Words: Dave Stewart. Photos: Paul Lyme and Penny Bennett

Negative Frame

As soon as Negative Frame take to the stage, vocalist Kesari Gorin yells “2-1” down the mic to rapturous applause, the football crowd still in high spirits after last night’s win, and it helps get the chaos in motion. Within the first few minutes of their set the pit is open, their pummelling Sepultura meets Code Orange approach forcing everyone in earshot to pay attention. There are a handful of sloppy transitions from section to section but it doesn’t take away from their punch in the slightest. The tent packs out over the course of the set, which the band declares as their biggest show to date, and they made every second worth it. A really impressive early performance, clearly displaying a lot of potential for these heavy youngsters.

Arson

Have you ever seen a band with its own bartender? If you’re watching Arson, then yes you have. The Belgian quintet – technically a sextet if you’re willing to allow booze as an instrument – have decked The Cave’s stage in vintage decor, all donning burgundy suits as they deliver a chaotic hardcore set to the very full tent. With the punk ferocity of the long gone The Ghost of A Thousand and the dirty riffs of Every Time I Die, it’s hard to turn away and is a testament to their musical prowess. The addition of the bartender has definitely helped get the crowd on side; the show was really solid, but if there was ever a surefire way of getting a British audience on side, it’s by getting them drunk. We love a good day drinking sesh, don’t we?

Vower

Made up of members of Palm Reader, Black Peaks and Toska, the talent housed within Vower is second to none. On paper they’re one of the UK’s most exciting new bands, and this show solidifies that. This is the band’s first ever festival set – their third ever show, in fact – and from how tightly packed the crowd is you’d have thought they’d been around longer than a few months. From the ominous haunting power of ‘False Rituals’ to the colossal closing number ‘Shroud’, the band are firing on all cylinders, not missing a note and captivating every single person in attendance. Vocalist Josh McKeown is visibly taken aback at the reception that they’ve had, unable to wipe the grin off his face in between songs, and it’s fully deserved. Keep an eye on this band; this is just the beginning.

Static Dress

The reputation Static Dress have carved out for high energy shows has now become a well known fact, not a myth or a rumour, and the anticipation for their arrival to the Main Stage was palpable. As soon as the set starts it becomes immediately clear that they’ve evolved into a well oiled machine, and they’re so tight it’s actually a little bit terrifying. There’s so much weight behind them that it’s impossible not to be completely mesmerised, and when vocalist Ollie Appleyard states “If you stand still you’re a fucking dickhead,” you don’t want people to think you’re a dickhead. The set is criminally short but they don’t waste any time, tearing through bangers ‘Courtney, Just Relax’, ‘crying’ and ‘clean’ with so much power they literally split the entire field in two for a brutal wall of death. This is Static Dress’ world, we’re just living in it.

Spanish Love Songs

There is something so incredibly special about Spanish Love Songs, and their set in The Axiom suggests that the UK and this festival may have something to do with that. The atmosphere is different to what you’d usually expect when watching a band in a tent like this one. There’s excitement, sure, perhaps some adrenaline too, but the main feeling is love. Real, genuine connection, with the band giving every ounce of affection right back to the crowd. From newer tracks like ‘Lifers’ and the wonderful ‘Clean Up Crew’ to older cuts like ‘Kick’ and heart-warming set closer ‘Brave Faces Everyone’, the band don’t miss a beat and the crowd give them everything they have from beginning to end. This has been a moving, raw, safe, honest and incredibly cathartic experience for everyone that was lucky enough to catch it, and the band gracefully guided us through it. A truly wonderful, life affirming show.

