ALL POINTS EAST
VICTORIA PARK, LONDON
State-of-the-art metallers get their day in the sun
landmark day for the mid-00s’ contemporary metal scene when one of its bands can headline a major, day-long outdoor festival, atop a seriously eclectic bill filled with pop and hip hop artists, plus open the day with a very enjoyable, and super-sweary, set of downtuned tech-metalcore ragers, before decimate the second stage with fantastic new tunes from their excellent latest album, . On the Firestone Stage, win many converts with their meld of garage rock, electronica and showmanship. On the main stage two hugely hyped acts arrive, one living up to it and one proving that’s all they have. shouts over his own songs while exhibiting no charisma or musical ingenuity, and steal the entire day, all angular punk rock with a social conscious, a dry sense of humour and knowing swagger. Back on the North Stage, the double-header of and Architects is a lip-smacking proposition for metal fans. The former have an abundance of energy and an ever-swelling setlist of superb songs, with the addition of the likes of from this year’s album, and bringing Oli Sykes out for gets an inevitably huge roar from the crowd. are even better – with a clearer sound and a few pyrotechnics thrown in, they look every inch like the next band ready to step up to headline these sorts of shows. A beautifully emotional one-two punch of and is as good as it gets today. Which leaves to close proceedings. Go back a decade and it seems almost impossible to believe that the deathcore whipping boys of the scene could ever have achieved this. But they have, although how they’ve got there may be a point of contention to many longtime fans. There are moments tonight when BMTH are excellent, particularly the dizzy thrill of hearing earlier, genuinely heavy material such as on such a massive stage. But for every one of those there is the boring, slushy or the nagging suspicion that not everything you’re hearing onstage is happening here and now. It makes for a very lopsided experience. Still, the stage show is a glorious, Technicolor wonder, and when Dani Filth pushes his shopping trolley onstage in full black metal garb for his part in it’s one of the most oddly enjoyable festival moments in years. Overall, whether you’re a fan or a foe, you have to take your hat off to them: Bring Me pulled it off.
