Bleed From Within // Disembodied Tyrant // Baest // Live Review // Electric // Bristol
It’s Thursday, it’s raining, and Bristol is looking gloomy and grey as we make our way to The Electric. Despite the weather—and half the crowd seemingly battling the mutant lurgy that’s going around—the atmosphere inside the venue lived up to its name. Groups huddle together, chatting excitedly as they scout out the best vantage points. Soon, the place is packed, with fans from every generation out on a school night, ready to let off some steam.
Before long, it’s time to get things started. Danish band Baest are up first – and they really bring the energy. Bursting onto stage with deep, dark growls and insanely fast drum beats, the crowd were instantly on board. The band soon launch into Misfortunate Son, feeding the crowd’s craving for something seriously heavy. Masses of people clapping along and banging their heads to the chaos. As Baest’s set progresses, the moshing—already pretty intense—ramps up… At one point, the singer even comes down into the crowd, planting himself in the middle and becoming the eye of the storm as fans form a circle pit around him.
As their set draws to a close, Baest makes everyone do the classic crouch-and-jump move, something many gig-goers over about 20 dread. But regardless of age, the crowd was so hyped that they followed the command to crouch before going absolutely crazy! Baest really got everyone in the mood for the rest of the night.
BAEST online:
https://baestband.com
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
https://www.youtube.com/
https://linktr.ee/baestband
Words by Shanna Blaise.
Photography: Emma Painter
Up next, American band Disembodied Tyrant, who, even before their set begins, manage to create a sound that could only be described as demon summoning while the mic levels are being checked. It gives the crowd a small peek into what they’re about to unleash during their set!
With incredible strobe lighting flashing across the stage and furious riffs backed by anger-fuelled drums, Disembodied Tyrant make their entrance. It’s big, it’s exciting and the crowd were eager to get involved. The singer, who at first glance is a slim, quiet-looking man, manages to create a vocal that people unfamiliar with heavier music would find disturbing, the kind that could keep you awake for nights on end. It’s like summoning a monster — deep, guttural and deafening. At points, almost angelic backing vocals cut through, adding a layer of menace to the already chaotic and demonic vibe of the main vocal.
The energy of the crowd never dips, with two walls of death, countless crowd surfers, and an army of voices screaming along. The band never seems to tire either, with the aggression in their playing never letting up. Each note is as angry and loud as the last.
Then it’s time for a short break, and some classic tracks are being played over the speakers to keep the crowd hyped. A mass of people singing along to the likes of Chop Suey, that annoying Proclaimers song 500 Miles, Man! I Feel Like A Woman, and Livin’ on a Prayer. Not for a moment does a single person look bored or impatient. Everyone is excited to see the headliners make their mark on the night.
Words by Shanna Blaise.
Photography: Emma Painter
And then it happens, the music dies down, and everything goes quiet for a second. “Can I get a hooyahh?” blasts through the mic, and the whole venue repeats it back as if it’s some sort of battle cry. It’s time…. Bleed From Within crashes onto the stage and launches into the first track, Zenith. They go hard, and the crowd goes even harder, screaming the lyrics back as if their lives depended on it. Everyone in the band is high-energy, with chaos and speed in the riffs and beats. As the set goes on, the energy never dips; if anything, the crowd becomes more charged up. The pit is insane—the biggest it’s been all night, and the wall of death is impressive with so many getting involved.
Then it gets quiet, and singer Scott tells us all about how much Bristol and Bath mean to the band. He tells stories of how the region was one of the first places they played outside of Glasgow, and how he recognises many faces from those early shows—thanking them for still supporting the band. Almost as soon as the speech starts, it’s over, with the band launching into Alive. Chaos ensues! Multiple circle pits, jumping, screaming—imagine a school full of children being given pure food colouring…on steroids.
Scott tells us the next song is the closest the band will ever get to producing a ballad—it’s a track called A Hope In Hell. The crowd are encouraged to turn their torches on, and suddenly a sea of light appears followed by a chorus of voices all singing along to the band’s wonderful vocals. It’s a truly wonderful, almost magical moment to witness. Then a short chat about respect, how we’re all at the venue for the same reason, despite it being a school night (leading to a hilarious moment of confusion as the band tried to work out what day of the week it actually was), and how we all need to look after each other, especially in the pit.
Levitate and Leech both got huge reactions from the crowd, with the volume turned up to 11 as everyone in the room sang along and clapped. The guitar during Leech was particularly mind-blowing. Then, for the second time tonight, we were all summoned to get down onto the floor—everyone’s knees were crying, but no one refused the instruction, getting down low and refusing to let age slow them down.
After a couple more songs it’s nearly over. In Place Of Your Halo completes the set and it is the loudest and heaviest experience of the night so far. The crowd surfing never seemed to end, with a sea of people constantly over the heads of the rest. Even Scott got involved, held over the heads of adoring fans as he gave some impressive vocals. And just like that, it was over. The energy in the room was still high, with a buzz of excitement as everyone slowly left. Bleed From Within definitely put on a show that you won’t forget in a hurry.
Words by Shanna Blaise.
Photography: Emma Painter
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