Movements

There’s always going to be tech issues at festivals, they’re inevitable, and it just so happened that the first band to get hit by them is Movements. Following a fierce performance of ‘Afraid To Die’, vocalist Patrick Miranda hypes the crowd up to the point where they’re about to burst and then disaster strikes. But they don’t allow the vibe to vanish; a quick ‘Seven Nation Army’ jam turns into “Oh Jeremy Corbyn” chants, and they launch into ‘Third Degree’ like nothing ever happened. Did anything happen? What tech issues? The remainder of their time is crammed full of banger after banger, and it’s a real delight. ‘Lead Pipe’ gets the crowd pulsing from front to back, ‘Colorblind’ causes both pit and crowdsurf chaos, but it’s set closer ‘Daylily’ that steals the show, the crowd overpowering the band with the volume of their collective voices as the sun fully breaks through the clouds outside the tent. A perfect end to a near-perfect set. 

Boston Manor

The tech issues have made their way over to The Axiom, and they unfortunately plague Boston Manor throughout their set. They arrive on stage a little late and they manage to get through ‘Floodlights on The Square’ before having to halt things again due to the persistence of the issues, stealing another ten or so minutes from their allotted time. As frustrating as this must have been for them, none of the crowd left the tent, feet all firmly planted in the ground ready to rage when the time was right. That time arrived with the infectious ‘Container’, and the rest of the set was a dream. Though they were still clearly having some issues they muscled through, treating onlookers to big and bold belters like ‘I Don’t Like People (& They Don’t Like Me)’ and the Deftones-esque ‘Sliding Doors’ with finesse. The closing one-two punch of ‘Halo’ and ‘Foxglove’ ends things on a huge high, the latter amplified by the surprise appearance of Movements leading man Patrick Miranda. A heart-breaking start, but a heart-warming end.

Manchester Orchestra

There’s a very big main stage turnout to see the majestic Manchester Orchestra, and rightly so. The band’s following has grown from a somewhat cult gathering to a mass appreciation over the last few years, and as soon they take the stage the crowd’s focus is solely on what’s about to happen over the next 50 minutes. Andy Hull and co take the festival on journey mixed with meditative bliss and cathartic release, allowing the music to do all the talking with the entire field hanging off of every note. The set is full of their biggest and best, including the anthemic ‘Bed Head’ and the grungey delight ‘The Mansion’, a joy-filled run through ‘The Gold’ featuring The Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon all the way to a hypnotic performance of ‘The Maze’. The stunning set closer ‘100 Dollars’ serves as the perfect bookend, the crowd swaying and headbanging and holding one another for every single moment. Hull’s voice is absolutely haunting and flawless throughout, as is the band’s musicianship, putting on a captivating mix of serenity and gut-wrenching sincerity. If you weren’t already in love with this band, you will be now.

Hot Mulligan

Hot Mulligan vocalist Nathan Sanville is ready to go home and hang out with his girlfriend and his dog Bill, but not before they show everyone tightly crammed into The Axiom tent a good time. If you weren’t sure about the band’s popularity, the sheer number of people trying to get a spot inside will tell you that this is one of today’s most highly-anticipated sets. It becomes quickly clear why the attendance is so high; the band provide hit after uplifting hit, delivered with precision and joy with tongues kept firmly in cheek. In between Ted Talks about the worth of office stationery and why stealing from your job is theoretically fine, tracks like ‘Shouldn’t Have A Leg Hole, But I Do’, ‘Drink Milk And Run’, the aptly named ‘This Song is Called What It’s Called’ and the delightful ‘Equip Sunglasses’ shows us that the hype isn’t just real, it’s deserved. No notes missed (apart from the ones offered to the crowd to yell back), maximum energy and genuine, heart-warming enthusiasm. High energy closing number ‘John “The Rock” Cena, Can You Smell What The Undertaker’ causes one final round of pandemonium, and both band and crowd end the set smiling from ear to ear. Simply wonderful.

Better Lovers

With only one EP and two singles out in the open, the hype that Better Lovers have generated since their 2023 is impressive, but unsurprising. When your band is comprised of members that have been a part of projects like The Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die and Fit For An Autopsy to name a few, it’s a recipe for success and it’s one that a lot of 2000 Trees attendees want to have a taste of. The enormous number of people sardining themselves into The Cave proves that, and they are beyond ready to embrace the band with open, loving arms. 

