of the stage. The contrast of screaming and clean vocals throughout is brilliantly balanced, always underpinned by savage beats, crushing basslines and slick guitar licks. With some huge circle pits and more crowd-surfers than you can shake a fist at, it’s clear that Bury Tomorrow can deliver an impressive main stage set, and it can’t be long until they’re climbing up the bill for an ever-growing fanbase of the metal masses.</p>
<h4><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-230964" src="http://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26163038/Bury-Tomorrow.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" srcset="https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26163038/Bury-Tomorrow.jpg 1000w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26163038/Bury-Tomorrow-300x200.jpg 300w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26163038/Bury-Tomorrow-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></h4>
<h4>Black Veil Brides</h4>
<p>Black Veil Brides arrive on stage in a puff of smoke and leap straight into the thundering riff of 2014’s ‘Faithless’. The smoke and lights don’t do quite enough to distract from the fact that the sound isn’t great, however, and the slightly sparse crowd don’t seem to be blown away by the opening minutes of the set. Vocalist Andy Biersack seems as comfortable as ever though, donned in dark sunglasses, chewing gum and striding across the stage, addressing the crowd in his unmistakeable Californian drawl. Despite the overarching lukewarm reception, the die-fans still scream with joy for favourites ‘Rebel Love Song’ and ‘Knives and Pens’, and the earlier sound troubles seem to improve throughout the set. Guitarists Jinxx and Jake Pitts frequently meet centre-stage, adopting the characteristic back-to-back rock stance to showcase their strumming and picking talent, and by the end of the set, a few more heads are nodding along with closing classics ‘Fallen Angels’ and ‘In The End’. From a shaky beginning, Black Veil Brides finish on a high, leaving smiles on faces of glam metal-loving, black-clad revellers.</p>
<h4><img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-230969" src="http://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164113/Black-Veil-Brides-6.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" srcset="https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164113/Black-Veil-Brides-6.jpg 1000w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164113/Black-Veil-Brides-6-300x200.jpg 300w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164113/Black-Veil-Brides-6-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></h4>
<h4>Meet Me @ The Altar</h4>
<p>US east coast trio Meet Me @ The Altar bring their energetic brand of pop punk to a small but dedicated crowd at the Avalanche stage. With steadily growing popularity since releasing 2021 EP ‘Model Citizen’, their Download debut is full of enthusiasm, positivity and confidence. The tuning isn’t always on point, but the reaction to their popular mash up of covers ‘Sweetness’, ‘My Friends Over You’, ‘Break Stuff’ and ‘My Own Worst Enemy’ more than makes up for any vocal wobbles. With an album scheduled for release in 2023, Meet Me @ The Altar have plenty of time to keep spreading their 21<sup>st</sup> century take on pop punk across the world, and there’s no doubt that this is exactly what they intend to do.</p>
<h4><img decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-230975" src="http://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164229/Meet-Me-At-The-Altar-5.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" srcset="https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164229/Meet-Me-At-The-Altar-5.jpg 1000w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164229/Meet-Me-At-The-Altar-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164229/Meet-Me-At-The-Altar-5-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></h4>
<h4>Skindred</h4>
<p>The huge crowd gathered for Skindred on the Apex stage is testament to a band whose reputation for putting on a stonking live show precedes them. Arriving on stage to the sound of The Imperial March, vocalist Benji Webbe’s enormous stage presence blasts across the site as the band launch into ‘Under Attack’. He interacts with the crowd seamlessly throughout the set, simultaneously exuding the charisma of a total rockstar and accessibility of a Newport local. There are few front men who manage to display such unbridled magnetism without a hefty side dose of over-inflated ego, but Webbe somehow nails it &#8211; time after time. Skindred are a band who are impossible to pigeon-hole into one specific genre and this diversity continues with the live debut of new track ‘Smile Please’. The chilled, reggae-influenced beat and singalong chorus of “L-O-V-E, Love” are a departure from the heavier riffs but the catchy and upbeat tune has great sync potential and goes down a treat with the sun-drenched masses. The quartet deliver a set packed with hits like ‘Pressure’ and ‘Kill the Power’ and by the time we reach closer ‘Warning’, the majority of the crowd are already grinning from ear to ear and spinning various items of clothing above their heads for the legendary “Newport Helicopter”. Skindred have perfected the art of putting on an impeccably fun show that’s particularly suited to a festival atmosphere and today is no exception.</p>
