ALBUM REVIEW ~ BURY TOMORROW ~ 'CANNIBAL'

I'm Music Magazine, Bury Tomorrow, Cannibal, metalcore, British, Daniel Winter Bates, depression, mental illness, Choke, Kristan Dawson

Having been kicking around for over a decade, British Metalcore act Bury Tomorrow are no strangers to making explosive metal music. However, with the release of 2018’s Black Flame, the metal community collectively stood up and took notice. It was apparent that these guys were bringing something truly special to the scene. With the release of their new album, Cannibal, the band have continued to build on that success. This time, vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates has decided to take on such issues as mental illness and depression in the hopes that he can help others through his own experiences.

The album starts out with an absolute banger. The song, titled “Choke” has a punchy guitar riff straight out of the pages of 90s nu-metal. The vocal delivery on this song is especially impressive. This song has all of the guttural growls and visceral screaming that we’ve become accustomed to in Bury Tomorrow’s music but also has one of the most powerful hooks that the band have written to date. In the middle of a brutally heavy track comes a beautifully polished hook that even your average mainstream rocker could appreciate. “Find me lost inside my head, choking on these words I said!” belts out clean vocalist, Jason Cameron. These words are delivered with such passion and flare that they are sure to resonate with anyone who may be dealing with their own struggles with depression or anxiety. This song really sets the tone for everything that is to come on this album.

The title track, “Cannibal,” largely follows the same formula with super aggressive mosh pit break downs equipped with the perfectly clean chorus. The lyrics again deal with overcoming darkness. The next track, “The Grey (VIXI),” contains one of the heaviest guitar riffs on the album while also demonstrating one of the most emotional and accessible choruses. Between the aggressive music and the meaningful lyrics, this song feels like a true therapy session for listeners.

From start to finish, the album is an incredible set of songs from a band that is determined to make their mark and connect on a deeper level with their fans. Even with that said, some songs still stand out above all of the others. One such song is “Better Below.” This song has it all. High energy, powerful guitar riffs, double bass drums, the catchiest chorus on the album, and a beautiful guitar solo courtesy of lead guitarist Kristan Dawson.

The band close the album with the song “Dark, Infinite.” This is an especially interesting choice to close the album as it’s probably the heaviest song on the album even incorporating elements of black metal. Perhaps it’s the message of this song that lead the band to choose it as the closer. While the album, as a whole, deals with mental issues, this particular song is about self-loathing and trying to pull yourself out of a very dark place when you feel as though you don’t deserve it. I believe that there’s no question that fans will connect deeply with the message of this song as they will with many of the songs on this album.

Overall, Bury Tomorrow have put together a real masterpiece in the world of metalcore. Sure, they certainly didn’t reinvent the wheel, but they took an existing formula and utilized it to produce nearly flawless results. Keep your eye on these guys, they still have a lot more to offer and I, for one, cannot wait.

I’m Music Magazine Writer Jason Jarvis