A couple of minutes into the set they get an opportunity to do just that, with vocalist Greg Puciato wasting no time climbing the stages central steel beam before launching into the crowd for the breakdown of ‘Become So Small’. Behind him the band are collectively thrashing their limbs and their instruments on-stage, and it’s already impossible to decide where to look. The chaos has begun.

The remainder of the set is pure insanity, soundtracked with inhuman precision and incredible stage presence. A breakneck performance of ‘Sacrificial Participant’ summons numerous pits and countless crowdsurfers, giving the stage’s security a real workout as they try to keep up with the endless flow of bodies. ‘The Flowering’ sounds truly lethal, as does ‘Two Alive Among The Dead’ and an incredible cover of the Soundgarden classic ‘Rusty Cage’. They even unveil some new music which sounds exactly as you would expect; hard, heavy and scarily destructive, igniting mass crowd participation within mere moments of the opening notes. 

Then, a familiar sound creeps through the PA. “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands” brings the entire tent together with impressive unison, and without missing a beat the band rip into show stealer and set closer ’30 Under 13’. The closing moments are just as chaotic as the opening ones, if not more so. The pits all seem to merge together in one big maelstrom, Puciato climbs the steel beams again and spends just as much time on top of the crowd as he does on stage, guitarist Jordan Buckley throws his guitar into the air and fails to catch it, snapping it in two… If you blink you might miss something, it’s insanity from every angle.

The set finishes, Puciato leaps into the crowd again, the band leave the stage with feedback ringing out from the tattered and beaten gear upon it, and the crowd is left completely breathless. As festival performances go, it doesn’t get much better than this. This is the perfect closer for the first full day of 2000 Trees, and we can’t wait to see what Friday has in store for us.

It going without saying that this was no ordinary Manchester Orchestra show. Rescheduled from May, ‘An Evening With Manchester Orchestra’ is a three night showcase featuring only two members of the band (Hull and bassist Andy Prince), of which this was the opening night. It’s also a sober show; with respect to the venue’s role as a place of worship, only soft drinks are allowed inside. We sip our diet cokes on long wooden pews scratched by a century of devotion, gazing up at the stained visages of unnamed saints lit by cast iron chandeliers. While phones are permitted, no one uses them. There would be no instagram live streams of the night, or recording a clip for your friends who didn’t manage to get tickets. To use a phone, or even to acknowledge that the outside world, feels like inviting an intrusion. We sit silently, open mouthed, awestruck at what can be created from so little. Some rest their heads on their partner’s shoulders, an arm wrapped around them for comfort. One man clasps his hands over his mouth and nose, his elbows resting on the back of the pew in front of him, tears streaming freely over his stubble. 

As ‘I Know How To Speak’ gives way to ‘The Grocery’, we begin to process what we’re hearing. With the barest of instrumental touches from the bass and the occasional feather-soft brush on the guitar strings, Manchester Orchestra’s sound has been transfigured from indie rock to purest modern folk. It sits shyly between Bon Iver and John Martyn. The silences feel as important as each note, allowing us the briefest of pauses to enjoy the full depth of what we hear. The character of each song has been altered too in this setting and setup. The black vein of sorrow that runs just beneath the skin of the Manchester Orchestra sound has been vivisected to allow the full pain and isolation out into each song. ‘The Gold’ becomes a vulnerable plea for mercy from an unknown tormentor. ‘Deer’ pulses with the slow, ever-present ache of wishing you could make things right with the people you’ve lost. ‘Angel of Death’ exposes you to the cold, bright light of realisation.

