Bury Tomorrow - Cannibal [Ltd Ed Sea Glass Vinyl]

Bury Tomorrow‘s 2018 album Black Flame catapulted the group into metal's upper echelons. It was the band's third consecutive UK Top 40 album – quite the feat for a heavy band – and took them on a tour which culminated with a huge show at London's iconic Roundhouse. But with follow-up Cannibal, the band have taken yet another leap forward. Already, the South Coast quintet are responsible for some of metalcore's most rousing anthems, and Cannibal is stacked with more glorious vocal hooks, razor-sharp riffs and sublime melodies that will solidify their seat at UK metal's top table.

To record it, the band reunited with SikTh guitarist and Black Flame producer Dan Weller (Enter Shikari, Young Guns), while mixing and mastering was completed by Adam "Nolly" Getgood and Ermin Hamidovic, the dream team behind Architects' Holy Hell. The result is Bury Tomorrow's most technical, anthemic album yet. And while vocalist Dani Winter Bates has long been one of metal's loudest advocates for the importance of discussing mental health, this time he's delved explicitly into his own experiences, writing his most brutally personal lyrics to date.

There's an apocalyptic feel to Cannibal. While tracks like "Quake" and "Better Below" go deep into Dani's lowest moments, the album also explores the impact of social media on "Gods & Machines" as well as what he refers to as "society's oppressive, horrific nature." While Cannibal is very much Dani's story lyrically and thematically, the rest of the band are also on the form of their lives. The title track is a clear nod back to the anthemia of Black Flame's standout title-track and tracks like powerhouse opener "Choke," "The Grey (VIXI)" and "Imposter" are classic Bury Tomorrow, metallic maelstroms of churning riffs and expansive choruses.

Elsewhere though, the band have taken more risks than ever before, adding depth and shade to their ever-evolving sound. "Quake" ebbs and flows, swelling and simmering like a seething volcano and a techy edge cuts through the icy melody of "Cold Sleep." And for all the album's dark ruminations, atmospheric closer "Dark, Infinite" ends on a melodic high, a surging soundscape which sounds like the band are ready to take on the world.