22 February 2013 (gig)
27 February 2013
Showcasing four of the best young modern bands flying the flag for heavy music, it's moshpits galore as the bone-rattling Rocksound Impericon Exposure Tour 2013 rolls into Manchester for the penultimate show of its six date run.
Somewhat of an unknown quantity on the night are Somerset band, 'Landscapes', who join 'Bury Tomorrow' in adding some British flair to the night's proceedings. Following in the footsteps of bands such as 'The Devil Sold His Soul', they combine combine dreamy, resonant guitars and powerful drums, with some tortured sounding vocals sprinkled in for good measure. The UK hardcore scene seems to be in some good hands. One to watch out for.
New York's 'Stray From The Path' add muscle and ferocity to their unique brand of technical hardcore, which gets the room into a collective flurry for the first stage dives and pits of the evening. Guitarist, Thomas Williams, crafts a suffocating atmosphere with his relentless barrage of riffs that swerve from groovy to bludgeoning at the blink of an eye. An impressive showing that will have won the band plenty of new admirers.
A noticeable portion of tonight's crowd are here for the band that initially looked a little out of place on the line-up. Bury Tomorrow are an ever increasing presence on the UK metal circuit and it isn't hard to see why. All the girls in the room audibly scream in unison and the average age of the crowd at the front of the room drops substantially, when the band, led by the throaty Daniel Winter Bates and his angelic voiced compatriot, Jason Cameron, walk onto the stage. That's not to write them off as one for the kids, it merely highlights the extent of the band's appeal. Combining surprisingly crushing riffs with a soaring pop sensibility, they fully justify their position as one of Britain's rising stars as they power through cuts from their second album, 'The Union Of Crowns'.
Tonight's headline act, The Ghost Inside, have a real job on their hands following three triumphant sets. Everyone in the room is willing them on to make it a perfect four out four, and they don't disappoint. Whilst they aren't the catchiest, heaviest or even the most original sounding band of the night, they certainly stamp their authority as tonight's top of the pile by sheer intensity alone as the room explodes to the opening call to arms 'This Is What I Know About Sacrifice' and fan favourite, 'Faith Or Forgiveness'. Frontman 'Jonathan Vigil' comes across as refreshingly humble as he thanks the crowd that have packed out a sold out Manchester Academy 3, reminding everyone present that they played their first UK shows just over three years ago, opening up the Never Say Die Tour. This remarkable rise to prominence should come as no surprise as the band end the night with their anthemic single, Engine 45, and as the room passionately sings every word of the final refrain, it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that The Ghost Inside will be filling out bigger venues in the near future.
