Bleed from Within are having a bit of a moment. More than 20 years into their careers, the Glasgow metalcore crew have suddenly found themselves very much in the ascendancy after substantial time plugging away in the underground. Such has been the strength of their determination to not be left behind, that they've supported some true heavyweights, such as Trivium and Slipknot, manifested stellar performances at Download and have a sub-headline slot lined up at this summer's Bloodstock. All of which means that it's about damn time that they headlined a tour of their own. This is what has brought them back to Rock City's hallowed hall on a Sunday night in early March, and they've recruited some strong support acts as accompaniment.
BAEST (pronounced to rhyme with 'paste' and taken from the Danish word for 'beast' or 'brute') get proceedings underway in front of a crowd that are more than up for an evening of heavy metal to distract from the Sunday scaries. Their mix of old school death metal and contemporary metalcore goes down a storm, with the first pits of the night opening almost immediately. By the time vocalist Simon Olsen is in the middle of the floor with a circle pit swirling around him, they have the crowd in the palms of their hands. They even take the bold step of asking people to sit down for a song intro, which leads to the obligatory floor rowing. Throughout their set, it's pretty clear that the band are having the time of their lives. One perma-smiling guitarist is clothed in a Van Halen T-shirt, which seems appropriate when he blazes out a solo that the late, legendary Eddie Van Halen would have been more than chuffed with. The songs are tight, with buzzsaw riffs, chugging percussion and genuine, lighters aloft, singalong choruses. They close on a stompy slice of quasi-industrial thrash that would not seem out of place on an Amon Amarth album. The band's genuine enthusiasm for their craft and the strength of the songs, alongside what seem to be their all-around friendliness and approachability, earn them many a new supporter on the night.
If you were asked to list the US states that have produced bands who've had a profound influence on the alternative music scene you'd likely list California, Florida and Washington for starters, and then maybe Georgia, Massachusetts and Louisiana if you're a bit further initiated. You'd probably be highly unlikely to mention Missouri. DISEMBODIED TYRANT are certainly looking to change that, with their expansive technical death metal. From the get-go, they fire out some truly ferocious sounds, with guttural vocals from frontman Blake Mullens backed by thunderous blastbeats and furiously picked guitars. Amongst the brutality, there are softer moments with symphonic edges and almost classical time signatures that call to mind Lorna Shore, with whom the similarities are clear. All-in-all, they're certainly a gnarly proposition and aren't just here to make up the numbers. There are some genuinely atmospheric sequences which point to much more grandiose ambitions. For the most part, they seek to bludgeon. Crowd interaction calls primarily to make the pits bigger and faster. This does slightly backfire as the band are forced to pause twice due to people getting slightly too carried away. Despite their relatively young career thus far, they've proven that their gameplan extends beyond just making as much noise as possible. Guitarist Dominic Petrocelli, with staring eyes and shit-eating grin, is presumably hoping they get big enough to employ a merch person so he no longer has to pull double duty.
By the time BLEED FROM WITHIN take to the stage, the atmosphere inside Rock City has risen to fever pitch. It's been pandemonium amongst the crowd for both support bands and the anticipation seems to hang in the air as the backing tape plays a selection of classic rock, nu-metal anthems and, presumably in a nod to their home turf, Baccara's 70s party classic 'Yes Sir, I Can Boogie'. Just as the guitar riff for 'Livin' on a Prayer' is about to kick in, the lights go down and the band emerge, firing straight into the title track from last year's magnificent Zenith album. What follows is an hour and a quarter of exceptional metalcore from a band who genuinely can't seem to believe that they're here.
This tour, dubbed the Dying Sun Tour, is their first proper headline tour in decent sized venues. In fact, this show was upgraded from neighbouring Rescue Rooms after tickets sold out in 24 hours, making it the biggest venue that the band will visit during this leg. It's clear from the outset that they are genuinely humbled and affected by both the size of the crowd and the strength of the reception. Wave after wave of crowdsurfers pass over the barrier and don't let up, including the same banana attired gentleman from last month's Avatar show. To say that Bleed from Within are in fine form doesn't quite do justice to the quality of the performance and the proficiency on display. It helps that the songs sound positively monumental. The End of All We Know is an absolute banger and generates the first proper singalong, despite being dropped very early in the set. More big hitters are to come. The soaring chorus of Levitate sounds absolutely mighty, especially when backed by thousands of extra voices. Violent Nature showcases the range of the band's influences, with the kind of sludgy riff-driven breakdown that Mastodon have been building on for years. They have the audacity to replicate Slipknot's penchant for asking people to kneel down and jump up during I Am Damnation. The knees of every 30+ year old in the room will be screaming for mercy on Monday morning. God Complex is a monster of a song in its own right and they bring back Simon from Baest for this version. He ends up stranded mid crowdsurf and eventually steered back to the front of the room. Bleed from Within are clearly relishing the opportunity to headline in these sorts of venues. Scott Kennedy could not be more pleased with the turnout and gushes between songs about how the loyalty and support of their fans has gotten them this far. In tribute to the strength of this bond, the band have chosen a setlist that reflects their longevity. Whilst around half the set is populated with songs from Zenith, they've thrown in some deep cuts for this tour. That means Leech from 2013's Uprising makes an appearance. Scott admits that the band don't play songs from this particular album much as they 'think it's shite' so this is a privilege indeed. It definitely goes down well, with a surging riff and barrelling rhythm. So too, Lamb of God indebted Fracture track A Depth That No One Dares, which features Scott doing his best Randy Blythe impression, sounds positively monstrous.
To explain Bleed from Within's sudden rise to this level, you have to look beyond the songs and at the close relationship between the band members. Beyond the well-oiled heavy metal machine, there's a genuine camaraderie that shines through, particularly when things don't go according to plan. At one point Scott accidentally flicks his microphone off the stage whilst the rest of the band carry on like nothing has happened. Drummer Ali, a bonafide force of nature, winds Scott up by starting a drum fill when he tries to talk to the crowd. The bonds between the band have helped them forge what they've created. What they've created is a band destined for greatness. Metalcore seems to be having a bit of a purple patch and Bleed from Within are certainly at the front of the queue. The musicianship is impeccable. Davie Provan's rumbling bass underpins everything whilst guitarists Craig and Steven are finely tuned magicians of their art. The latter's clean vocals are the perfect counterpoint to Scott's unclean growl. Throughout the set, the crowd are completely hooked. Not one song goes unappreciated, which speaks volumes about the quality of the offering. By the time things come to a close, on a pummelling In Place of Your Halo, Scott is simultaneously kneeling whilst being held aloft by the crowd. It's just a shame that the live piper they've used for outdoor performances of the bagpipe breakdown isn't present. However, make no mistake, this is an utter triumph. No streamers, no confetti, and none of the pyro that they've gotten accustomed to using in larger arenas. Just 5 lads from Glasgow levelling a medium sized room in the East Midlands. Get used to seeing Bleed from Within topping bills and in front of exponentially bigger crowds. This is more than just a moment. This is their time.
Bleed From Within Setlist
Zenith
The End of All We Know
Pathfinder
Alive
Violent Nature
A Hope in Hell
Invisible Enemy
Dying Sun
Levitate
Leech
God Complex
A Depth That No One Dares
I Am Damnation
In Place of Your Halo
No comments:
Post a Comment