“Yesterday was like three days ago,” mumbles Hull with a grin. He’s awkward onstage, and somewhat jet lagged. “We’ve been looking forward to these shows for so long…” Someone from the crowd shouts out the name of a song and Hull laughs, obliging the heckler with the out-of-character ’50 Cent’. It’s a sweet song, and comes across as endearingly plaintive and insecure. As they finish, we recognise the opening strains of ‘Capital Karma’ and a cheer is released for the first time, forty minutes into Manchester Orchestra’s set. It’s not as if we haven’t enjoyed the other songs; more that we’re overcome with passion for what we’re hearing that we want to break the unspoken rules of the space and give voice to our appreciation. Throughout their set, Manchester Orchestra conjure emotions from the depths of your chest that can’t fully be named, merely linked to scenarios. A cover of Frightened Rabbit’s ‘My Backwards Walk’ is bathed in royal blue and sounds like loneliness when you are separated from your loved ones by time and distance. 

Hull asks what the time is. We don’t really know either. Every time check reveals that either time has jumped forward by half an hour, or a song has stretched for an hour in three minutes. Someone calls out that it’s seven o’clock in a desperate bid to get them to play for longer. Unfortunately, this show is on a Sunday and the curfew is strict. Our hearts, emptied by ninety minutes of emotional drainage, are re-inflated by the icy hope and piano caresses of ‘Rear View’. Hull checks his watch and flicks through his notebook and, with two minutes to go, a member of staff runs out with a notes and holds it up to Hull to remind him that he’s on the clock as if he was a child at a debating contest. He takes the risk and the high piano notes of ‘Bed Head’ twinkle like tissue paper stars, taking us a scandalous three minutes over time. 

As soon as Manchester Orchestra say goodnight, a pre-recorded message rings out to remind us that the bar will be open for another ten minutes and to take care on the stairs. We land back on earth with a jolt, suddenly aware of bodies which ache from a static night crammed onto unforgiving benches. Our minds have been elsewhere, elevated beyond the mundane, thanks to a incredibly potent evening with Manchester Orchestra. 

KATE ALLVEY

This time round, Manchester Orchestra have teamed up with filmmaker Isaac Deitz on a film project titled ‘The Valley of Vision’. While the visual aspect sees Deitz embrace the use of 3D-computed radiography technology, it’s left to Hull and company to provide its soundtrack. Furthermore, the band wrote the EP away from one another, describing the process as a “science experiment.” Nevertheless, with all that said, ‘The Valley of Vision’ still sounds like Manchester Orchestra at their stunning, harmonious best.

‘Capital Karma’ comfortably drifts in with Hull’s intimate vocals and tender keys. Its gradual build wraps you in a reassuring musical blanket with a heavenly tone that easily draws you in. Hull’s words introduce a sense of gratitude that is threaded throughout these six tracks. On here, he directs his words at a loved one, reassuring his faithfulness – “I’m in love with whoеver you are, Nothing here is gonna take that away”.

‘Capital Karma’ succulently melts into ‘The Way’; maintaining the sparse tone, distant drums tick along as you’re drawn into Hull’s hushed voice telling a tale of losing his way through uncertainty. It’s complemented by a soaring bridge, serving as an emotional release. With ooh’s scattered throughout, its build sustains with gorgeous execution.

Throughout their career, Manchester Orchestra have proved their worth when creating a compelling atmosphere to their music, and ‘Quietly’ is another example of this. It’s ideally timid, allowing Hull and company to paint a sorrowful picture of patience for close to three minutes. As the story intensifies with “two people gnashing their blood-coloured teeth”, Tim Very’s drums erupt, complementing the final chorus and introducing a rarely heard guitar in the process.

Minimal electric drums and atmospheric strings introduce ‘Letting Go’. However its tone, and occasional swells, results in the track being one of the weaker offerings. Whereas ‘Lose You Again’ is a barebone, acoustic-led number with tender guitars and pianos, and duel harmonies. Lyrically, Hull’s narrative is introspective – “I’ve been tired trying to chase your high, You’ve been trying hard to fill that hole” – as his plucky acoustic twinkles amongst a shimmering musical backdrop.

