Just as well they’re prayers were answered then.

Before all that though, the excited mix of fans and MCR admirers had to stand through Exit Ten. Well, perhaps that’s a little harsh, they’re a very tight band and all, but they lack originality and creativity where it’s most needed. Essentially, this is just a further extension of the boring, breakdown ridden metalcore that the imagineless suck at the teat of at first given chance. Not only this, but their main vocalist, who for arguments sake did have good stage presence, pranced around like a Kerrang-cover-boy-in-the-making. They were fine, and tight, but nothing special.

But Protest the Hero, that’s a different matter. In fact, the complete opposite, here we have a band who has found originality and jaw dropping technicality as well as tightness. Some have slated them as Dragonforce or SikTh copycats, but what you cannot deny is how startlingly talented and passionate these guys are. They play their music with excellent precision and energy, and most of all really seem to having a great time doing what they do. ‘Heretics & Killers’ in particular is an excellent example of the band at their best, crossing technical riffs, moving melodies and heart stopping velocities.

Unfortunately though, just when our collective expectations were raised, the crowd were thrown back into a sea of mediocrity and, as is the style at the moment, breakdowns. I am of course talking about It Dies Today, who, although are quite noticeably more experienced that the aforementioned Exit Ten still make the similar boring mess of noise, only this time mixed with the cringe-worthy melodies bands like Aiden, Atreyu and Avenged Sevenfold (hey look, I made alliteration) tried and failed before them. This, again, is just another occasionally good but mostly not, safe, metalcore band which have been boring for a long time and yet still it insists on sticking around to plague heavy music. Where will the run of the mill end?

Well, Every Time I Die might be the answer to that. The combination of original, yet impressively intricate riffs, catchy melodies and general drive behind Every Time I Die have been turning heads ever since their debut ‘Last Night on the Town’ and from tonight’s performance, it’s very easy to see why. They swagger on, blasting through new album opener ‘Apocalypse Now and Then’ and send the place into an absolute frenzy. The whole of the Mean Fiddler venue just can’t help but enjoy this band as they confidently and strikingly show why they are such an appreciated band. Devoting their set mostly between ‘Hot Damn!’ and ‘Gutter Phenomenon’ there really is something for everyone to enjoy here, particularly Keith Buckley’s lyrics, who was fairly uninterested in connecting with the crowd and diving around the stage and more into actually concentrating on his vocals – unlike before -, such as “I’m enchanted by the lavish ballet, and I’ll whistle the tune all the way to the gallows that I heard at the cabaret” from the incredible ‘Off Broadway’

The only real complaint is that the speed at wish the band play seems to have diminished entirely. Has is hinted at from the latest album, the sheer velocity of the first two albums have been watered down at a sometimes, distressing level. Considering the sheer pace that made the first two albums have such an impact on music fans, it’s a bit sad to see songs like ‘Godspeed us to Sea’ feel a bit sluggish from their record counterparts. And again, this isn’t what happened before. Sometimes though, it works. ‘Ebolarama’ for instance, gets away with losing it’s initial pace because it’s such an anthem anyway, and besides, as ETID strived to doing something a little bit different with that song, it worked very well. And as for ‘Floater’ it in fact much better as a live track being ridiculously slow. Being their most hardcore dancing friendly song, it added to the whole experience hearing it go slower, and slower.

Otherwise though, this was, in short, an excellent set for an excellent band. Perhaps, a greater connection between the band, or Keith anyway, and the crowd would have added to the set, but perhaps it’s also a sign for Every Time I Die’s push towards the mainstream. For a lot of people now, this tour would have been a compromise for missing them when they toured in support of ‘Hot Damn!’, which although would have been unmistakably better, this still did the band justice. Where they will go from here however, no one knows.

Adam Turner-Heffer