<h4><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-230981" src="http://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164456/Skindred-3.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" srcset="https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164456/Skindred-3.jpg 1000w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164456/Skindred-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164456/Skindred-3-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></h4>
<h4>Bokassa</h4>
<p>A late scheduling shuffle means that Skindred are right in the middle of entertaining the hordes gathered down the hill when Bokassa take to the stage in the Dogtooth tent. The Norwegian stoner-punks still have a decent sized, slightly older audience present, who are gently headbanging along to some old-school heavy riffs and fuzzy bass. There’s maybe not as much amusing chatter from vocalist Jørn Kaarstad as fans of the band might have expected but that could be because the mic doesn’t seem to be turned up nearly high enough. It’s a shame, as what we could hear sounded great, but with a set list packed full of potential, Bokassa weren’t sounding their best today.</p>
<h4>Sleep Token</h4>
<p>For a band who essentially never interact with their audience, Sleep Token have mastered the art of captivating a crowd through their music alone. With the tent at the Avalanche stage full to the brim, they appear in their typical black gowns and masks, opening with 2021’s ‘Alkaline’, the fans singing along in impressive harmony. Given that Sleep Token are heavily reliant on mystery and atmosphere, one wonders how they might have fared on a larger stage in the blazing evening sunshine but here in the shade of the tent, the light show does its job as the band hypnotise everyone with their ambient, heavy riffs. The bass on ‘Jaws’ is huge, and it’s hard not to get caught up in the raw emotion of ‘Mine’ and ‘Higher’. The band have been performing their “rituals” for long enough now that it’s clear none of their style is a mere gimmick. As they close out the set with favourite ‘Offering’, it’s clear that fans will continue to flock to worship the deity “Sleep” for as long as Sleep Token continue to deliver their unique style of poignant, heavy, industrial-infused metal.</p>
<h4><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-230991" src="http://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164714/Sleep-Token-6.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" srcset="https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164714/Sleep-Token-6.jpg 1000w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164714/Sleep-Token-6-300x200.jpg 300w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164714/Sleep-Token-6-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></h4>
<h4>Frank Carter &amp; The Rattlesnakes</h4>
<p>Festival favourites Frank Carter &amp; The Rattlesnakes bring their charismatic punk energy to close the Opus stage on Friday Evening. A respectable sized crowd is immediately bopping and singing along, hitting colourful beach balls in the air and being covered with an explosion of ticker tape even before opening song ‘My Town’ has come to an end. Always a big fan of a bit of chatter, Carter gives a promo speech for his Hoxton tattoo studio Rose of Mercy before playing ‘Go Get a Tattoo’, and later describes track ‘Cupid’s Arrow’ as an ode to Hoxton. There’s the ever-popular “ladies only” mosh pit, Carter’s propensity to walk out onto the shoulders of the crowd, touching moments during slower numbers like ‘Angel Wings’, and a cover of The Distiller’s track ‘Drain The Blood’ – a tribute to the slot that the LA band were due to play before postponing all European dates earlier in the year. With the amusing sight of thousands of merry people still singing “I hate you and I wish you would die”, they announce that there’s time for one more song and end the set triumphantly with the toe tapping rock’n’roll ‘Crowbar’. It might not have been the slickest set, but the variety of hits and a sense of passion and infectious vitality mean the punk rock party spirit lingers on as the festival goers gradually disperse.</p>
<h4><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-230997" src="http://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164838/Frank-Carter-The-Rattlesnakes-5.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" srcset="https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164838/Frank-Carter-The-Rattlesnakes-5.jpg 1000w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164838/Frank-Carter-The-Rattlesnakes-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26164838/Frank-Carter-The-Rattlesnakes-5-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></h4>
<h4>Kiss</h4>
<p>If you believe them this time, tonight’s headline performance from rock stalwarts Kiss is to be their last at Donington, the band having announced their imminent retirement after this “farewell” tour. With giant statues of the band flanking the stage, the theatrics begin as the curtain drops and Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Tommy Thayer are lowered to the stage on individual platforms, with drummer Eric Singer bashing out the opening beats on a levitating drum riser. Still looking great for a band who are all over 60, they open with classic pairing of ‘Detroit Rock City’ and ‘Shout It Out Loud’. Perhaps they’ve not quite warmed up properly, or maybe it’s the mellowing effect of the last of the summer evening daylight, but the opening part of the set doesn’t seem to pack the punch that you might expect from these veterans’ last hurrah. The hits are delivered with skill, it’s all in tune and on time, but the magic just isn’t quite there. The band are incredibly good at playing to the camera, and this level of performance saves the solos from becoming entirely self-indulgent and devoid of entertainment value, with comedy moments carefully curated to elicit cheers and chuckles from those in the crowd who are still paying attention.</p>