‘The Valley of Vision’ departs on a high note in the form of ‘Rear View’. Backed by Andy Prince’s brooding bass, Hull’s delicate voice gradually builds to a momentarily high-pitched shrill as he sings “And all this time I thought I was right.” Delayed piano keys add to ‘Rear View’s compelling atmosphere. It’s a credit to Manchester Orchestra that they use sparsity to their advantage, being able to create an environment that draws you in by doing nothing, letting notes linger.

By abandoning their guitar-led approach, Manchester Orchestra has crafted an EP that highlights their intimate essence with purity. The experimentation of “doing things the wrong way,” as the band said ahead of the EP’s release, Manchester Orchestra continue to evolve effortlessly. ‘The Valley of Vision’ is a welcome addition to Manchester Orchestra’s evergrowing palette.

SÊAN REID

As the dissonant feedback of ‘Dark Distance’ creeps in and vocalist Keith Buckley painfully begs “spare only the ones I love, slay the rest,” everything rips into focus and it quickly becomes clear that the five year wait was worth it. Low ’n’ slow guitars, pummelling drums and unsettling shrieks collectively kick you in the teeth and make it clear that no force is being reserved. It’s pedal to the metal from the offset, and that’s when ETID operate at their absolute best.

‘Sly’ is a mosh-ready tornado with an almost reverent hook, blasting your eardrums with the relentless distorted attack from guitar duo Andy Williams and Jordan Buckley who see the track out with a dirty, gloom-ridden outro. ‘Colossal Wreck’ is a scorching punk-infused brain-melter complete with banshee-like wails, furious riffage and non-stop onslaught courtesy of drummer Clayton ‘Goose’ Holyoak. From the break-neck pace of ‘Distress Rehearsal’ and its thrashy nature to the soaring Southern-tinged charm of the epic ‘White Void’, the goods just don’t stop coming.

There are a couple of very tasty treats buried within in the form of two guest spots; one that we’ve all been waiting for and another we didn’t know we needed. The first can be found on ‘All This And War’, a gloomy headbang-fest that features the volatile pipes of ’68 vocalist Josh Scogin in its ominous, foreboding outro. The second, which is one of the most memorable on the record, is on the luscious ‘Thing With Feathers’, featuring the vocal delights of Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull who drapes his enchanting tones over the beautiful ballad hybrid. ETID are no stranger to guest spots and they always place them well, and these tracks are no exception. Both highlight different sides of the band’s sound and compliment both of the guest’s individual talents and the songs that they’re enhancing.

Another thing that this band does flawlessly is riffs, and ‘Radical’ has them flying at you from every angle. From the thick-as-treacle bass intro from Steve Micciche to the stabbing verses and THAT hard as nails middle section, ‘Post Boredom’ is an absolute riff tour de force. Also make sure you listen to the furious ‘Hostile Architecture’ and try to convince yourself that the dark and skulking lead riff isn’t one of the best to surface this year (it IS one of the best riffs of the year, don’t lie to yourself). Then there’s the ominous ‘Desperate Pleasures’, the erratic ‘sexsexsex’, the upbeat yet venomous ‘Planet Shit’ – ‘Radical’ is unsurprisingly comprised of solely solid gold. Did you really think it’d be anything less?

One of the most admired components of the band is Keith’s effortlessly poetic lyrics which are also in fine form, seeing him more exposed than ever. Tracks like ‘The Whip’, ‘Post Boredom’, ‘Hostile Architecture’ and the emotionally devastating album closer ‘We Go Together’ are all solid examples of why he’s so revered among lyricists, story-telling with a candid and bleak approach that evokes a whole range of emotions. It makes the album not just a hard-hitting slab of heavy music but also a jaw-dropping journey through self-deprecation, criticism and observation of the world surrounding us, painting a stimulating and often tragic picture of how things might look inside his head. What makes it more tragic is that a lot of what he sees is relatable, and it creates a listening experience that’s both punishing and remarkably intimate.

