Coldrain - Invade the UK in style!

*****

The Barfly shakes as Coldrain produce all the goods!

Coldrain ***** is a band that comes out of Nagoya, Aichi, Japan and are a band really to take note of. I have always been a fan of Japanese music and it doesn't really matter to me that most of it is sung in the bands native tongue. Coldrain is a little different from conventional bands from this country because one they sing in English and two their singer Masato is half American so his tone is very different from the normal vocal sound that comes out of Japan. Set to embark on a tour with Welsh Metal titans Bullet for my Valentine their seems to be quite some anticipation of tonights concert and if you have ever heard Coldrain you can see why. They mix up Metal / Metalcore and Screamo in a way that flips over to the commercial market and I think they have a mass appeal, I think this is why they have already been booked for this years Download festival. 

They start off with their single 'No Escape' that was released back in 2012 and already has got over a million hits on YouTube, this song has hints of Destroy rebuild until Gods Show and Bullet for my Valentine while hitting on moments of Asking Alexandria. This song has a great chorus and the band deliver it with a sense of dynamic determination looking really happy at every scream and every melody line. They continue on with another song from this era 'Six feet Under' which verges on Emo but keeps the intensity of the previous song, this song is really radio friendly and really made to be played on Kerrang TV. You do wonder why a band this good that has been going for a little while now is playing such a small venue in Camden, but it is a good way to warm up for their European tour. 

Bands out of Japan have been doing very well in the UK with Crossfaith and Dir en Grey both pulling really good crowds and it shows that the UK is now really embracing bands from this country. 'Die Tomorrow' of the bands six track EP 'Nothing last Forever' is a steady clogger lead by great tracks by lead guitarist Y.K.C with great backing vocals and shreds down his fret board and leads on nicely to 'Persona' off their last EP 'Tough Clarity' which shows a progression in sound even though it's hard for a band this good to progress any further. This EP is well worth a purchase because it also holds the awesome Craig Owens esq 'Never look Away' which contains perfectly pitch vocals as well as traditional Hardcore / Metalcore breakdowns in certain segments, but it's the vocals that really stand out for me. At this point in the set the crowd are really into it going crazy waving their hands moshing around welcoming Coldrain to the UK. 

Their mega hit single the brilliant 'The War is Me' which you can see the video for at the bottom of the page, is one of my favourite tracks by the band. It has everything you would want from a track by an act in this genre, it has beatdowns it hits into an anthem esq chorus and it's really perfect to sing a long to but keeping with a complexed technical feel. Also Y.K.C little guitar solo on this track is really cool and the precision drumming by Katsuma is worth checking out in a live environment, because he looks so at home on the stage. They end the main set with the infamous 'Inside of Me' which start off with a haunting slow riff before launch into amazing guitars and a fast in your face riff and is really memorable.

They open up the encore up with 'Behind the Curtain' from the last album which hits in like it's the end of the World and moves it on quickly into the fan favourite 'To be Alive' which goes down so well and really hits in like a nuclear attack on the London Barfly. They end with the title track off their last album 'The Revelation' which is a great epic song to end on, if you don't know Coldrain and you like modern Metal / Metalcore or Screamo I strongly advise you do quickly because this band are going to be so massive. They are the first Japanese band I have heard that pull off the western sound so well and you would not even tell where they are from. Just simply brilliant stuff from Coldrain, can't wait to see them again.

Coldrain - Setlist
-------------------
Intro
No Escape 
Six feet Under
Time Bomb
Die Tomorrow
Persona
Voiceless
Never look Away
The War is On
Inside of Me
---------------
Behind the Curtain
To be Alive
The Revelation

Review and Photo's by Dan Devour

Check Out! the Video for 'The War is On' Below...