Live Review : Attila + Eskimo Callboy + Browning @ Academy Club, Manchester on October 22nd 2018

I am often struggling to comprehend if we will ever have decent motorways in the U.K. I had it all planned and set off earlier than most occasions but the gods of travel decided otherwise tonight. After having spent an hour stuck on the M57, it became quickly apparent that no matter what, I would be a no show for the supporting act, Kansas City based electro-deathcore fusion item The Browning. Being always on the look out for new bands and missing out on support acts makes my blood boil and must admit that screaming a few times in my car was more than therapeutic.

Eventually, I made it to the Academy Club in Manchester on a rather busy night for a Monday. The Student Union building reception is surrounded by over-emotional youth bringing drama to the scene as ambulance staff arrives for reasons unknown.

The German electronicore Eskimo Callboy are first to come on stage, on this co-headlining run of seven U.K. dates with metalcore act Attila, before continuing an extensive tour on the continent.

You could be forgiven for thinking it is Saturday judging by the amount of kids who have turned up on a tonight. Their studies must have taken a backseat as tonight is a tale of two bands who create turmoil in the Metalcore circles. For the right or wrong reasons, I’ll let you be the judge of this, love or hate them, Eskimo Callout is apparently too pop and Attila lyrically not serious enough. 

From the first guttural deliveries of duo vocalists Sebastian “Sushi” Biesler and Kevin Ratajczak on ‘Back In The Bizz’ and ‘My Own Summer’, it is evidently clear that we are on metalcore grounds and that Eskimo Callboy owes little to pop except for the catchy choruses and occasional keyboards patterns. 

Running low on stage space at the Club, the lads have little room to manoeuvre but instantly get a great response from a crowd that seem more than familiar with their material.

Easier numbers, less aggressive should I say?, like the ever so apparent Marilyn Manson infused ‘VIP’ and ‘The Scene’ bring some much needed melody to the evening.

Kevin Ratajczak who gets a good response from the fans in between tracks, seems to be more confident with his English than ‘Sushi’. He eventually manages to slip in a marriage proposal, not his, mind you, but from a couple he drags out of the crowd. Proceedings resume with the relatively easy listening and appropriately named ‘Best Day’ as the lady did agree to marry her partner. At least I hope it was her partner and not some random stranger.

Tonight, Eskimo Callboy’s focus was on their recent material with 6 out of a 10 song set taken from last year release “The Scene”. It is always difficult for bands who cross different musical genres to satisfy virtually everybody with their unique touch on who they want to be, but judging by the amount of “Fuck you !” we got, one can only assume that they do not care about anyone’s opinion and are not about to compromise. And why should they as their melodic metalcore remains their strongest point.

These shows are Attila‘s first since they left SharpTone Records and became independent artists with their eighth album due to be released very soon under their own label.

Meanwhile as the house PA blasts Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, I am relieved to see that the Spotify generation receives well all the classic rock of my younger years during a rapturous singalong.

Finally, the Atlanta born and bred Deathcore quartet takes the stage and with last year smashing single ‘Three 6’ sets the tone for what’s to come for the next hour. Attila is impeccable and do what they do very well, amazing drum work from newcomer skins basher Bryan McClure, droptuning on guitar and bass underpinned main man Chris Fronzac who is in top form. On tunes like ‘About That Life’, ‘Party With The Devil’ and ‘Proving Grounds’, Fronz’s vocals can go as low and deep as the devil himself straight out of the gates of Hell, alternating with the intonation of a deranged Gollum meets Beavis on speed.

The band has redirected most of their focus tonight on the more popular older album ‘About That Life’ with no less than 5 songs. Yet, ‘Moshpit’ with the line  “...fuck that shit, you can find me in the Moshpit!…” and its slow and low groovy riff will remain the crowd pleaser. That is until the last song and new single ‘Pizza’ when Fronz splits the crowd to a wall of death, depending if you love or hate pineapple on your Italian savoury.

The unsung hero will probably be underrated guitarist Chris Linck, who can deliver comfortably some of the tastiest guitar licks and still remain unnoticed by most. All in all, this was a great performance from a confident band who effortlessly interact and entertain a packed venue with a unique take on a musical genre which might be slightly too serious for my own liking. I am just glad I made the right call earlier in the night, when asking myself if I should go home while being stuck for an hour on the motorway.