Beneath the Skin

Academy Unsigned 232
Club Academy
14/12/07
BTS had a hard job tonight. As the last band to play they found themselves faced with a fairly empty Club Academy, and it must be said they did a good job in terms of showmanship, given these circumstances. Onto to the musical side of things, however, and we found ourselves with the frustrating situation of a band who really could be very good indeed if they knew what they wanted to be. Guitar hooks and lines are generally very sound, and in ‘Eye of the Tiger’ (yes, it is a cover) and ‘Keep Screaming…’ the solos begin to come into their own, but never seem to take off in the way we keep hoping they will. Hardcore/screamo vocals are unremarkable – note: its never the best idea to suddenly move from un-affected spoken lyrics to crunch-doom growling – in that they aren’t quite whole-hearted enough to really work.
By the end of the set, it seemed clear to us that BTS should definitely focus on their metal side, rather than try and push a hardcore element that only holds them back.

5/10 (but capable of so much more)

Set list:

1. ‘Dreams Will Die’
2. ‘Release My Pain’
3. ‘Severed by Society’
4. ‘Eye of the Tiger’
5. ‘These Times Are Changing’
6. ‘Keep Screaming (cause when you stop I know you’re dead)’

Polly