Whilst Heriot’s sound is undoubtedly heavy, their severity is juxtaposed with sludgey breakdowns and haunting melodies. The change in pace throughout the set showcases the light and shade of the band’s sound and keeps the audience on their toes, with vocalist/guitarist Debbie Gough switching seamlessly between a dual mic set-up for screams and clean vocals. Closing with popular single ‘Demure’, Heriot offer a brilliant start to an evening packed with talent.

Up next are Washington D.C. five-piece Darkest Hour. With a career spanning nearly three decades, they exude an air of confident assuredness that portrays their longevity as a band. Wasting no time at all, they launch straight in with drum licks and guitar trills to rival their better-known metalcore counterparts.

Darkest Hour might not be pushing any boundaries with their take on melodic death metal, but they present an energetic and accomplished performance, with powerful vocals, shredding guitars and a chugging rhythm section interspersed with full-throttle thrash beats. Their set is tight and their fervent energy captivates the ever-growing crowd. Like every band on the bill tonight, there are multiple calls for circle pits, and the already sweat-drenched fans in the middle are happy to oblige, with limbs and drinks flying through the air as the metal riffs fly out from the stage.

The floor is positively heaving by the time co-headliners Fit For An Autopsy take to the stage, with Pat Sheridan’s bright orange guitar glowing like a beacon in a sea of black. Attacking opener and latest single ‘Lower Purpose’ with brutality and technical prowess, the passion and dedication of band and fans alike is palpable. The sold-out crowd somehow manage to make room to split in half and launch themselves at one another for a wall of death during second track, ‘A Higher Level of Hate’, their fierce but controlled aggression mirrored by the band’s relentless energy and expert delivery.

Combining dirty grooves, doomy bass and plenty of polished guitar trills, Fit For An Autopsy’s newer material from this year’s album ‘The Nothing That Is’ slots effortlessly into a set packed with older favourites. Vocalist Joe Badolato displays impressive lung capacity, holding impassioned screams through moments of vocal isolation for maximum impact. The intensity never waivers, and the pit has gone slightly feral by the time we get to the guttural growls of ‘Hellions’, with fists punching the air and scores of voices joining in with cries of ‘Far From Heaven’ from a pulsating floor.

The momentum is interrupted only briefly to satisfy that all-familiar request for a sea of phone torch lights for the opening moments of closing track ‘Two Towers’. It feels like a slightly odd cliché to end a set that’s been packed full of ruthless deathcore, but there’s every chance that a minute or so of relative calm is exactly what the crowd need to recover for the final act of the night.

The opening few bars of ‘Empty Prophets’ see Sylosis guitarist Conor Marshall’s locks flying through the air in neck-achingly enthusiastic signature windmills. Stepping over from bass after the amicable departure of guitarist Alex Bailey, there’s not a note out of place as the newest incarnation of Sylosis unleash the full power of their thrash mastery. The pit isn’t as unhinged as it was for Fit For An Autopsy, primarily because everyone is too busy craning their necks to catch a glimpse of vocalist and lead guitarist Josh Middleton’s exceptional fretwork and powerful roars, underpinned by a ludicrously tight double-bass-drum-fuelled rhythm section.

Sylosis blend elements of contemporary metal into their songwriting, adding texture and nuance to their frantic high-velocity thrash roots. Debbie Gough of Heriot reappears momentarily for vocal duties on ‘The Path’ before the band delve into their back catalogue, the older material standing the test of time alongside newer releases.

Middleton announces the return of guitarist Alex Bailey for ‘Poison for the Lost’ with Marshall switching back to bass for the final few tracks. New bassist Ben Thomas can be seen at the back of the stage, watching the end of the set with what can only be described as a mix of pride and admiration. For a band who have been through as many lineup changes as Sylosis, they’ve maintained a consistency in the quality of their output, celebrating the standard of songwriting and talent of the musicians involved.

Three of the four ending songs are taken from last year’s ‘A Sign of Things To Come’, with the groove of the title track erupting into closer ‘Deadwood’, the devastating riffs giving the crowd one last chance to let loose and run at each other with reckless abandon.

ELLIE ODURNY

Where ‘Vibrant’ focused on our personal relationships with family, friends and lovers, ‘A Pale Blue Dot’ drastically widens Dreamshade’s scope. Written during normality before the world really knew what was about to plague it, the band sought to take a deeper look at humanity, the planet and everything surrounding it, unknowingly creating an album that’s lyrically very fitting for these unprecedented times.

