Houston, are you still recovering? Toyota Center absolutely felt the full weight of Bring Me The Horizon’s USA Ascension Program+ Part 01 Tour on September 26th. From the night’s first dip in the house lights to the last thunderous roar, this was an evening of power and moshing.
BMTH brings their take on metalcore, mixed with shades of electronic experimentation, alive in a unique engagement in the live setting. The band delivered a stunning visual display of high-tech, augmented reality and state of the art, layered light shows that realistically made it feel like we were in the future. This was more than just a concert, this was a large format excursion through the heavy musical terrains of POST HUMAN: NeX GEn and crushing resonance of its heavy catalogue.
Oli Sykes, the exceptional performer frontman, owned the stage with his own mix of aggression and believability. The band was a finely tuned engine, dispensing all large riffs, heavy beats, and synth lines with lots of energy.
The setlist was a dynamic build-up, opening with the ambient “DArkSide” and quickly escalating to the intensity of “MANTRA” and “Happy Song.” We screamed along to “Teardrops,” felt the weight at “Shadow Moses,” and kept the mosh pits churning along with songs like “Kingslayer.”
The real highlight, and the moment that sealed the Houston show as unforgettable, was “Antivist.” This has become a BMTH live tradition, where Oli Sykes welcomes a brave fan from the crowd to tackle the track’s notoriously guttural vocal breakdown. This time, the honor was bestowed upon Kai (sorry Kyle, you still suck).
The pressure was on Kai, but he lit it up! With unfiltered, defiant energy, Kai delivered a blistering barrage of ferocious screams and guttural growls that matched the song’s intensity. The venue exploded, and for those few minutes, Kai wasn’t just a fan, but was a member of Bring Me The Horizon. This was the quintessential expression of unscripted, unrelenting fans’ passion, and it was well worth the price of admission.
This energy sustained itself through the rest of the night, through the beautiful melancholy of “Follow You” and finally the euphoric, fireworks closing track “Throne.” Bring Me The Horizon in Houston was a powerful reminder of why they are arguably the biggest and most exciting band in music today.
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