Bury Tomorrow — Cannibal — Album Review
Metalcore | Post-Hardcore
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
My first instance of really delving into a project from the Southampton metalcore band Bury Tomorrow, and listening to their music critically, would be within the cycle surrounding their previous album Black Flame, released in 2018.
And while I had skimmed through a few Bury Tomorrow tracks years before, without really investing myself in the band fully, it was the title track of that previous album that really grabbed my attention. With its fusion of different vocals from both lead vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates and rhythm guitarist and singer Jason Cameron, this track effortlessly created an insanely epic atmosphere, which I feel translated clearly onto the remainder of the album.
As a result, I deemed Black Flame as a clearly solid effort from the group, and most likely remains my favourite Bury Tomorrow project for the time being, given that it was essentially my introduction to the band. However, we now come to almost two years on to the day, and we are faced with the brand new Bury Tomorrow project, which is Cannibal.
While I was aware that there were quite a handful of tracks that teased the release of this album in the new cycle, I perhaps didn’t invest myself into it as much as I should. However, it nevertheless helped me to listen to the full album almost completely fresh upon its release. The only teaser track that I really delved into would’ve been “The Grey (VIXI)”. I found this song to be pretty solid, and pretty much a continuation of the bands titular formula.
As for the album as a whole, it follows suit to this. I feel that the most glaring criticism I would have of it is that I don’t feel that it necessarily brings anything completely new to the table, and instead is another short breath of life projected onto the traditions of the Metalcore formula.
Although, considering that many of what this album has to offer was still really quite enjoyable, it definitely compensated for this in some way, shape or form.
One thing that I do feel is a different approach than the likes of Black Flame, is that Cannibal seems to favour heavier tones over melodic ones a little more this time around. Many of the albums highest points can be credited to just how much raw and dynamic energy they carry in their sound.
Going back to the more “traditional” nature of this album, the fact that the first four or so tracks fit into the same kind of pitch range (or as I like to call, the Metalcore range) did take me out of the moment very early on.
However, I would say that things did eventually manage to pick up, especially in the middle section of the album, which I would deem the most enjoyable part of Cannibal as a whole.
I feel that there is indeed a bit of a biased factor going into this, but the fact still stands that Black Flame remains my favourite Bury Tomorrow album to date, even with the release of Cannibal now in the equation.
However, this new album isn’t a disappointing one by any stretch of the imagination. On the contrary, I actually felt Cannibal to be yet another solid effort from Bury Tomorrow, when all is said and done
Favourite Tracks: Choke | Better Below | Voice & Truth
Least Favourite Track: Cold Sleep
Music For Nations
