REVIEW: Memphis May Fire @Leeds University Stylus

Rhiannon Boden
Dec 13, 2016
3 min read

PHOTO: JACK BARKER

With deadline week almost finished and Christmas break around the corner, students at the University of Leeds seemed to be out in force looking for a way to power through against the cold, and for many the perfect remedy was, of course, a metalcore show. They weren’t alone either, when 7PM rolled around on the frigid and rainy Tuesday, metal patrons of all ages arrived bundled up on the student union stairs, ready to warm themselves up in a frenzy of circle pits and windmilling.

First up came Ohio darlings Like Moths To Flames, still riding the success of 2015’s The Dying Things We Live For and boasting more excessively heavy drums than you can shake, well, a stick at. Though the weather and the opening slot conspired to ensure the crowd was sparse, those wise enough to show up early were treated to a dastardly mix of old standbys like You Won’t Be Missed and I Solemnly Swear and pinnacles of their newer, more evolved, sound like last album’s opening track No King.

A change of pace was in order when Silverstein took to the stage, but the shift of gears from metal to hardcore proved in no way a shift downwards, with the Canadian rockers proving beyond any shadow of a doubt that there is no substitute for catchy choruses and a sharp industrial sound. Ghost, the band’s newest offering, was a standout that clearly showcased the guys moving in a new and more evolved direction, and had both new and old fans alike hyped for any new material to come.

PHOTO: JACK BARKER

Needless to say though, it took the signature energy of The Devil Wears Prada to take the crowd’s energy to another level, with the band’s Christian-laced metalcore and boundless energy proving to be a winning combination, drawing fans in through the door and away from the bar and merch table to join the ever-growing throng in the middle of the floor. Frontman Mike Hranica was filled with nothing but praise for his tourmates, and his enthusiasm was infectious, to such an extent that by the end of a set filled with such classics as Dez Moines and Louder Than Thunder the heat in the room all but banished the idea of winter. Not bad for a band that accidently chose a name entirely antithetical to their core message, eh?

PHOTO: JACK BARKER

Of course, when the light dimmed for the final time and Matty Mullins entered with his bandmates in tow, the dynamic changed immediately. Though opening with the lead track from their 2016 album Carry On resulted in a comparatively lukewarm reaction, it didn’t take long for the moshpits to kick into high gear, with the anthemic choruses of The Sinner and No Ordinary Love gaining the biggest cheers of the night. Though the focus was clearly on the music, the Kellin Quinn-popularised Miles Away slowed the night down just long enough for frontman Mullins to talk about the perils and pitfalls of fame, and the pain of being separated from loved ones by a grueling tour schedule. However, it was clear that the Texan quintet were not about to let the set come to a close on such an emotional note, and instead whipped the now feverish crowd into one final cacophony to the rip-roaring sounds of 2012’s Vices, a favourite from album Challenger. The band exited stage left without fuss and with a promise to return, and from the protests of the audience it was clear that they, whether old fan or new convert, would be waiting.