The record is a well executed blend of modern metalcore and the classic Gothenburg sound championed by some of metals most iconic bands. Songs like the dramatic and lively ‘Safe Harbour’, the frantic and melodically rich ‘Lightbringers’ and the vast and punchy ‘Shanghai Nights’ fit that mould like a tailored suit, every thread stitched to perfection to accent all the best features. That’s just three of the songs – there are 14 on offer here, and they’re all laced with gold.

‘Somewhere Else’ has the potential to incite mass singalongs in mere moments, boasting one of the most addictive choruses the record has to offer. ‘Step Back’ is a top-tier tour through modern metalcore complete with sights of catchy riffs, seamless changes of pace, a soaring chorus and a monstrous crowd-pleaser of a breakdown. ‘Impulse’ is a furious hybrid of a ballad and a pit monster, blending circle-pit intensity with heartfelt and captivating vocals – a formula that’s also borrowed for ‘Elephant’, toying with the dynamics throughout and introducing aggression in completely different places.

‘Save This’ is a sublime balance of sorrow and euphoria, ‘On My Own’ is an upbeat neck-snapper, ‘Question Everything’ is a fun yet furious anthem – it’s just big hitter after big hitter. Aside from a couple of unexpected, almost out-of-place hip-hop styled moments, the whole record is beautifully put together. But, that said, there are a couple of diamonds that glisten just a touch brighter than the rest, and they both happen to feature guest performances.

The first is ‘Stone Cold Digital’, an unforgiving bruiser with thick, dark undertones and a menacing, ominous vibe that carries through from the opening moments right through to the monolithic closing moments. The vocals are especially luscious here as the choruses caress your soul, especially those that feature Italian singer Rose Villain and her velvety, serene tones.

’Nothing But The Truth’ is the other, and it’s endlessly goosebump-inducing. Technically astounding, rhythmically unforgiving, vocally infectious – it’s an unrelenting display of musical prowess made even sweeter with an impassioned vocal performance from Darkest Hour front man John Henry. Guest spots done well, metalcore done right – this is a tremendous return to form.

Try to picture what In Flames might sound like if they leaned a little more into metalcore territory – this is pretty damn close to what you’d hear. Dreamshade have created a spectacular collection of hard-hitting songs with the ability to both stir pits into a frenzy and summon mass participation from enthusiastic, adoring onlookers. It’s tight, polished, catchy, expansive, weighty and everything in between. This record is an absolute delight and, if you’re a fan of metalcore, should be an immediate addition to your must-listen list.

DAVE STEWART

Turns out, all they needed to do was spend a couple of years reminding themselves who they really are, helped along nicely by their decision to spend much of 2015 and some of 2016 playing their 2005 thrashterpiece ‘Undoing Ruin’ live in its entirety. Oh, and also call master producer Kurt Ballou up to the plate to record their new album, ‘Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora’. And what a difference those 3 years have made. This is arguably the finest work Darkest Hour have put out since ‘Undoing Ruin’, though rather than a step backwards towards their older sound, this is instead a quantum leap forward. It’s as thrashy as anything they’ve ever released, but with a progressive edge the band have only ever flirted with in the past dragged to the forefront. It also largely eschews the clean singing frontman John Henry has been employing on the band’s more recent records, his vocals here as vicious and imposing as they’ve ever been. ‘Godless Prophets…’ isn’t just a return to form for Darkest hour – this sounds like the start of an entirely new chapter for them, and with my hope restored I’m once more happy to heed their prophecies.

It is released on March 10 via Southern Lord, and is available to pre-order now. Darkest Hour also have a handful of UK shows planned for later this year, which you can see the dates for below, along with a link to hear ‘Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora’.

Darkest Hour stream ‘Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora’ via Noisey

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30 BIRMINGHAM The Flapper
MAY
01 CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
02 LONDON The Underworld

It is taken from their upcoming ninth studio album, ‘Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora’, which will be released on the 10th March via Southern Lord Recordings.

The band will also be a few UK shows this spring with Venom Prison as part of a wider European tour.

APRIL
30 BIRMINGHAM The Flapper
MAY
01 CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
02 LONDON The Underworld

photo: Pete Duvall

The shows will be in support of their upcoming ninth album, ‘Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora’, which will be available on the 10th March through Southern Lord Records.

APRIL
30 BIRMINGHAM The Flapper
MAY
01 CARDIFF Clwb Ifor Bach
02 LONDON The Underworld

It’s the second track to be taken from their forthcoming album, ‘Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora’, which is released on March 10th via Southern Lord.

Pre-orders are available now, and you can listen to ‘Timeless Numbers’ below.

It’s the first track to be taken from their forthcoming album, ‘Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora’, which is released on March 10th via Southern Lord.

Pre-orders are available now, and you can listen to ‘Knife In The Safe Room’ below.