We've managed to catch Harbinger this summer headlining Tech Fest and putting on a killer main stage performance at Radar. Tonight, we get the treat of a much more intimate affair with our favourite tech-metal boys. They're on fire once again, and each of them is clearly revelling in the chance to play to the ever enthusiastically rabid Slamchester crowd. Fans of Fit For An Autopsy and Decapitated will enjoy the offering from these guys, as they provide their own unique take on this genre. Ben Sutherland and Charlie Griffiths provide phenomenal technicality on guitar while frontman Dilan Alves prowls the stage and reaches for the sky atop the front riser, his vocals brutal yet nuanced. Charlie pulls every delightful gurn in his repertoire while delivering those sumptuous riffs and technical passages and bassist Kris Aarre really launches into his work with wild abandon more than ever. Maybe it's after seeing the guys a few times already recently, but it really feels like there's a fantastic array of depth and individuality to each song, passage and riff. All the elements they combine seem clear and bright tonight, be that the deathcore, tech-metal, hardcore or other aspects. But they've not lost any of the holistic cohesion of their signature sound or performance. Great work once again from a band I truly think are carving a clear path to success without losing their identity.

Main support on this tour was meant to be To The Grave, but German slamming deathcore act Mental Cruelty have stepped in to take their place. This is my first chance to catch them with Lukas Nicolai fronting the band, and he adds a smorgasbord of varying death metal and deathcore vocals across the set. Fans of Lorna Shore will undoubtedly find something for them here. They bring a continuous brutal onslaught, and Lukas is a dynamic front to the band, conducting proceedings perfectly with his guttural howls, jaw-dropping squeals and hardcore yelling. Gradually a pit forms and it all kicks off. It’s an intense and tight sound, but does lack some variety and hooks to make them stand out from the crowd.

Pittsburgh headliners Signs of the Swarm take to the stage and immediately command the entire crowd's attention. David Simonich leads the charge with his brutal, guttural onslaught of a vocal that blazes the way forward for the band, a vocal with a deceptive clarity. The guitar and bass viciously gnaw away while the drums blast away. So much of the sound and appeal to their music is based around the rhythms they create, and to me they’re like a less experimental ten56, and are definitely in the same ballpark as Thy Art is Murder. It’s a wall of deathcore that hits squarely between the eyes. The controlled focus of outpouring fury throughout the set is immense, with every drum hit intense and precise, the guitar and bass equally note perfect and a technical delight. But they also bring the groove, and it’s an ever-evolving sound that’s a pleasure to witness. The energy and passion these guys bring to the stage is contagious and makes for one hell of a live performance.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Signs Of The Swarm, Mental Cruelty, Harbinger