Black Spikes take to the stage at Slay with a large portion of the audience still in the queue to enter the venue. Despite this, they receive a warm reception and by the end of their set the (now packed) crowd is enthralled with the performance. Theatrics are as much a part of the show as the music, with dancers and stage costumes adding to the band’s performance.
Butcher Babies ramp the energy up, bringing their unique style of metalcore to the stage. Lead singer Heidi Shepherd seems incapable of standing still for more than a few moments. It’s not only the stage that Heidi commands, as she climbs the barriers and joins a surprisingly raucous circle pit. The room enthusiastically chants along to hits spanning the band’s thirteen-year career. The lights are lowered and things take a darker turn before the band plays “Last December”, displaying a remarkable vocal array. The audience takes one last chance to get in the pit during final track “Magnolia Blvd” before the set ends.
Co-headliners Infected Rain come out swinging and invigorated; their musical prowess is on full show. Singer Lena takes full command of the crowd, flipping her vibrant yellow-orange hair and delivering a charismatic performance. Later, Heidi Shepherd returns to the stage and the pair deliver a powerful duet for “The Realm of Chaos”.
It’s a great night to be a metalcore fan. All three bands have brought a fresh injection of life to what could have been an ageing genre.
Pics by Euan Osbourne (ECO Pixels UK)
