Bury Tomorrow, Cannibal
Music For Nations
It’s been a long-time coming – but it’s finally here! Vicious, raw and brilliantly loud, Bury Tomorrow’s sixth studio album most definitely does not disappoint. If you thought 2018 release Black Flame was the height of the metalcore unit’s capabilities, think again. Cannibal is an album that both enchants and horrifies the listener in equal measures; each track is overwhelmingly immersive, swallowing you into the soundscape, forcing you to confront and consider the dark themes being explored.
You’re immediately thrown into the fire with Choke; it’s a sweltering opener, with a booming bassline, crashing drums and gritty growls. It’s exactly the sound you want from a Bury Tomorrow track – fierce, quick and brutal. The exploration of mental health is also established on this track, truly setting the tone for the rest of the album – ‘find me, trapped inside my head… choking on these words unsaid’. Opening with such an exposing song is commendable, and a true sign of how much the guys trust their audience with these serious themes. Title-track, Cannibal, follows and continues to explore the theme of mental health. The track features more unclean vocals, resulting in a much more charged, aggressive sound. As Dani Winter-Bates growls about cannibals, the people that eat away at you and your happiness, the sound punches you directly in the gut.
The true beauty of Cannibal lies in its handling of soft versus light sound. Better Below in particular stands out, with its gritty verses contrasting with dreamy, introspective choruses of ‘broken image I am fallen…’. Jason Cameron’s soft vocals contrast with Winter-Bates’ ravaged, pained vocals in a way that musically conveys the complexities of mental health. The track is layered and structured gorgeously, and is definitely one of the most poignant tracks from Bury Tomorrow to date. Similarly, Quake thrives in its complex use of dynamics; Cameron’s voice washes over you, before Winter-Bates BOOMS onto the track, bringing ‘blood rain’ in his wake. Davyd Winter-Bates told us that he wouldn’t be surprised if it became a fan favourite, and we have no doubt it will become one – it’s an absolute stand-out.
But, of course, this is Bury Tomorrow – we love production value as much as the next person, but what can we MOSH to!? What’s going to get the crowds rabid? Don’t worry, the guys haven’t let us down on that front. A calmer but worthy mention is Cold Sleep. There’s a brilliant moment where Winter-Bates sings ‘slow it down, slow it down, let me catch my breath’ and we can already imagine that crowds will LOVE to screaming along to it! In the quicker realm, Imposter is a powerhouse – a great, clean-cut, no frills banger. It’s fast, fun and Adam Jackson gives us some absolutely meaty drumming near the end. Speaking of meaty drums, Dark, Infinite is the GIRTH of this album, an absolute HUNK of a tune. It’s the quickest on the album, with a tempo that already sounds like a circle pit of people tripping over their own feet. And the tension building up to Winter-Bates rawly proclaiming ‘DARK! INFINITE!’? Oh my god, you can FEEL the pit pulling back.
Cannibal is truly Bury Tomorrow at their finest. Not only are these guys delivering brilliantly produced bangers, but they’re also speaking about mental health in a time when it is more important than ever. We’ve got nothing but respect for these guys! And, hey, now we’ve got something to look forward to… because these songs are going to SLAP live.
Cannibal is out now.
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