Band: Emmure
Support: Chelsea Grin, Attila
Venue: O2 Academy Islington, London
Date: 12/04/2013
The Mosh Live Tour has a huge run of shows across the UK and Europe featuring not just the three bands we caught but also Buried in Verona and Obey The Brave. Calling it the ‘Mosh Live Tour’ brings along some heightened expectations of brutality and metal. Tonight’s show doesn’t disappoint on either account.
First up Attila burst out with some of their branded party hardcore, complete with full on chants and some killer riffs. They sure do know how to start a party. It seems we were one of the few who hadn’t heard the bands material prior to tonight, but the deep beats made it easy to head bang along. Whilst the tours premise of moshing came into full swing as dozens of vest wearing hardcore kids threw their arms about and create mayhem. They play a whole host of tracks from their back catalogue including ‘Sex Drugs and Violence’ and ‘Party With The Devil’ and their set closes with ‘Payback’ as the crowd scream back “Payback is a bitch” as the band finish up their set.
Expectations are high as Salt Lake City giants Chelsea Grin burst out. They’ve played the UK enough times before including a recent outing with Asking Alexandria. Their set is heavy, bold and full of the all important breakdowns. It isn’t quite up to the pace of Attila but it’s still everything a metal show should be about. Their high up fret-board guitar playing mixed with the heavy drum beats pulsate throughout the room as they play tracks such as ‘The Foolish One’ and ‘My Damnation’. As their set nears a closing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ blasts out of the speakers. It’s a slightly risky choice in our opinion being a much slower track and so different from everything else they’ve played. But the down tempo track still bolsters the same energy and surprises us all to produce some epic crowd movement.
As the night draws to a close it’s time for tonight’s headline act Emmure. Their set in essence is sixteen songs of complete and utter chaos. If we’ve learnt anything from Emmure shows it’s that no one can stand still during them, and tonight is no exception: heads are flailing and bodies are flying everywhere. As lead singer Frankie swaggers on stage in shorts and bright white trainers it’s clear he doesn’t give a fuck about what he looks like (and he’s honest about this fact). The band crack through an almost hour long set with tracks ranging from ‘10 signs you should leave’ from an album over six years old right through to recent offerings such as ‘Protoman’ and ‘Cross Over Attack’.
There are no extended monologues or massive thank you’s to the crowd it’s just song after song of pure unadulterated aggression filled with so many breakdowns people’s knees must be starting to weaken! Some may say there are too many breakdowns, although we’d question what’s too much? There is a slight repetitive feeling to some of tonight’s set but Emmure are purely sticking to what works for them and the crowd seem to agree. Every note they play is tight, heavy and knuckle dragging and ultimately what everyone expected from them!
Tonight’s show has zapped the energy from everybody in the crowd and we’re sure everyone slept well afterwards! After a tour like this metal shows are going to have a lot to live up to.
8/10
Reviewer: Rhian Westbury
