As I approached the Ritz I could already see an impressive line hugging the external wall of the building and as the doors flung open the fairly static line suddenly became animated as they progressed towards the interior lights like moths to a flame. Tonight was a more traditional affair with doors open at the respectable 7pm and the bill was sporting just the one act in support of tonight’s Metalcore headliners Atreyu.
As the lights dimmed and the Metalcore bruisers Eighteen Visions piled into plain sight it was obvious that they were in Manchester tonight to take no prisoners. Hart prowled around the stage with a malevolent and thirsty intent while the flanks were managed with overflowing pride and energy. The set was built around a healthy 45 minutes which allowed the Orange County tribe to really spread their wings and ply their trade with a decadent hunger. ‘Obsession’ was the catalyst for the brutality and carved us open from the off, ‘Vanity’ was absolutely crushing and a luxuriously caustic ‘Bleed By Yourself’ was a prime example of just how to unleash controlled violence and measured endearing barbarianism. ‘She Looks Good In Velvet’ saw Hart unbridle his vocal abilities while ‘Motionless And White’ and ‘Tower Of Snakes’ were absolutely colossal in their statures. A resounding success of a support slot and one which, judging by the volume being fed back towards the stage, the majority of all of those in attendance tonight want to replicate in the not-too-distant future. I’m pretty sure I can confidently say that Eighteen Visions will well and truly be welcomed back to Manchester with open arms
The stage was quickly turned around and in no time at all it was the turn of the headliners, the mighty Metalcore stalwarts Atreyu, and they were in town to celebrate 21 years of the magnificent ‘The Curse’ and from the moment the first chord was struck the whole venue erupted. Anthems such as ‘Right Side Of The Bed’ and ‘The Crimson’ sounded just as fresh tonight as they did a little over 20 years ago. ‘The Remembrance Ballad’ saw the crowd probably at their loudest tonight while ‘Nevada’s Grace’ was simply sublime. The vocals from Saller were on point and he stalked the stage with a real passion and desire to his every footstep while the strings were intricate and delicate intertwining with each others fretboard in order to result in a combination which was savage and ravenous with each riff that was dispatched. When ‘The Curse’ had been dispatched in its entirety Atreyu weren’t finished there, they followed it up with an encore of monumental renditions of a select smattering from another trio of their opuses and a blistering version of their latest single ‘Dead’.
A mouth-wateringly exhibition of how to construct and deliver a metal show and one that was conveyed with emotion of a craving for attractive and charming violence, intensity and carnage.
Wow, wow, wow
