Live Coverage || Oceans Ate Alaska, MindthreaT, Skybinder, Sense Of Insanity @ AN Club, 2/2/2019

British metalcore trailblazers Oceans Ate Alaska was the first of the many acts that will be visiting Athens for the 20th anniversary of Hardtimes Athens in 2019. The band was set to perform on February 2nd alongside Mindthreat, Skybinder and Sense Of Insanity.

Unfortunately, a demonstration downtown prevented people from showing up but those who did were off to a good start. Sense Of Insanity were the first to go on stage. By the time I made it to the venue, I had already missed the beginning of their performance, so I got myself a good spot to watch the remainder of the set. I was really eager to see them again, as the last time left me speechless -and this doesn't happen often. Energetic and very dynamic, they got the people gathered in the front pumped for the rest of the evening, vividly showcasing their full potential despite the change of vocalists on stage. 
Skybinder went on next. The melodic metalcore outfit seems to grow more and more confident with every show they play. Continuing in their linear trajectory, their sound was solid, a testament of the work that goes into their songwriting. What I really appreciated with this performance was that minor issues weren't even noticeable until someone from the band mentioned them later on. 
I hadn't seen MindthreaT in a long time about a year and a half, but who's counting but I do recall treating them as a sight for sore eyes in our last encounters. Turned out, regardless of some appearance-related changes (my photographer side is still bitter over the lack of long manes), that I remembered correctly. The quartet had a tight stage presence, bouncing tirelessly and feeding off the crowd's energy, while the frontman displayed his amazing vocal capabilities. Sure, certain higher parts sounded just a tad strained but this didn't affect the overall outcome.
The second Oceans Ate Alaska got on stage, kids got off their feet, moshing and singing along to almost every word. The band didn't try to conceal the smiles on their faces as they performed fan favorite hits -and how could they, after this warm welcome. Regardless of the low attendance, the party mood was strong, with kids climbing on the stage barricade as vocalist Jake Noakes happily offered them the microphone. 
This show marked a very good start of the year for this scene and we are definitely looking forward to whatever else is to come.

All pictures courtesy of Dearohwell Photography.

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