Shadow of Intent
Asylum 01/11/23
Birmingham UK
Claire H. Photographer
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Live Review
American Deathcore titans Shadow of Intent embarked on their Elegy European tour earlier this month, just several years in the making. The band made a pit stop in the UK, playing to six sold out venues where we fortunate to catch all of the action at Birmingham’s Asylum.
Enterprise Earth bagged themselves the main support slot on this run, with their performance more than proving their place on the stacked lineup. Vocalist and newest addition to the band, Travis Worland delivered spine-tingling gutturals for the duration of their high energy set. From the word go, the packed out room transformed into a sweaty sauna with the arms of fellow metal heads flailing to and fro. Just a mere two songs in, Worland demands more from the crowd, yelling: ‘I thought this was the 0121?’ a gentle nod to the famous Brummie dialling code. Their last trip to the UK was a mere eight months ago, supporting friends Fit For An Autopsy, and it’s safe to say that there was an influx in Enterprise Earth fans attending this time around. Their 30 minute set was crammed with energy, eerie instrumental interludes and synchronised head-bangs between guitarist Gabe Mangold and bassist Dakota Johnson. Closing with ‘You Couldn’t Save Me’ from their latest release, Worland thanked the crowd and declared ‘I appreciate the f**k out of you’.
Setlist:
Psalm of Agony
Scars of the Past
Reanimate // Disintegrate
Death Magick
A World Without a…
They Have No Honor
You Couldn’t Save Me
Celebrating one year of their latest full length release ‘Elegy’, headliners Shadow of Intent take to the stage, launching into ‘Farewell’, the albums opening track. Following the tight-knit and solid performance from openers in Enterprise Earth, Shadow of Intent had their work cut out for them, but the four pieced unit more than rised to the challenge. The stage presence of vocalist Ben Duerr was both polished and brutal - yet captivating. Paired with almighty riffs from Chris Wiseman, the night offered Birmingham’s metal heads with one hell of a performance. The band took things to another level in terms of production, with an onstage light show setup that accompanied and complimented the band’s intense high energy infused sounds. New material went down a treat, with ‘Saurian King’ and ‘Reconquest’ being real crowd pleasers, whilst finding the time to bring out deep cuts from 2017’s ‘Reclaimer’. Closing the night with ‘Malediction’ from the band’s 2019 offering, was the perfect way to round off what was a stellar evening of deathcore. We can only hope that we aren’t kept waiting too long for the band’s next anticipated trip to the UK.
Setlist:
Farewell
Saurian King
Barren and Breathless Macrocosm
The Heretic Prevails
Of Fury
The Prelude to Bereavement
The Prophet’s Beckoning
The Coming Fire
Blood in the Sands of Time
Reconquest
Melancholy
Malediction