<p>It seems that as the light fades, the energy increases and by the time we’re into the latter part of the show, it’s all guns blazing for the theatrical Kiss spectacle. Simmons’ infamous blood drool serves as a precursor to the massive ‘God of Thunder’, and a 70-year-old Stanley still wows the punters by ziplining over to the sound tent to perform hits ‘Love Gun’ and ‘I Was Made for Lovin’ You’ to a now backwards-facing crowd. By the time we get to the triple-threat encore of ‘Beth’, ‘Do You Love Me?’ – complete with scores of giant white “Kiss” balloons launched into the crowd – and ‘Rock and Roll All Nite’, everyone is singing along in great spirits. It’s been a farewell show thankfully light on sentimentality and heavy on hits, with the showmanship and crowd interaction improving steadily over the course of the two hour set. Leaving with a flourish of fireworks, confetti and a message on the screens simply saying “Kiss loves you Donington”, the Friday night headliners close on a high, a fitting send-off for these illustrious flamboyant rockers.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-231010" src="http://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26165220/KISS-5.jpg" alt="" width="550" height="367" srcset="https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26165220/KISS-5.jpg 1000w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26165220/KISS-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https://synthbucket.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/26165220/KISS-5-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px" /></p>
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		<title>Slam Dunk South 2021 @ Hatfield Park</title>
		<link>https://www.punktastic.com/galleries/slam-dunk-south-2021-hatfield-park/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Penny Bennett]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Oct 2021 20:38:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.punktastic.com/?post_type=galleries&#038;p=229790</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Slam Dunk South made its much anticipated return to Hatfield on Sunday 5th September 2021.]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Slam Dunk South made its much anticipated return to Hatfield on Sunday 5th September 2021.</p>
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		<title>Bury Tomorrow &#8211; &#8216;Cannibal&#8217;</title>
		<link>https://www.punktastic.com/album-reviews/bury-tomorrow-cannibal/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Dave Stewart]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2020 11:38:15 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.punktastic.com/?post_type=album-reviews&#038;p=227886</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Bury Tomorrow are one of those bands that never stop climbing. Just when you think they’ve unleashed the best record of their career, they set their sights even higher and work even harder to push themselves as musicians &#8211; and to blow you away as fans. Their evolution from 2009 debut ‘Portraits’ to the phenomenal [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Bury Tomorrow are one of those bands that never stop climbing. Just when you think they’ve unleashed the best record of their career, they set their sights even higher and work even harder to push themselves as musicians &#8211; and to blow you away as fans. Their evolution from 2009 debut ‘Portraits’ to the phenomenal 2018 record ‘Black Flame’ is stunning, the attention to detail becoming audibly more precise and polished as the years flew by. Now over a decade into their career, they’re presenting their sixth record ‘Cannibal’. The title might lead you to believe that it’s an album about cracking out the silverware to chow down on a bit of human flesh. I doubt this is a surprise, but it’s not. It’s personal.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Front man Dani Winter-Bates has been, pretty much for the entirety of the bands career, a very loud advocate for the importance of mental health. Just like the rest of us, he has endured some devastating low moments and his mind has suffered as a result. This record is a first for Bury Tomorrow, because it has some of those moments violently pulsing away at its core, giving fans a very real and sincere look inside Dani’s mind. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">&#8220;The term &#8216;cannibal&#8217; refers to being eaten away by your own thoughts but also eaten away by other humans,&#8221; Dani explains. &#8220;We&#8217;re not kind to ourselves, let alone kind to each other.” The words that he speaks on this album are more honest and raw than anything that Bury Tomorrow have released before, making the end product their most wonderfully voracious to date.