It’s time for ROCKFLESH to hit another arena, and this time myself and Ryan (complete with escort to and from the photopit) have the pleasure of scooting across to Leeds for a May Bank Holiday Monday treat! Armed with my 2 pints cup of cider I make my way into the standing area for openers Malevolence. I’ve noticed loads of their tees in the crowd, so it’s no surprise then that there’s a great buzz about the place, and a soon to be vicious pit opens up before the band have even made it on stage. Sheffield’s finest unleash their mix of hardcore metal on the eager crowd. They meld together so many different elements of hardcore punk, thrash metal and metalcore that it can sometimes be dizzying, but never unpleasant. They own the stage and look like they belong in arena. ‘On Broken Glass’ demonstrates that delicious balance of Crowbar style singing from guitarist Konan Hall with frontman Alex Taylor’s Madball style delivery. There’s the intricate metal guitar solo balanced with the hardcore swagger of the main riff too. Everyone lights up the arena with mobile phone lights for ‘The Other Side’ before they close with anthem ‘Keep Your Distance’ and a final chance for the fans to kick and spin in the pit.

Sleep Token have seen a rise that has been both exponential and impressive, yet they remain a divisive band when faced with audiences not directly part of their congregation. For those of us who adore the band seeing them in an arena is a treat, with plenty of room for the band to express themselves visually as well as musically. Opening with ‘Alkaline’ and driving straight into ‘Hypnosis’ sees them hit hard from the off. They are meticulous in every element of their performance, which allows minimalist tender passages to sit alongside heavier tech-rock segments. Many of the tracks build delightfully from crooning, atmospheric gentle beginnings to a crescendo of forceful, crushing yet soulful heaviness. In vocalist Vessel they have a singer whose voice is at once both hauntingly exposed yet also luxuriously warm. He is a deliberate and confident character physically on stage, his jerking movements driven with a swagger, but it’s his awe-inspiring vocals that captivate – they are warm, rich and velvety for the most part, but when they switch to a higher register or become more brutal they remain superb and allow the juxtaposition to shine a dynamic light on proceedings. The vulnerability of the melodies and his voice at the same time can be disconcerting, possibly mistaken for unpleasant, but the manner in which they can burrow away into your mind and heart is astounding. Those songs that embrace a more traditional prog or tech-metal aspect are luscious in their use of passionate almost gravelly vocals alongside crisp staccato snare hits, deep rumbling bass and gnawing guitar. Final song ‘The Offering’ still remains one of my favourite songs ever, and it leaves the crowd delighted.

I move up from the standing area to my seat up in the raised level, and take in the arena view from a different perspective. It’s almost as much fun to watch a massive crowd mosh and move as being in it, and even up in my seat I can sense the anticipation. Architects bound onto the stage to their stylized graphic backdrop screen with lights flashing and flaring. Opener ‘Black Lungs’ instantly has the place bouncing and everyone around me nodding with a grin. They’ve come a long way since I first saw them all those years ago, and have developed as much more than a metalcore band – they have their own distinct and unique sound. Dan Searle on drums and Alex Dean on bass/keys fund themselves on a platformed section at the back, with Josh Middleton and Adam Christianson thrashing their guitars passionately and expertly whilst moving on and off the front-of-stage riser. All eyes are on vocalist Sam Carter though, he sweeps round the stage, on and off the back platform and riser, arms into the air, then out to the crowd. There’s great balance in mix of the whole sound from the band, keeping the intensity and heaviness of their music and performance without losing the subtlety in the musicianship and songwriting that sets them apart. Sam's vocals are superb tonight – clear and powerful, vulnerable in their honesty and brutality equally. As is always the case at Architects gigs, there are genuine moments of tenderness and sentiment – a heartfelt speech by Sam calling on us all the just be kinder to each other, and the expected dedication in memory of Tom Searle, to which the crowd chant his name with raw emotion. The crowd react fantastically to the mix of old and new styles and songs, and the live debut of new song ‘When We Were Young’ goes down a treat. But only encore closer ‘Animals’ comes close to the stand-out ‘Doomsday’ which feels like a collective cathartic release by the entire arena. They’ve come a long way already, but this feels like only the start of bigger things for what are a special metal band.