CONCERT REVIEW: Better Lovers - Frontierer - Greyhaven Live at Project House

It’s a chilly Thursday evening as patrons gather outside Project House in Leeds, anticipating the hotly awaited return of Better Lovers to UK shores.

Kentucky-based post-hardcore noise makers Greyhaven are up first. Newcomers to the UK side of the pond, the band waste no time making their presence known. Kicking things off with the only offering of the night from their 2022 This Bright and Beautiful World album, “In a Room Where Everything Dies,” who’s pummeling intro is the blast of energy needed to quickly and effectively warm up the chilly room. With their punchy Metalcore-laced hardcore sound the group are a very fun start to proceedings indeed. The energy reaches fever pitch with “Blemish” from the band’s 2018 album “Empty Black,” flowing seamlessly between its crazed screaming sections and its large, slightly more measured chorus.

Things are warming up nicely, but manic noise makers Frontierer still manage to step things up a gear or three. Crashing into their set with recently released sonic onslaught “The Skull Burned” from last year’s EP, the chaos unit rage through a relentless set, not stopping from the word go. The frenzied chaos continues with “Lightshow Paralysis” and “The Damage and the Shift” which see guitars barely clinging on to life as they are dragged shrieking and squealing in between endless crushing riffs.

The proverbial eye of the storm comes in the form of “The Molten Lava” from the band’s 2018 release “Unloved.” A break from the frenzied aggression, sure, but no less brutal and in your face. Drawing out the chugs in a way that makes the song feel like one extended four-minute breakdown.

The powder keg-like energy is not only reserved for the sonic realm but also the physical as the whole band is a flurry of movement. Jumps, backbends and high kicks are plentiful and guitars are whipped here, there and everywhere. The majority of members at various points throughout the set find their way down into the pit or in amongst the crowd, vocalist Chad Kapper jumps into the fray for a phrase or two, whilst axeman Dan Stevenson familiarises himself with the venue ceiling as he’s carried atop the crowd. Overall Fronteirer put on a show that will take some real beating.

Still coming down from the whirlwind of the last 30 minutes you barely have time to recover before our headliners for the night take to the stage. This already iconic (for lack of a better term) “supergroup” should at this point need no introduction having blasted onto the scene back in 2023 with a surprise single, followed quickly by an EP and recently dropping their debut album Highly Irresponsible (SharpTone Records) Better Lovers have become an unstoppable force.

The oddly cavernous photo pit threatens to kill the buzz somewhat, clearly a point of contention to vocalist Greg Puciato (ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Black Queen, Jerry Cantrell) who refers to their efforts to try having it removed, but needles to say despite the presence of a barrier the group do not let it dampen the spirit of the evening with “Lie Between the Lines” kicking things fantastically. A journey through some helpings from the new release see the crowd fully engaged and shouting lyrics back. The more melodic phrases on the newer material contrast nicely with the harsh, manic musicalality that the band are known for.

Opting to not interrupt the flow of the evening with long speeches in between songs the result is a furious barrage of hit after hit. As expected the flurry of movement on stage mirrors that of the crowd as pits open up early. By the time “God Made Me An Animal” is unleashed, crowd surfers have closed the gap from crowd to stage, making good use of the open space stage front. Getting in on the action as well Puciato clambers the barrier to get well and truly in the face of the screaming crowd. As expected, the final breakdown of debut single “30 Under 13” hits like a truck as all band members vent whatever energy supplies remain in spectacular fashion.