Brummies were treated to a stellar line up of the good stuff at the HMV Institute, shaking off the cold of the night outside to throw down some pits that should make the home of metal proud.

First to take to the stage were Glamour Of The Kill, pulling off their refined metalcore with a touch of glam styling and a swagger that thankfully is justified. It’s rare in a night that the first band on pulls off a set that from the opening line, to closing chord keeps a crowd away from the bar and at the front of the barrier. Running from opener “Supremacy” to finisher “Feeling Alive”, GOTK keep all eyes and ears permanently fixed to the stage.

If someone told me with a straight face that I Wrestled A Bear Once were named literally following a walk through the woods by vocalist Krysta Cameron, I’d probably believe them.  Any members of the crowd expecting to see one of the Paramore clones, that as of late have become a pretty safe bet every time a female vocalist takes to the stage, were frankly in for a big surprise. Not many frontmen or women poses a vocal range that seems to seamlessly traverse between brutal grindcore screams that leave every man in the room feeling adequate, to Bjork esque melodic vocals. 

As the band rip through genre defying track, after genre defying track it’s apparent to anyone that may have doubted, that they are as talented, as they are hard to pigeonhole. By the time the band finish their set on ‘Tastes Like Kevin Bacon’ there are those in the crowd who have found a new favorite band, and those who just didn’t get it. The blood in the venues sink however, lays testament to the bands most committed fans who kept the pits open until they finally exist to the sound of Seal’s ‘Kiss From A Rose’.

The last time We Came As Romans came to Birmingham it was as a relatively new band on the Imperial Never Say Die tour in 2010. Now returning to the second city as co headliners and on the back of their second album ‘Understanding What We Have Grown To Be’, it’s clear that while the band have been tirelessly touring, Birmingham has been waiting for round two.   

As the houselights fade, the screams rise. Vocalist David Stephens is a whirlwind of energy, stomping and bouncing across the stage as his harsh screams juxtapose to the clean vocals of Kyle Pavon. ‘Roads That Don’t End and Views That Never Cease’ showcases this juxtaposition, paired with heavy riffs and symphonic sampling its hard to ignore a sense of the epic in the bands music. As the crowd are whipped into a frenzy, additional security are quick to rush and help those manning the barrier.

While Kyle’s vocals do occasionally miss the pitch perfect mark its hardly noticeable, especially given the amount of movement both on and off the stage and the chorus of voices that join him in unison on every word. As the band burst with pace through tracks from both albums, singles ‘Mis//understanding’ and ‘Understanding What We Have Grown To Be’ prove the bands envious ability to write some of the catchiest post hardcore available. As the band close on ‘To Plant A Seed’ and begin to leave the stage, its clear they are more than satisfied by the reaction afforded to them tonight. Birmingham round three? in the words of Roy Scheider “Were gonna need a bigger boat”.   

As the samples kick in and Alesana make their way onto the stage for ‘Annabel’, Dennis Lee wastes no time in pouncing on what looks to be a piece of underwear that has found its way on stage, stuffing it completely into his mouth. It’s this kind of madness that runs throughout the bands set, and particularly Lee who would look as at home in a straightjacket, as with a mic in hand. As he leaps about the stage and into the crowd his brutal barks are counterbalanced by Shawn Milke’s melodic and often high pitched vocals. Milke himself only temporarily restrained behind the mic stand, before he too bursts forward with maniacal grins. 

Now with four albums under their belts Alesana have become veterans within the screamo scene. This experience shines as despite the endless energy poured into the set by the band their sound remains tight, hardly missing a note or losing pace. ‘The Artist’, ‘The Murderer’ and ‘The Thespian’ are all given airings to a crowd who lap up every note. Few unclean vocalists mange to achieve the same screams live as they do on record, but Lee is an exception as he continues to dive in and out of the crowd, his voice only failing when the odd fan manages to wrestle the mic away.

‘Sins Of The Lion’ showcases Milke’s distinctive vocals and the bands increased melodic edge as featured on the new album ‘A Place Where The Sun Is Silent’. While live it does lack some of the energy that older tracks like ‘Ambrosia’ have by the bucketload, its a good opportunity for Milke to flex his confident vocals, while Lee takes a bit more of a backseat. As the set plows on through tracks that span the bands career thus far, the crowds continued movement is regularly awarded the thumbs up by the band.

Milke smiling crawls across the stage on his stomach, while the band collapse over one another as they bring their set to the close the crowd were hoping would never come. As the band leave the stage to applause and the sound of their continuing samples, the one disappointment of the night ensues, the calls for an encore are not met. Paired with house lights that are slow to come up its a long five minutes before it dawns on the expectant fans, there shall be no return. Certainly left wanting more, its a disjointed end to a set that has otherwise proved to continue Alesana’s reputation as one of the most exciting bands live and recorded, that are currently on the scene.