Review by Richard Henry for MPM
Triple bill tonight in the big city, and a decent door time on a Sunday night with the first band on at 8pm, and it was clear to see the difference walking in and the place was busy at 7:30, Sylosis haven’t hit these shores in 10 years which is mad but hopefully seeing a crowd like this tonight, we won’t have to wait as long again! First up we have:
Harbinger:
London is in the building, these guys have been about longer than you would think, nearly a decade give a year, and they certainly are a tight unit, from the off the sound was crisp and clear and the band are punishing live, i can hear loads of different influences, there is a good dose of thrash, but massive elements of U.K.H.C and a bit of deathcore in there as well, drummer Joel was playing some really cool stuff back there and Ben and Charlie where are a blur of activity on both sides on guitars, bass player Kris literally was having a ball, grinning all night and vocalist Dilan is a commanding presence up there, I thought he was excellent not just as a vocalist but really getting the crowd up and loads of interaction, musically savage and really entertaining, great opener, if you haven’t heard them then get over to their website and get acquainted you will not regret it!
Burner:
Now these guys I must be honest I hadn’t heard before, but my mate was raving about them, relatively new to the scene, from 2021, they have had a few singles, an ep and a full length out, now straight away a very different sounding band, more like Full of Hell in a way where they are spanning a load of different genres and especially vocalist Harry he really reminded me of that band in terms of vocal delivery and also a bit of Paul from Medulla Nocte in terms of the frantic pace of it, they suffered a bit from the mix, the guitars did get a bit lost with the bass and at times it was hard to hear which was a shame as it was a crushing guitar sound when you heard it, I enjoyed them but crowd interaction was just not there compared to the openers and it sort of showed as well, but totally worth a listen, I did today and they are really good, just let down with the sound!
Sylosis
The decade of waiting is over, now I am not saying I was excited for this but finally!!!!
Poison for the Lost
Intro music rolls and on they come, straight into a track from the new album “A Sign of Things to Come”, the place is absolutely rammed at this point which for a Sunday night is great to see, straight for the throat as an opener, serious guitar sound up there and its razor clear as well, as is everything to be fair and despite Josh having a chest infection he is roaring away, when it breaks and hits the chorus the crowd are definitely waking up a bit more to this and a bit of action is starting behind me, nice solo there, am sure lots of guitarist in here tonight where giving him the once over, yes guilty, that breakdown at the end is punishing!
Pariahs
Still on the new album, syncopated guitar and snare intro, then bang, an absolute mid-tempo headbanger of a riff slams in, giving everyone a chance to catch their breath, again that slower breakdown part before it hits into another verse is just devastating, now I am not going to lie, that is one of the cleanest bits of sweep picking in that solo live that I have heard in a long time, great solo, love a bit of a shred fest!
I Sever
From the “Cycle of Suffering” album for this one, now this got a massive sing along from the crowd, I love that intro riff as well, also worth pointing out the work the guitarist Alex is doing under that verse, I know Josh is the focus but all night I was watching him and he is playing a lot of stuff, when it breaks down the crowd are singing back the song title at the band, solos everywhere, I love it, bit of slamming in the pit behind me as well, as the guys in there are getting warmed up as well, there is some reaction to this one and its as loud as i have heard the place in a long time!
Descent
Back to the new album again, slower grinder of a riff and as instructed everyone in the place is headbanging away to this, again you get the singalong in the chorus to help Josh out as he says himself, he is struggling with the higher notes and to help him out and we certainly obliged in Belfast, again Alex playing that second melody part on guitar in the chorus just adding texture to it live, that middle riff is savage, some precise picking in there and it just grooves so hard as well before we hit another shredtastic solo!
Blackest Skyline
Now we go way back to 2008’s “Conclusion of an Age” album, I love that melody part at the start that turns into a harmony before you get absolutely slapped with the tempo, Ali back there is a damn beast on the drums and when it changes from the thrash tempo to the double bass it’s just brutal, circle pit is the word for this song as there are a good few brave souls in there giving it there all, again the guitar solos are just epic, then it is back to the guitar harmony part as it builds back up again before the double bass onslaught, what a track live!
Stained Humanity
Staying on the same album, that’s brutal riff at the start of this, the pit continues as does the unrelenting tempo, this one for whatever reason always reminds me of Violence, for whatever reason, more the riffs than the vocal, then when it breaks into that half time middle section it’s a real mosh part, before it picks right up again and the bodies start to spin around the floor again behind me, flying double bass in that middle section from the new Tennant’s refreshed Ali back there on the drums, love that syncopated guitar and drum part as well right as the song finishes!
Slings and Arrows
Back to 2012 and apparently a song they haven’t played in ages, but they are going to give it a go and see what happens, more like a hardcore feel to this one, certainly in that verse riff, then there is a cool riff with a half time drum part before it slaps back into full speed again, lovely melody part there under the vocal while the double bass comes in and out, lovely breakdown as well into the solo of this one, just the static chords and slow beat before it creeps into a very spidery guitar riff, giving it a go they said, its tight as anything!
Altered States
2011’s Edge of the Earth album gets hit for this one, straight away this one gives me “At the Gates” vibes on that riff, love that counter point going on there, the double bass hits over an almost Cannibal sounding riff, the crowd are lapping this up tonight and there will be lots of sore bodies in the morning, that little dual harmony six string part is just lovely, another tap fest of a solo and some sweeping in there, again clean as anything, then we have the harmony riff over Josh playing static chords it’s a great part, then a really slamming half time part slaps you round the face, a sledgehammer of a track live!
ASOTTC
Title track of the new album, a real sort of lumbering riff comes in on this one, it’s just sort of sinister sounding, a bit of a break on the verse as the tempo comes down, then it kicks into a more grinding part, not fast just sort of lurching, then it hits and the tempo cranks with another really cool harmony part before we hit into the chorus and the crowd are helping out big time on the chorus to this, really melodic solo on this, still loads of shredding but a bit of a change then a big singalong at the end, stand up Belfast you done yourselves proud for that one!
Worship Decay
Off to a single from 2020, bouncing drum groove at the start of this one, getting the bodies going again in the pit, another real mid-tempo slammer of a riff before it starts to pick up with the drums slamming before the next riff comes in, again lots of crowd interaction on the chorus of this one, that riff though it’s just so god damn heavy, when it hits that middle part it just drops and its epic when it stops for the vocal with the guitars round it before it starts to build up into the solo which is just excellent, Josh has been on form all night, not missing a note, back into the chorus and everyone is still singing away!
Deadwood
Last song of the night and we are back to the new album again for this, I can’t believe how quick the night has gone in, time flies when you’re having fun and all that, last chance for chaos and the crowd know it so there is a full on circle pit going, the tempo is savage to this one then it breaks into a heavy as hell verse riff, then it builds into a chorus that has people shifting behind me, before the blast beats hit, and I do love my blast beats, that solo is nuts by the way, I would quite happily have had another set as long from these guys tonight, the energy was unreal, what a show!
What a night three great bands, love bills like this, and honestly one of the best crowds in here in ages as well, a really good crowd interaction and loads in the pit, let’s not leave it 10 years to come here again Sylosis!!!
Photography by Paul Verner for MPM
