Runes is the 2014 album from British metalcore band Bury Tomorrow, released May 26th on Nuclear Blast Records.
Runes is the 2014 album from British metalcore band Bury Tomorrow, released May 26th on Nuclear Blast Records. The album follows on from the 2012 success The Union of Crowns and features new guitarist Kristan Dawson who joined the band last year.
In January the first glimpse at Runes debuted on BBC Radio 1’s Rock Show with the track “Watcher” which was an instant hit with its stand-out chorus. Showcasing the strengths of the band, it was clear that Bury Tomorrow had developed their musical styles.
Heavier and faster than anything we’ve done before
Lead vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates revealed that the album is “much heavier and faster than anything we’ve done before.” However, with true stylistic diversity they explore both full sounds and lighter elements.
Runes draws inspiration from the runic language system and the poems which describe the meaning of each letter. Opening track “Man On Fire” is represented by the rune symbol Mannaz (ᛗ) which is depicted on the Bury Tomorrow merchandise.
The song’s lyrics draw on the rune meaning of Man/Humankind, says Winter-Bates, and addresses the struggle of humankind in an ever-changing world.
Kicking the album into high gear, Kristan Dawson is quick to establish his footing in the Bury Tomorrow domain. Laying the ground work of the album “Man On Fire” introduces the clean vocals of Jason Cameron alongside the forceful metalcore screams.
This accompaniment of vocals plays throughout, with the angst ridden screams of “Shadow, a Creator” breaking down into more melodic tones and yearning clean vocals seen in the opening of “The Torch” and in “Year of the Harvest.”
As the pounding phrases of “Darker Water” ease into more of an atmospheric feel, the structure of Runes begins to feel lost, with a fluidity between the tracks that fails to break through.
Attention catching acoustics
Pulling out of the morose and catching your attention is acoustic track “Divine Breath.” No strangers to acoustics, which have appeared on their last two albums, Bury Tomorrow create an eerie melody which I could certainly find myself listening to again. It falls short at only 1:30 and feels a little out of place. Personally, I would have preferred to ease the album out and end with this acoustic tasting.
Instead, we follow into the stark contrast of true metal offering “Of Glory” which is packed full of angry growling vocals and shredding guitars. When Bury Tomorrow released this second single they explained that the song “is about making it through the struggles in life and disregarding naysayers and people that bring negativity.”
Closing track “Last of the Ice” lacks diversity and with an almost flat sound it doesn’t leave much impact to finish off what is overall a strong album encompassing the metalcore feels of the band.
Bury Tomorrow have taken a direction which works in their favour and demonstrates a lot of technical skill and passion. For fans of the metalcore genre this is another album to add to your collection, offering tracks that will undoubtedly embed themselves into your brain.
With their catchy riffs and vocals, it’s easy to imagine the floor being torn apart and running screaming into the pit.
Whats your favourite Runes track? Let us know in the comments below!
