The mighty Beartooth return to Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse, bringing along with them Landmvrks and Polaris for two nights of solid metalcore-laced mayhem.
First up are French outfit Landmvrks who’s star has certainly been rising in recent years, the fact this band are first on the bill is truly a testament to the calibre of the lineup on offer. 2024’s “Creature” kicks off proceedings with vocalist Florent Salfati a cannon from the off effortlessly flowing between intense harsh and clean vocals. “Death” features the first call and response of the night with its ferocious intro.
The whole set is a powder keg of energy, the crowd moving from the off and the band likewise a whirlwind of movement. Salfati at one point takes flight off the stage riser and the three guitarists revel in a flurry of high kicks. 40 pulse-pounding minutes later it’s time for our next act to take the stage.
Australia’s Polaris roll out the atmospherics with the pulsing slow build opening of “All In Vain” followed by a double header of “Nightmare” and “Inhumane” from their 2024 release Fatalism. Vocalist Jamie Hails commands the stage, prowling back and forth throughout. The whole set sounds incredible, heavy riff after heavy riff comes through sounding crisp and clear while the breakdowns shake the very ground.
Hails calls out Landmvrks’ Florent Salfati to join them on stage for a song, the contrasting tones of both vocals working very well together.
Having personally not been familiar with the work of the band before tonight, this set was quite the revelation.
Through the ever-evolving soundscape that makes up Beartooth’s history, there has always been one guarantee, and that is a Beartooth live show is a place you just have to be. From the opening volley of set opener ‘The Surface’ to the euphoric finale of ‘In Between’ the show is a one hundred percent good time machine, finely crafted towards getting the floor moving, hearts racing and voices raised.
The anticipation starts with the countdown, a giant volume dial displayed on an impressive array of LED video screens slowly being cranked, you guessed it, all the way to 11! As mentioned the show kicks off with “The Surface” before diving into the driving rhythm of “The Past is Dead.” Tonight track 3 takes the form of “Doubt Me” and this is where the real spectacle of the show begins as jets of flame line the front of the stage. And this is far from the last time we will be seeing those.
Although of the two nights, it is the Friday date that is completely sold out (who can blame the people really, what better way to end your work week than a giant Beartooth party with friends) Thursday’s crowd nevertheless brings the utmost energy to proceedings. Now properly warmed up the crowd surfers start familiarising themselves with security and the party is officially in full swing.
If you’ve even glancingly listened to a Beartooth track you can attest that they have pretty much perfected the art of a catchy chorus and those mighty anthems are on full display tonight, well at home in these larger venues with everyone filling the room as they are sung back at full volume.
A rendition of “The Last Riff” is employed as an effective distraction for vocalist Caleb Shomo to exit the stage, making his way around the venue to the sound booth at the back of the venue from which a short acoustic section presents the opportunity for Caleb to address those in attendance. Expressing how thankful they are for the opportunities they’ve had over the years and for the love and dedication of the fans. A cover of “Mr Brightside” is followed up with “Look The Other Way” along with a loving dedication to his wife after which a quick run through the crowd sees the band reform on stage as we head into the final act of the night.
A collection of songs from the band’s 2014 hit album Disgusting including “The Lines” and “Body Bags” are mixed in with the uplifting tones of “Sunshine,” their latest single “ATTN,” and finally “In Between” sees the night out in blazing fashion.
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WORDS AND PHOTOS BY BILL MAWDSLEY
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