Blood Youth
sence
Support: Loathe, Holding Ab
Boston Music Room
10th APRIL 2017
Firmly aboard the hype train and rapidly rising
to fruition are tonights openers Holding Absence
hailing from South Wales. The band open softly
and slowly before crashing through breakout single
Permanent which really sets the tone for this night.
London clearly has a lot of love for the melodic
hardcore quintet as we witness a sea of Holding
Absence merch pile to the front to sing along with
Lucas Woodland’s subtle yet at times harsh vocals
on Dream of Me. They give it everything they have
and prove that passion and hard work have been
the key to this bands early success. Ashley Green
pushes aside his drum kit, dismantles it and insists
on finishing the set punching his kick drum, which
still sounds thunderous.
Another band riding the same rail are Liverpool’s
Loathe, A band who saunter onto the stage minus
one. Vocalist Kadeem France makes his way
through the crowd complete with a grey mask and
what appears to be a mannequins hand, an oddly
unsettling beginning. This routine doesn’t last long
as France rips off the mask as the band rip into their
technically challenging and outright pummelling
brand of modern day metal. There’s pulverising
sonics that add to the uneasy atmosphere
surrounding the sound of this band. “Loathe. As.
One” France repeats over and over again as band and
crowd unite and bring a sense of fun and community
to tonights proceedings.
Having played the Boston Music Room over 6
months ago with Zoax to a just over half filled room
Blood Youth are back and everything is bigger
than last time. The room is essentially sold out, the
performance is powerful as they barrage our ears
with new material from Beyond Repair, the bands
brand new album that this short tour is in support
of. It’s an undeniable growth on all fronts from
the Harrogate hopefuls and even a band member
change on the lead up to this momentous occasion
hasn’t stopped them in their tracks at all. The likes
of Making Waves, Parasite and Reason To Stay slide
into the set with ease and blow the bands older songs
out the water. There’s smiles on the faces of everyone
in attendance but no one is grinning more than the
four on stage. Frontman Kaya Tarsus can’t thank us
enough and guitarist/riff lord Chris Pritchard seems
taken aback by the response here in London tonight.
A thoroughly deserved win for a band with bucket
loads of promise after a rocky start to their career.
Words & photos by Joshua Clarke
www.eliteonlinemag.com
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