Of course, no tour would be complete without openers to get proceedings underway, though (relatively local) Leeds lads Higher Power may not be quite what most would have had in mind to do it. Sounding like something straight out of the 90s, it’s a little too chaotic in a bad way, with teeth-grittingly uncomfortable vocals from front man Jimmy Wizard making this set feel more like a cool down than a warm-up. There’s certainly not too much movement from a largely unimpressed looking early crowd, and it’s perhaps with good reason that this sound isn’t one you hear too often these days – Higher Power have made an impression tonight, but it’s unlikely to be the kind they’d have hoped for.

Second support The Amity Affliction are about as well-established as support bands get, having been one of the first bands to develop and push what has evolved into the modern metalcore sound since their beginnings in the mid 2000s. Unfortunately, that sound went on to evolve without them long ago, and The Amity Affliction’s set feels tired in the face of a much fresher and more exciting headliner. It’s not necessarily bad, simply lacking a spark, and with no variety from song to song, this extended support slot eventually merges into what feels like one long, repetitive riff fest. They do, at least, get a reasonable chunk of fans moving as a pit forms near the front of the crowd for something more resembling a metal show, but ultimately, this is metalcore at its least inspiring, and most forgettable.

The contrast between these two lacklustre supporting bands and the chaos that unfolds from the moment Beartooth take to the stage could barely be more stark, and as the opening riffs of ‘The Lines’ blare out, there it is – the show we came for, decked out in bright orange glory and hitting with the force of a ten tonne truck. By the time the ominous bars of ‘Enemy’ roll in, the floor of the Academy is awash with movement from front to back, the pit churning in preparation for the drops. Beartooth’s biggest UK show to date is coming so easily to them that they could’ve been playing rooms this size for decades, and it is sensational to witness.

Unsurprisingly, given that this is the ‘Disease’ tour, large swathes of the set are given over to their 2018 release, though as this era of the band’s career draws to a close, this may be the last time several of these songs are aired live – at least for a while. It’s a shame to see any of these powerhouse tracks go, as they bring together Beartooth’s knack for blending almost poppy, singalong melodies with fast and furious heaviness better than ever before, the gigantic choruses of tracks like ‘Afterall’ and ‘Fire’ practically bursting out of the venue. Never have Beartooth sounded more like they belong at the top of a main stage billing than with the utterly destructive, venomous ‘Bad Listener’ and ‘Manipulation’, though, and voices around the room chorus in unison with Shomo as he breaks from coarse cleans into gut-punching roars with staggering ease.

As with any show of this size, there are some expected theatrics and stage production to complement the thunder of the music – though it’s surprisingly understated, limited predominantly to some colossal stage risers, flags, and several truckloads of confetti, though what’s there seems underused. At the same time, there’s something satisfyingly unrehearsed about this show; the sound is immaculate, but the movement is natural, and a genuine rock show vibe permeates the room. Tracks from earlier albums that find their way into the set list tonight are greeted like old friends by the crowd – and, as is the custom for heavy music fans, those greetings largely consist of pits that engulf the centre of the room, feeding off the energy emitted by the five on stage as this 16 song set flies by.

“I have a feeling, you all know what song we’re about to play to close this fucker out“, Shomo says with a hint of amusement as a space is already cleared in anticipation of the night’s final dance, before the triumphant melodies of ‘In Between’ explode through the room in an echo of voices. It’s an uplifting moment and the perfect finale to a show by a band well on their way to dominating the genre; when you look for the future headliners of festival main stages across the globe, there’s little need to look much further than the spectacle of tonight’s show and the power of Beartooth. The biggest UK show to date? Not for much longer – Beartooth are coming, and you’d best be ready for what’s next.

GEM ROGERS

With the devilishly handsome Caleb Shomo holding court, he proves he’s not only got the pipes to carry the songs live, he’s also got the crowd of 70,000 people in the palm of his hand.

With this in mind, it’s worth reminding you that Beartooth will be touring the UK and Europe extensively throughout the beginning of 2020 with support from The Amity Affliction. Those tickets are bound to sell out incredibly quickly, so pick them up sharpish.

UK Tour dates are below, with all tour dates including Europe available here

FEBRUARY

24  BRISTOL 02 Academy
25  GLASGOW SWG3
26 NOTTINGHAM Rock City
28 MANCHESTER 02 Academy
29  LONDON  Roundhouse

Along with these headliners, Download also announced the following bands will be playing at next years festival.

Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators
Whitesnake
Rob Zombie
Trivium
Amon Amarth
Carcass
Delain
Die Antwoord
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Opeth
Power Trip
Reel Big Fish
Skindred
Starset
Tesla
The Amity Affliction
Underoath

You can pre order the new album here and The Amity Affliction will be heading out on tour across the UK this October.

OCTOBER
2 BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy 2
3 LEEDS Church
4 LONDON The Electric Ballroom
5 GLASGOW Queen Margaret Union
6 HULL Welly: One
7 MANCHESTER Academy 2
8 BRISTOL SWX

Catch The Amity Affliction on the following dates:

OCTOBER
2 BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy 2
3 LEEDS Church
4 LONDON The Electric Ballroom
5 GLASGOW Queen Margaret Union
6 HULL Welly: One
7 MANCHESTER Academy 2
8 BRISTOL SWX

It will be released on the 16th March via Hassle Records. You can listen to the first single, ‘Fluorescents’, below.

The band are also playing the following UK/Ireland shows.

DECEMBER
06 LEEDS Beckett University*
07 GLASGOW O2 ABC*
08 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz*
09 NEWCASTLE University*
11 DUBLIN, IRE Academy*
12 CARDIFF University Y Plus*
13 LONDON O2 Forum Kentish Town*
MARCH 2018
16 KINGSTON Banquet Records (matinee)
16 KINGSTON The Fighting Cocks
17 CARDIFF TBC
18 SHEFFIELD Picturehouse

* w/ The Amity Affliction, Boston Manor + Vukovi

photo: Martyna Wisniewska

Produced by Mike Sapone (Taking Back Sunday, Crime in Stereo), this follows up last year’s debut album ‘Be Nothing’ on Pure Noise Records.

The band are also currently on a UK tour with The Amity Affliction, Vukovi and Casey. The remaining dates are listed below.

DECEMBER
05 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
06 LEEDS Beckett University
07 GLASGOW O2 ABC
08 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
09 NEWCASTLE University
11 DUBLIN, IRE Academy
12 CARDIFF University Y Plus
13 LONDON O2 Forum Kentish Town

The track is taken from their debut self-titled album, which was released earlier this year via LAB Records.p

They will also be playing the following UK/Ireland shows next month as part of the Kerrang! tour with The Amity Affliction, Boston Manor and Casey.

DECEMBER
05 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
06 LEEDS Beckett University
07 GLASGOW O2 ABC
08 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
09 NEWCASTLE University
11 DUBLIN, IRE Academy
12 CARDIFF University Y Plus
13 LONDON O2 Forum Kentish Town