01-11-2024 Beartooth

Support: Landmvrks & Polaris
Location: 013, Tilburg (the Netherlands)

The one writing this review is not your average metal core fan. I might enjoy metal core from time to time but it is not often on my playlist or coming through my speakers. But the things I heard about Beartooth made me curious to see them live as I have been told that they are a band known for turning their performance into one big party. So it was time for me to check them out and see if they live up to that expectation.

This metal core fused evening had three bands performing and started off with the French Landmvrks to showcase their capabilities to throw in fingerlicking breakdowns and to entertain the audience. They are known to not shy away from experimenting with elements from hiphop and popmusic. This band from Marseille was founded back in 2014 and are currently on their third release and are ready to step up. Their show promises a lot for this evening with crunching riffs, fans who are singing and shouting along and the first crowd surfers. No wonder they are growing in popularity. Their songs are meticulously crafted and even in their own language France. They seem to enjoy themselves on stage with big grins and are eager to play. Which rubs off on the crowd who seem to get lit by them. They have a neck of balancing soft emotional cleaner parts with enormous riffs, beats and screamy vocals. But do not think it is something soft. Frontman Florent Salfati’s raw screams pierce through your ears especially after the little acoustic break with ‘Suffocate’ in the middle of their set. The crowd was definitely won over in this sold out venue. Very nice performance from the support act, that raises the bar quite high.

After Landmvrks it was up to the Aussies from Polaris to take it even further. Who has seen them before knows that they are delivering a more classic approach to metal core but there is also room for melody in between the beats and screams. No wonder as they have their roots in progressive metal and post rock. Polaris has released their third album, which is all about the sense of despair and dystopia that left a mark on us during and after the pandemic. They seem to bring that feeling perfectly to the stage. Vocalist Jamie Hails seems to enjoy the energetic audience as he commands the crowd to split down the middle to form a lovely pit. Which was not the only one during their show. Even when he doesn’t ask, they form from time to time. But with all that power and energy they know to find the right moment to play a tribute to late guitarist Ryan Siew with the audience feeling that emotion coming from the stage. Before the set is over Landmvrks’ Florent returns to the stage to sing along with ‘Hypermania’ to take it up a notch. Next to the brutal vocals from Jamie Hails there are Jake Steinhauser’s clean vocals that add just that nice difference. Polaris knows how to engage a crowd and they close things out strong. Personally I enjoyed them the most this evening.

Finally it was time for Beartooth. Although, finally, I think people definitely got their money with the two bands before them. The fearless powerhouse Beartooth hailing from Ohio opened their show with confetti blowing through the venue. Making sure the audience knows it is in for a threat. It is in for a celebration of all things Beartooth. The party has started and we are invited. The crowd had an amazing time. Halfway through the show I stood on the balcony and just enjoyed watching people’s faces in front of the stage. Right on time for a bit of a drum solo and moment to shine for the rest of the band while Caleb Shomo took himself to the soundboard to do a little acoustic performance of ‘Mr Brightside’ (from the Killers) that everyone could and did sing along. Which delivered that special moment before he declared the following song ‘Look the Other Way’ to his other half. After asking for a wall of death after this song he found his way back to the stage. To continue strong with more nodding along, more fire, more confetti and crowd surfers going crazy. Great energetic enjoyable show and production.