Even if you don't like him, his band's music, or anything else you can nit-pick about him, you have to give Caleb Shomo the credit he deserves. He's been an integral part of the heavy music scene since 2008, when his first band Attack Attack! crab-walked their way to infamy. There's a documentary's worth of stories behind how that band formed, lost vocalist Austin Carlile a week before the release of their debut album, then lost his replacement, only for Shomo to enter the fold as their lead vocalist. They got roped into the unpopular neon era of emo, and prior to a recent reunion in 2021, didn't make it out of that era. From there, Shomo's passion project, which would come to be known as Beartooth, became is sole focus. Whether it was the need to change sonic directions, a desire to prove Attack Attack!'s reputation wasn't due to his own shortcomings, or simply Shomo fulfilling his destiny, Beartooth has since been on a meteoric rise top the tops of emo, and crossed over to the hard rock stations on SiriusXM. It's easy to tell why: the band have only gotten better at writing big riffs and arena-ready choruses, laced with lyrics detailing Shomo's mental health struggles. With such an accessible sound and a deeply personal connection to the band's material, it was only a matter of time before Beartooth became one of metalcore's biggest and best bands.
That time have arrived.
After spending the pandemic preparing and releasing Below, the band's most complete and successful work to date, the band toured as extensively as COVID would allow. Now that things have opened back up to max capacity, for better or worse, Beartooth had no reason to not tour again and build on the substantial momentum they've been rolling along with. The Below Part 2 tour sees the band playing their biggest rooms to date, and based on the bands who came along for the ride, Beartooth wanted to make this more of a celebration than a tour. That celebration made its way to Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ over the weekend, and from start to finish, it was one of the best parties I've been to in a while.
In a true testament to the musical diversity of the Below Tour, prog-metalcore five-piece Erra kicked things off, and were a perfect choice to do so. Whether you'd been a fan going into the show or not, their technically-proficient guitars and pummeling breakdowns offered plenty to hook you in, and to get the crowd's energy kick-started. It was great to see such a large percentage of those in attendance had already filed in before Erra took the stage, and they were rewarded with a fun, energetic set that established a great tone for the rest of the evening's festivities.
Second on the bill but second to none, metalcore lifers The Devil Wears Prada stormed onstage next, and asserted the fact that they've never been better than they are right now. Opening with "Watchtower," the second single from their yet-to-be-announced new album that should be out this year, it was evident that this band is out to prove a point that they haven't lost a step, and it shows. Mike Hranica's screams, growls, and everything in between have never sounded better, as he's grown more and more talented with his voice while still conveying the same passion fans are used to from him. Jeremy DePoyster's delivery on "Chemical" was one of the best highlight's of the entire night, as he completely took over the end of the track. While there were great performances from the band's lone remaining original, guitarist Kyle Sipress established his presence early, thrashing recklessly around the stage, while the newest addition, bassist Mason Nagy, kept pace with him all night while also adding backing vocals. Keyboardist/engineer Jon Gering was a show all on his own, jumping off any higher structure he could find, but settling mostly for Guiseppe Capolupo's drum riser, where the drummer's fills were top-notch. TDWP were a well-oiled machine, and with a new album in their back pocket, we're going to be seeing a lot of them the rest of this year. If their career-spanning set, which included "Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over," a once-retired track from Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord, is any indication, they're unleashing their most well-stocked arsenal each night they play.
As the Cure Insurance Arena's PA system blasted emo classics over the last 20 years, one of the genre's longest-lasting bands Silverstein, who have been band BFFs with Beartooth for years now, were next to the stage. Opening with "Bad Habits," the opening track from 2020's A Beautiful Place to Drown, the crowd was enamored with Silverstein as if they were the headlining act. The band played a great mix of new and old, headlined by the always-perfect "My Heroine," When Broken is Easily Fixed standout "Smashed into Pieces," and fan-favorite "Massachusetts" from This is How the Wind Shifts. Silverstein's always had a great feel for mixing up their set, but the focus this time were the three lead singles from their upcoming album Misery Made Me. While "Bankrupt" was a perfect fit for the beginning of the set and "Ultraviolet" translated great to a concert setting, the highlight was definitely "It's Over," a fast-paced, fun, heavy song that has me thinking Silverstein may end up in the Album of the Year conversation in December. As Mike Hranica joined the band for the breakdown of "Smile in Your Sleep," it capped another high-energy, pitch-perfect set from one of emo's greatest success stories. With Misery Made Me looking like one of their best-ever efforts, it's safe to say we'll have these Canadians around for a while more.
While the crowd assembled in the arena were energetic and loud for each band, it was clear there was a level that they were saving for the evening's headliners, the hosts of the party, Beartooth. From the time AC/DC's "TNT" played to announce the band's arrival to the stage to the last distortion rang out on "The Last Riff," the crowd was under Caleb Shomo's control, as the frontman guided the band through 90 minutes of mish pits, singalongs, confetti, air cannons, and the band's collection of anthems. Focusing on playing as much from Below as they could (a solid 7 songs), the band paid homage to their previous releases, including a set of songs from their debut Disgusting. As if writing and recording all of the band's music and producing their records weren't enough, Shomo proved himself to be one of the scene's most charismatic frontmen, bounding from one side of the risers at the front of the stage at a frenetic pace. There were a few breaks that saw Shomo speaking to the crowd, which only seemed to amplify the energy in the room each time. Despite the band's songs so often being about struggles with depression, the mood in the room was one of pure, as it was difficult to tell whether the band or its fans were having a better time during the set. Admittedly, this was the first time I'd seen Beartooth live, so I was surprised to see that the band was performing their set one member short, as guitarist Zac Huston was forced to exit the tour early after sustaining an undisclosed injury. That's a compliment to those who remained, as the band's sound was perfectly suited for the extra large space they played in, a space that's housed A Day to Remember's last two tours.
That last sentence is an indication of how high Beartooth's climbed in the ranks, and after watching them completely captivate a crowd of thousands this weekend, I'm a firm believer in their ability to continue their ascension. That's the thing I couldn't stop asking myself after their set: where should Beartooth go next? Is it crazy to think that they can be direct support on a future Slipknot Tour? Will they be headlining ampitheaters one summer, perhaps as soon as next year? Or do they continue building tour packages stacked top-to-bottom in rooms similar to the size of the Cure Arena? Whatever the band's next moves are, one thing is abundantly clear: they'll be ready for it.
コメント