Bring Me the Horizon Marquee Theatre 2/11/14
British metalcore act Bring Me the Horizon not only sold out Tempe's Marquee Theatre Tuesday night, but they also blew the roof off the place with a performance that demonstrated why the band is blowing up in the States.
The five-piece blasted through much of the material from 2013's near-masterpiece Sempiternal to a house that was packed wall-to-wall with fans. From the opening notes of "Can You Feel My Heart," diminutive frontman Oliver Sykes commanded the stage and made every young fan in the crowd feel his desperation as he sang, "Can you hear the silence / Can you see the dark / Can you fix the broken?"
The gang vocals on the chorus of "Shadow Moses" and piercing guitars made for an arena rock-type anthem. Bring Me the Horizon revisited "Diamonds Aren't Forever" from their sophomore release, Suicide Season, before Sempiternal's heaviest track, "The House of Wolves."
There is a clear distinction between the band's older straight-up metalcore material, which isn't nearly as focused and lacks the depth of the songs on Sempiternal. The only time that Bring Me the Horizon slowed things was during the moody "And the Snakes Start to Sing."
Opener's Letlive also had a noteworthy set as their Glassjaw-meets-The-Used sound went over well. Bearded vocalist Jason Butler stormed the stage like a madman and threw himself around the stage and won the crowd over quickly during the band's 30-minute performance.
See also: Bring Me The Horizon at Marquee Theatre in Photos
The highlight of Bring Me the Horizon's 12-song headlining set was "Empire," which showcased the band's growth since adding keyboardist/percussionist Jordan Fish. The band's use of samples had the crowd chanting along. During "Antivist," for instance, Sykes directed the crowd to use some sign language, singing "Middle Fingers Up If You Don't Give a Fuck." Bring Me the Horizon eventually would close the show with the radio-friendly "Sleepwalking."
Most bands peak with their first or second record, but Bring Me the Horizon is a great example of what happens when a young band is able to develop in a world where both rock and metal struggle to keep its head above water in the music industry.
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