Live Review: Born of Osiris - Manchester
25th March 2024
Support: Attila, Aviana, Cron Magnetar
Words: Matthew Williams
The double headline Angels and Villains Tour comprising of metalcore bands Born of Osiris and Attila rolled it’s way to the Club Academy in Manchester, bringing with it Aviana and Crown Magnetar for a night of mayhem and madness.
First up are Crown Magnetar, the deathcore band from Colorado Springs, who get the crowd worked up int a bit of a frenzy, with some brutal songs like “Black Lotus” and Everything Bleeds” getting the crowd moving, with frenzied frontman, Dan Tucker, who prowls the stage like an angry bear with a whisky fuelled hangover, encouraging the crowd to get on stage and start circle pits at every opportunity.
The music is fast, heavy and yes, brutal, with the rapid drumming from Byron London, a real stand out, which acts like the controller for the crowd to get moving, particularly with songs like “God is my Enemy” and crowd pleaser “Icon of Sin”, which was wonderfully mad and crazy, just what is needed from the first band of the might.
Next up is one man band Joel Holmqvist with his cloaked and hooded minions, collectively known as Aviana. The computer aided words of “we are and we will be victorious” summon them to the stage and it all kicks off again, mayhem ensues, with “Rage” encapsulating the performance perfectly, fast and aggressive, with some melodic parts, and a mix of deathly growls and grunts.
As one guitarist steps onto the speaker, huge puffs of smoke blow directly into his face, Holmqvist encourages everyone to “get off your fucking feet”, which most do. The drums are vibrating the floor where I’m stood, and they bring another level of energy. With the fabulous “Anomoly” giving us big synths with a blinding blue and purple light show, the pace is picked back up before the final song “Obsession” which is delivered exceptionally well.
The first of the headliners to appear are Atlanta’s own Attila, who most punters appear to be here to see, as the crowd is tightly packed at the front before the lights go out and we get “Manchester, are you fucking ready?” Chris Fronzak is like a man possessed as they blast their way through “Proving Grounds”, “Party with the Devil” and “Three 6”, with the crowd responding to the frontman’s every command.
“There are no rules at an Attila gig, let’s get the party started” before the chaos continues with the anthemic “Metalcore Manson”, which the crowd go crazy for. One of the best moments of the night comes up next when Fronzak tells the crowd to look after the guy in the wheelchair, who has already wheeled himself down from the viewing platform and is in full flow, as “Bite Your Tongue” kicks off again.
They rip through the middle part of their set with “Middle Fingers Up”, “Payback” and the brilliant “Moshpit”. Then we are treated to a new song “Timebomb” from the new album which is released in Autumn, before Fronzak proclaims “Cancelled” as the heaviest song you’ll ever hear, maybe not eh Chris ha ha. “All merch sales are going to a great cause – drugs and alcohol as we are here to party!!!!!!” as the crowd go mad one last time for “About That Life” to bring about a fun fuelled hour of sheer bedlam.
With A-ha’s “Take on Me” blasting over the house PA. it abruptly stops, the lights go off and Born of Osiris appear and they certainly don’t mess about, going headlong into “White Nile”, with vocalist Ronnie Canizaro, leading the crowd in clap alongs and unison waving during “Rosecrance” and follow this up with the excellent “Threat of Your Presence”. The crowd seemed a bit fatigued at this point, but then the ultra-heavy and fast riffs of “Abstract Art” seems to waken them up.
“Empires Erased” and the crowd favourite “Poster Child” liven proceedings up further, with the band full of energy and charging about all over the stage. It’s a full on performance from the band and when they get to new song “Torchbearer, they have the crowd bouncing with them, and with “Open Arms to Damnation” they have the song of the night.
With wheelchair guy firmly in position, the next circle pit kicks off for the epic “Oathbreaker” before we get a new song, “A Mind Short Circuiting” which goes down really well, and leads to a massive round of applause, before they finish off with a trio of devastating songs, “Bow Down”, “Brace Legs” and the stunning “Machine” which wraps up a night full of pace, power, and brutal music from some of the best in their genre.
