Far too Shouty
Burst is a largely unknown act from the metal conveyor belt, also known as Sweden. Musically, they're not a million miles away from Opeth, which must have been the reason why they were chosen to support their fellow countrymen on this tour. The problem with Burst is vocalist xxxx. He turned what could be an innovative, interesting band into a hardcore shout-a-thon, spoiling many subtle musical passages with his endless bawling. The music didn't need such violent vocalisation, it's neither terribly heavy nor very angry and it made me wonder why he insists on the constant screaming. Because of the lack of vocal melodies, the songs didn't seem to follow a structure, and neither a verse nor chorus could be distinguished.
The first time they played Nottingham Rock City was on the downstairs stage in front of about thirty-five people, now they've moved up to the main room so it's good see they're progressing, albeit slowly up the musical ladder. I have to say I knew nothing of the Scandinavian five-piece before tonight, and after this evenings effort, I have little motivation to find out more. If the reaction of the crowd was anything to go by I would suspect a smattering of people in the audience would download/steal a couple of their tracks from the internet, However most of the punters just stood, watched and politely applauded when each song was over. Having said that, one of my colleagues admitted after the show to liking Burst more than Opeth, so they must have created some kind of impression. Don't worry, we've booked him in for a brain scan next week.