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The general vibe of this record is exactly what you’d expect &#8211; gargantuan songs with anthemic tendencies that are built with a mix of intense verses, addictive choruses, and pulverising breakdowns. However, there’s something that surges through this record that makes it feel different, a current pumping static into your veins that allows every note to conduct through your body. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">’Choke’ is a perfect example of this, its infectious pace immediately hypnotising you into action as pit-hungry verses, striking choruses, and a breakdown heavier than Thor’s hammer all come together to sweep you off your feet. The first thing that will take you aback is the vocals &#8211; Dani belts out his most wrathful vocals to date, and manages to maintain the same ferocity through the entire record. This is just the first track, and you&#8217;d better believe that it doesn&#8217;t let up at any point.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">‘The Grey (VIXI)’ is an atmosphere-shifting powerhouse, with guitarist and vocalist Jason Cameron’s silky vocals acting as your guide as it ebbs and flows in and out of chaos. ‘The Agonist’ is a mosher&#8217;s dream, with every riff from Cameron and every ounce of the stellar lead work from fellow guitarist Kristan Dawson fuelling the fire until it becomes a raging inferno. ‘Imposter’ is, ironically, a classic slice of what you already love about the band, crammed full of meaty metalcore riffs and one of the catchiest choruses on the record. Even title track ‘Cannibal’ boasts a familiar feel, the bouncy tempo and elating melodies immediately taking your mind to a place you already know and love as these songs stealthily ingrain themselves in your brain. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">This record is full of sounds and characteristics that are recognisable, but the album is at its finest when it isn’t. The chameleon-like nature of ‘Quake’ heightens the emotional turmoil contained within the lyrics, able to be delicate and reserved one moment in bass-driven verses courtesy of Davyd Winter-Bates, then soaring and tempestuous the next, to make it both a ballad and an undeniable belter. ‘Better Below’ is an uplifting mammoth, kicked off by the simple but solid drum work of Adam Jackson before launching into a rollercoaster of an aural assault with moving lows and dramatic, gripping highs. ‘Cold Sleep’ is a fast paced thrasher, ‘Voice &amp; Truth’ is a hearty and electrifying monolith, ‘Dark Infinite’ is a beautifully destructive hurricane that brings the record to a close in the most hair-raising and magnificent way &#8211; this album has everything you could want and more. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Simply put, ‘Cannibal’ is their most captivating and powerful record to date. This isn’t just another Bury Tomorrow record &#8211; it stands for something. It’s a helping hand for anyone afraid to reach out, a beacon for anyone that needs guidance, a home for anyone that feels lost. You are not on your own, and no matter how bad things might seem, they can and will be better. In Dani’s own words, “the normalisation of mental health is what saves lives. I want people to see the light in the dark. If they delve into that they can find solace in the discussion, the normalisation, the positive action by discussing this.” This record is deeply rooted in the dark, but its intentions are to usher anyone that’s struggling to the light. When the music hits you this hard, it’s incredibly difficult not to walk towards it. </span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">‘Cannibal’ is radiant, rousing and ravenous, setting Bury Tomorrow up for yet another clean vault over the bar that they’re endlessly raising. A truly stunning offering from one of British metalcore&#8217;s most valuable gems.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">DAVE STEWART</span></p>
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		<title>Bury Tomorrow, Employed To Serve, Blood Youth @ Academy, Manchester</title>
		<link>https://www.punktastic.com/galleries/bury-tomorrow-employed-to-serve-blood-youth-academy-manchester/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Romy Gregory]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jan 2020 09:50:03 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.punktastic.com/?post_type=galleries&#038;p=226855</guid>

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		<title>LIVE: Bury Tomorrow / Employed To Serve / Blood Youth @ Academy 1, Manchester</title>
		<link>https://www.punktastic.com/live-reviews/live-bury-tomorrow-employed-to-serve-blood-youth-academy-1-manchester/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gem Rogers]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jan 2020 09:48:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.punktastic.com/?post_type=live-reviews&#038;p=226917</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[British heavy music is in undeniably magnificent shape right now. Not only are there a strong contingent of bands ascending to become the next wave of festival headliners, but also an incredible number of artists breaking out with albums that are making Album Of The Year lists across the board – rock, despite what some [&#8230;]]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>British heavy music is in undeniably magnificent shape right now. Not only are there a strong contingent of bands ascending to become the next wave of festival headliners, but also an incredible number of artists breaking out with albums that are making Album Of The Year lists across the board – rock, despite what some might say, is most definitely not dead. It seems a fitting end to 2019, then, to spend it in Manchester Academy in the company of three of our best homegrown talents; bands who are continuing to rise and grow from across the spectrum of heavy music, giving us one last chance to get a little bit crazy as we bid farewell to another year.</p>
