There’s a sentence that will send fear and panic into the heart of any photographer, and it happened to us for the first time this week. “Card not recognised” flashed on our screen several times before we had to admit defeat and deliver this review without Fit For An Autopsy pictures. However, all other acts are well represented below. Despite this setback, we remained dedicated to delivering a comprehensive review. Here’s what happened when this incredible bill rolled through Leeds.
Heriot absolutely slay tonight, they’re as gnarly as Moo Deng and as heavy as a gas bill. Shattering Stylus with the immense Foul Void they’re clearly not messing about despite a lack lustre crowd who they’re frankly too good for in our opinion. ‘Siege Lord’ and ‘Soul Chasm’ utterly destroy in the live setting. A savage ‘Demure’ see’s the end of their all too brief opening set and sets the stage for the thrashing metalcore (in the true sense of the word) of Darkest Hour.

The band assault the stage with recent album opener Perpetual Terminal, and it feels like we’re back in the mid-2000s and the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal is just a media soundbyte. What follows is first pumping, head banging, and shape throwing death infused metal of the first degree. Tracks old and new intermingle and as they leave on a triumphant ‘Goddess of War’, ‘Give Me Something To Die For’ to rapturous cheers and applause there is an overwhelming feeling that this is a brilliant bit of line up programming.

UK heavyweights and co-headliners Sylosis follow. We recently reviewed Josh Middleton’s wrecking crew when they headlined the Key Club earlier this year. This is a far bigger venue and it’ll be great to see them in a space where they can move freely. ‘Empty Prophets’ leads the charge, and the immediate surprise is that bass player and Conjurer man Conor Marshall is now on guitar and he absolutely shreds!! You think you know and then, boom! Is there no end to this man’s talents? Josh is in fine voice and is as close as the UK has to our own Robb Flynn, riffs and roar hugely present and front and centre. ‘Pariahs’ is savage tonight and Sylosis simply blaze through their set leaving zero prisoners in their wake. ‘Empyreal’ sounds exactly that and the pit agrees wholeheartedly. Once again, we’re in awe of their choppy chugging tone as it cuts with scalpel-like precision and with crystal clear impact. It’s also all change in the drumming department as Travis is playing his first show as Ali Richardson is busy in his day job with Bleed From Within. Oldie ‘Teras Kills’ it stone dead and cements the praise Josh bestows on Travis. ‘Calcified’ is especially crushing tonight and it’s up to fan favourites A ‘Sign Of Things to Come’ and ‘Deadwood’ to see us out in premium style.

Fit For An Autopsy have just single handed shut down the deathcore scene with an album with so much scope and depth it seems churlish to label it. In Will Putney not only do they have a premier riff machine but also one of the most in demand producers since Lou Keller of Converge. Unfortunately, Will is not here tonight however we are very excited to hear their new masterpiece in the flesh. They burst onto the stage with sledgehammer weight with ‘Lower Purpose’ from their new ‘The Nothing That Is’ opus then set about pummelling Stylus into dust cuts like ‘Black Mammoth’ and incendiary ‘Sea Of Beasts’ stand against newer cuts like ‘Savior of None/ Ashes of All’ to create one of the heaviest sets we’ve heard since, well, Heriot earlier actually, but this is a different type of heavy this is a beat the crap out of you heavy. The wilful experimentalism of this year’s collection is second place to total destruction and the Leeds massive are here for it, until those clean sung refrains offer a glimmer of light in the thunderous clouds.
Frontman and main focal point Joe Badolato is in fine voice tonight with deep gutturals, fry vocals and indeed clean vocals all delivered with perfectly pitched skill and dexterity, he is definitely the ringleader here with the band in head down bludgeon mode. When ‘Hellions’ appears it utterly decimates and is in our opinion one of the best tracks from the scene in years in terms of everything we want out of pure deathcore. ‘Far From Heaven’ showcases FFAA’s deeper side and it’s on tracks like this that their experience shines. Recent single Hostage follows like a scattergun blast and really cements the fact that the band has just released one of the greatest albums of their career. They sign off tonight with a devastating ‘Two Towers’ from their ‘Oh What The Future Holds’ album and Fit For An Autopsy finalise a dense, emotional ride that proves that this music can explore and experiment at will in the right hands.
Review & Photography By George Miller – https://www.facebook.com/oneflamemedia
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