After releasing their latest album 'SELF HELL', While She Sleeps currently embarking on a highly anticipated European tour. Tonight's stop is Birmingham, which is a little more intimate than the O2 Victoria show that we got to check out too the weekend prior.
Opening tonight is Revolve, hailing from Lyon, France. If heavy is what you want, heavy is what you'll get with the metalcore quartet. A high energy performance and a perfect fit for the bill.
Shortly following are hip hop influenced Swedes, Thrown. The bad are really taking the scene by storm, with just one full length release behind them ('EXCESSIVE GUILT'), they have managed to wrack up an impressive 1.4 million Spotify monthly listeners in such a short time. The venue sound had really let them down in Manchester but all was redeemed tonight with a much better mix.
Next up are Currents. In the contemporary metalcore scene, Currents is a formidable force. Their sound strikes the ideal balance between melody and aggression by fusing crushingly heavy instrumentation with raw emotional depth. With a remarkable range, vocalist Brian Wille can switch between guttural screams and clear, soaring vocals that give their music a more reflective undertone. An absolute must to check out, it seems like a lot of people in the room are already on board, singing along to most tracks.
After a set change over consisting of Nickelback's greatest hits, we finally reach the pinnacle of the night with Sheffield's While She Sleeps (the crowd continuously reminding them of their roots by chanting 'YORKSHIRE, YORKSHIRE' over and over in between tracks. Sleeps aren't here to mess around, with vocalist Loz Taylor dominating the stage and the audience as they open with the booming introduction of 'PEACE OF MIND' and seamlessly transition into 'LEAVE ME ALONE.'
The high energy from the get go in the room just shows how well their latest release has done, as looking at the set, this is a very 'SELF HELL' heavy set, but that's not to say previous releases have been neglected, as song three tonight 'ANTI-SOCIAL' from 2019's 'So What?' is played.
The carefully curated light design for the set added to the electric atmosphere while the band’s tight instrumentation created a wall of sound that was both intense and exhilarating. So much so, Loz had to give the security a heads up as he demanded for crowd surfing during 'You Are We'.
The crowd participation continued throughout the set as arms waved during 'SELF HELL' and the crowd took part in a crouch and jump up (made famous by Slipknots 'Spit it out') during 'SYSTEMATIC'. The biggest reaction by the crowd came from the mellow starting 'Four Walls', with several people on their partners shoulders and phone lights lighting up the room.
The final half of the set consisted of a mix of songs from 'SELF HELL', 'You are We' and 'Sleeps Society' such as 'Hurricane', 'TO THE FLOWERS' and closing with 'SLEEPS SOCIETY'. While She Sleeps left the crowd sweaty, hoarse, and exhilarated. It wasn’t just a concert; it was a cathartic experience that reminded everyone why live music is so powerful.
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