<p>Melodic hardcore mob turned nu-metallers Blood Youth pump out a short but blistering set focusing on this year’s sophomore album ‘Starve’. It’s a style that suits them and their live performance down to the ground; there’s a fire in Blood Youth that spills out in every ominous note and gut-churning riff, with tracks like ‘Keep You Alive’ and the gorgeously technical ‘Nerve’ channelling aggression into a therapeutic release. It’s a shame there’s only time for six tracks, but it’s more than enough for the Harrogate four to prove how much they have to offer.</p>
<p>It’s an uncharacteristically quiet Manchester crowd in the Academy tonight, and for a while it looks as though Employed To Serve might have a much mellower set than they deserve – but it’s testament to their power that, with a little encouragement and a lot of punishingly heavy riffs, the room is utterly transformed by the end of their 40 minutes on stage. There’s good reason Employed To Serve has been the name on everyone’s lips through 2019, helped along by their impressive third album ‘Eternal Forward Motion’; layering Gojira-esque technicality over soul-crushing, hardcore brutality, there’s a precision, style, and confidence about this band that can’t be ignored (and there’s no real reason you’d ever want to). If unrelenting fury is your thing, Employed To Serve deliver it and then some – and it looks like they’ve won over more than a few in this now packed and sweaty room.</p>
<p>With the energy in Manchester Academy now well and truly ignited, the scene is set for headliners Bury Tomorrow to tip the excitement (and mosh pits) over the edge – not that they’ve ever really needed any help getting a crowd going. It’s been a year since their last headline show in Manchester at the O2&#8217;s Ritz, with a support slot for Parkway Drive at the Apollo tiding us over ‘til now, and their continued ascension through the metalcore ranks has been propelled by 2018’s ‘Black Flame’. While full album playthroughs are often reserved for anniversary shows, it speaks to the success of their fifth full length that tonight is not only dedicated to ‘Black Flame’, but receives the kind of joyous and frantic crowd reaction reserved for old favourites from the very first notes of ‘No Less Violent’ – and it only gets better from here.</p>
<p>Whatever it is that makes a band festival headliner material, there’s no denying that Bury Tomorrow have It, with a capital I (preferably one of those big flourishing ones at the start of medieval books, if you really want to illustrate it sufficiently). There’s an irrepressible, captivating energy, passion, and stage presence that lights up every moment of this set and radiates throughout the room as the pits grow and the floor rattles with every beat. Measuring success can be a tricky thing, but when the circle pits alone are bigger than the venues you once played, it’s safe to say you’re doing something right – and with performances like this, Bury Tomorrow are doing everything right.</p>
<p>The inclusive and electric community atmosphere this band foster is only one aspect of what makes them such a special live act – the other key part, and one that’s plain to see tonight, is their flawless delivery of this fusion of classic and modern metalcore sounds. From Dani Winter-Bates guttural roars and screams to Jason Cameron’s pitch perfect, gritty cleans, Bury Tomorrow have some of the best vocals in the game sitting atop memorable riffs and punching breakdowns aplenty that never let up, and never falter.</p>
<p>Recognising that ‘Black Flame’ alone isn’t quite long enough to keep a headline show all to itself – although it’s been more than well received, and there’s a few people who already look in need of a lie down to recover – a four song encore rounds off the night, featuring a highlight in the form of new track ‘The Grey (VIXI)’.</p>
<p>“There is no other art form like music, like metal music, to bring us together,” says Dani, as part of an incredibly personal introduction to the song, reflecting not only on his own mental health, but on encouragement to all to reach out for help, to find comfort in friends, and solace in music. It’s a topic dear to his heart and it shows, feeling all the more relevant at this time of year when loneliness can reach a peak for many. It’s moments like this, in shows like this, that act as the best reminder that we are never alone – and with one last opportunity to let loose to ‘You &amp; I’ and ‘Man On Fire’, there’s a feeling of inner warmth that will last long after we exit into the cold December night. If you want to see the future of British metalcore, look no further than Bury Tomorrow.</p>
<p>GEM ROGERS</p>
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