Still Remains Move the Earth at Packed Camden Underworld Show [Show Review]

Back in the early 2000s, Roadrunner Records gathered a collection of artists to their label who went on to represent some of the most important and era-defining releases of that time. One of those bands was Michigan-based metalcore outfit Still Remains, who, twenty years ago, put out Of Love And Lunacy, a record which has proven to be beloved to this day. And so we gather at a sold-out Camden Underworld to pay tribute to this album and the band that redefined what metalcore can be.

First up, though, we have a celebration of a different kind. One week removed from a legendary performance at this year’s Damnation Festival, hometown heroes Devil Sold His Soul add a slice of post-hardcore brilliance to the party. A band that has been responsible for the creation of some of the most inspirational and progressive albums in their class, they are a perfect accompaniment to proceedings.

One of the most boundary-pushing bands of the early 2000s UK Scene, Devil Sold His Soul blends beautiful, ethereal atmospherics with passages of horrifying, low-end fury. Masters of their craft who never fail to excite and amaze with their technical talents, it’s a sight and sound to behold. The dual vocalists add a really frenetic dynamic to their performance, perfectly balancing the clean and harsh elements between them. They build intensely emotional landscapes through hulking riffs and soaring melodies that build and grow into these glorious eruptions of sound. A captivating and impassioned performance from one of the UK’s long under-appreciated bands.

Still Remains is far more than just a one-album wonder. After the release of Of Love And Lunacy in 2005, they went on to release two more excellent records that further cemented their place amongst the elite of the metalcore alumni. It’s just that Of Love And Lunacy was so groundbreaking and unique at a time when bands were happy to copy & paste, it stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of quality, talent and ambition and has stood the test of time. The Camden Underworld is absolutely packed with a crowd predominantly made up of older fans who grew up with this band and with this record, ready to give thanks and praise to a seminal moment in time.

First thing to note is how grateful and elated every member of Still Remains looks throughout the course of the evening. Especially noticeable during the wild fanfare of the opening song “To Live And Die By Fire” when the crowd sings every single word back to them in a moment that would make the hairs stand up on the arms of the most hardened metal fan. Since the record is being played in exact order, we don’t have to wait long before they pull out one of the anthemic metalcore anthems of the 2000s, “The Worst Is Yet To Come”, at which point the floor becomes a stampeding karaoke party! Although I’m not sure anyone in the venue goes as hard as keyboardist Zach Roth, who is such an integral and valuable piece of the sound and energy of this band.

The symphonic passages that accompany songs like “Bliss” and “Recovery” bring in these wonderful atmospheric moments of bliss amongst the chaos and carnage. Vocalist T.J Miller shows off such an incredible range that goes from the clean and lush chorus of ”In Place Of Hope” to the genuinely terrifying death growls in ”Kelsey”. A standout moment for me is the incredible closing track (from back when bands prioritized every song and didn’t neglect the last song on the album), “Blossom The Witch.” It’s always been a track that may not have garnered the attention of those before it, but for me, it always felt like every member of the band at full power. The bass lines quite literally move the earth, the drumming is at its technical peak, the guitars sound like they are engaged in a five-minute riff battle, and the vocals enter an emotional state of aggression that absolutely levels the place.

Closing out the evening with a three-song encore, which includes a brand new track and two songs from the excellent 2007 album The Serpent, Still Remains deserves all of the flowers and accolades tonight and hopefully doesn’t leave it so long before coming back.

Still Remains Setlist:

1. To Live and Die by Fire
2. The Worst Is Yet to Come
3. In Place of Hope
4. White Walls
5. Bliss
6. Cherished
7. With What You Have
8. Kelsey
9. Recovery
10. I Can Revive Him With My Own Hands
11. Stare and Wonder
12. Blossom, the Witch
13. The Wound and the Weapon
14. Avalanche