Overall, this is simply stunning. Every Time I Die are one of the most consistently high-performing bands in the heavy music world, and ‘Radical’ is yet another trophy that they can place on their now overflowing mantle. Combine their clear mastery of the craft with the weighty, crystal clear production skills of audio wizard Will Putney, and there was no way this was ever going to be a bad record. At this point it’s really hard to believe that they’ll ever put a foot wrong, and this album is another fearless leap forwards as they embark on their ninth victory lap. One of the best bands of both this generation and the last, long may they reign.

DAVE STEWART

While these are big comparisons to make, St Louis band Foxing are in the same category. With each album, they’ve pushed a more definitive sound, from debut ‘The Albatross’ being an excellent example of lo-fi emo chamber rock, third album ‘Nearer My God’ had a much more expansive, cinematic, twinkly feel.

While ‘Nearer My God’ has sinister undertones throughout, ‘Draw Down The Moon’ feels far more positive from the outset, with a broader synthpop feel largely replacing the long strokes of strings, a sound they touched on gently with ‘Heartbeats’. With Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull assisting with the production, it’s almost a guarantee that ‘Draw Down The Moon’ will be an ambitious, expressive album.

Opening with ‘737’, delicate guitars play out as frontperson Conor Murphy’s saccharin vocals depict loneliness, a sense of being overwhelmed and, ultimately, a sense of brotherhood with the listener, expressing both his inability to “do this alone” while offering loyalty. As the track reaches it’s climax, thick layers of distortion rise above the gentle acoustics, resulting in Murphy screaming lyrics relating to the rest of the album – beacons, moons, lightning, floors etc.

‘Go Down Together’ is the first real outlook at Foxing’s newer sound. An electropop masterpiece, it’s laced with precise synths, jangly guitars and an upbeat melody that sticks between the ears. An ode to Bonnie And Clyde, it’s a love song with the catchiest of choruses. Similarly, ‘Beacons’ is heavy with synth beats and an emotive heart to become a deftly poignant love song.

More jagged than the previously mentioned tracks, the title track and ‘Where The Lightning Strikes Twice’ dial the synths back slightly for a more cohesive ‘full band’ procession. With layers of thick rhythms and superglue melodies, these tracks are the perfect representation of ‘Draw Down The Moon’. Slightly chaotic but in the most positive of ways, you can’t help but feel your shoulders start to sway, your head starts to bob and your lips starting to mouth the lyrics.

While ‘Where The Lightning Strikes Twice’ has an almost Queen level of operatic flamboyance, ‘At Least We Found The Floor’ is entirely stripped back, really allowing Murphy and guitarist/vocalist Eric Hudson to explore harmonies, both vocally and with their dexterous guitar picking.

Likely the danciest on the record, ‘Bialystok’ has an infectious electronic beat that can’t help but slap a smile on your face, a catchy chorus and a touching metaphor. It’s one that’ll get the glowsticks waving for certain.

‘Cold Blooded’ and ‘If I Believed In Love’ reflect earlier Foxing, with steady rhythms from drummer Jon Hellwig and intricate melodies. More emotionally charged, they’re the tracks that would most easily fit elsewhere in their discography, as if a reminder that, for all the additions to their sound, they’re still masters of their craft.

Closing track, ‘Speak With The Dead’, swells with subtle horns, before reaching a huge crescendo of frantic drumming and Murphy’s voice rising above all. There’s a celestial fragility that resonates throughout the track, be it due to the slower tempo, Murphy’s delivery or the general composition, it’s a track that holds firmly to the heartstrings and refuses to let go. With an outro riff provided by Yoni Wolf of WHY?, it’ll leave it’s fingerprints all over your memories.

