Delve into the Underworld
Before French sextet Betraying The Martyrs had even appeared on stage the atmosphere had already changed to a ridiculous child-like anticipation.
They came on and wasted no time opening with Liberate Me Ex Inferis the sixth track of their debut album Breathe In Life, already the floor had began to shake as the crowd pushed forward to show their appreciation.
Only two tracks in to their set, they had multiple stage divers leaping off stage into an almost entire room full of moshing fans, as their set continued with a few more recognisable tracks Man Made Disaster, Love Lost and Life Is Precious, leaving leeway for the ever famous "wall of death" which wasn't a stranger to fans.
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Guitarists Lucas D'Angelo and Baptise Viger executed heavy riffs powerfully and precisely as rhythmic playing kept consistency throughout. Hard aggressive drumming from replacement Sydney Taieb and a deep bass from Valentin Hauser complimented deep throat and clean vocals from both Aaron Matts and Victor Guillet perfectly.
Their set ended with another new track Because Of You and it was evident that impressive climaxes of intensity and hard hitting lyrics had managed to cause quite a disruption to an on-going mosh pit. Without doubt, both vocalists are by far the most skilful, energetic and intensive of this genre to date.
The insanity of their set was phenomenal, by sheer force of their music, they tore the place down and could have well been mistaken for the headlining act of the night; it's no wonder this band has an increasingly large following. However, the highlight for me was seeing how crazy the fans got and watching the band respond to it; from a band who knows the scene and what metal fans want, they were on top form which made for a very worthwhile experience.
To view all photos taken during this set click here. There are 2 available.