Foxing are a difficult band to categorise into one sound or genre, and this album is further proof of that. While all tracks are wildly different, the thread tying them together is ever-present; it’s an appreciation for their past and their future, culminating in an incredible present. ‘Draw Down The Moon’ shimmers with pearlescent optimism, despite all the pessimism laced throughout it. It’s a captivating listen, one that can be enjoyed repeatedly without ever tiring of it. Layered. Eclectic. Wonderful.

ANDY JOICE

Much like its predecessor, ‘TMMOG’ is threaded together by a loose narrative concept. The story encompasses a man’s encounter with the angel of death as he’s shown various scenes from his life; both the highs and lows. While fictitious, Manchester Orchestra always bring a vivid humane element to their songs. Hull’s songwriting partner and guitarist, Robert McDowell, lost his father due to cancer in 2019, leading songs such as ‘Let It Storm’ and ‘The Internet’ to explore the reality of the imminence and inevitability of death.

Where ‘A Black Mile to the Surface’ thrived on its cinematic presentation, both in its sound and songwriting, ‘Masks’ more often than not takes an intimate route. Early on, ‘Inaudible’ ascends to the heavens with sweeping instrumentation before melting into ‘Angel of Death’. The album’s second track puts the narrative at the forefront; the main character and the Angel Of Death become one as he confronts his sins before finality. Musically, it’s delivered with a sense of familiarity; Hull’s vocals are complemented by layered instrumentation that brilliantly ascends in the chorus, before settling with simplicity.

The pairing of ‘Keel Timing’ and ‘Bad Head’ reflects on growth and changes, finding a purpose to become better in the process. The former is driven by a ticking funk-like rhythm, while the latter is built around electronic drums. Both are neatly constructed and while they don’t stray too far away from MO’s foundations, they still allow layered elements to become effective.

Midway points such as ‘Annie’, ‘Dinosaur’ and ’Telepath’ offer moments of reflection. The latter is a timid, stripped back affair with twinkling acoustics whereas ‘Let It Storm’ begins in a folk-like manner before expanding harmoniously. Light pianos, a ticking synth, and earthy drums complement Hull’s words, providing one of the album’s highlights. Collectively, they emphasise Manchester Orchestra’s ability to captivate you as songwriters. While these tracks, along with later cuts such as the reflective ‘Obstacle’, ride along at an intimate level, they allow McDowell and Hull’s words to become the focus, only to be complemented by intricate, layered instrumentation.

That said, long time fans familiar with Manchester Orchestra’s quiet-loud-louder trait might come away disappointed. The key is to stay open minded, as while ‘Masks’ may not offer sonically stunning buildups, tracks such as ‘Dinosaurs’ do execute it subtly. Its simple start gradually builds to a momentary explosion dominated by drummer Tim Very in an equally as satisfying way as the crescendo of their previous material.

The fittingly titled ‘Way Back’ paints an image of our main character descending back to reality, having been on a journey of reflection. It resonates with warmth, showered by calming harmonies, and glistening piano keys. ‘The Internet’ serves as the album’s slow-burning, cathartic finale – “Do you know what it means, another man that is inside the man of me” sings Hull, accepting the lessons he’s learned. As swirling, atmospheric keys fade into the background, Hull closes the album proclaiming “God, I was right all this time”.

Where ‘A Black Mile to the Surface’ specialised in serving bombastic, awe-inspiring moments, ‘TMMOG’ has allowed Manchester Orchestra to hone in on their ability to write a sombre and concise narrative, all the while cunningly pushing themselves as musicians. Along with the help of producers Catherine Marks and Ethan Gruska, ‘Masks’ is littered with layered nuances that make Manchester Orchestra more than your normal indie rock band.

Although it’s unlikely to be held in as high esteem as past records, ‘The Million Masks of God’ continues the ongoing rebirth, and growth, of Manchester Orchestra. Clouded in grief, it has allowed them to be specialist in tightly written albums designed to be digested with repeated listens.

SÊAN REID