REVIEW: COLDRAIN, THE BORDERLINE, LONDON, 21/05/2016
With roots firmly set in their home country, and now hot on the tail of the international success seen by metalcore expats Crossfaith, coldrain are the latest Japanese unit to be on the up-and-up in the UK metal scene, and what better way of cementing this fact than with a show in a rammed scuzzy (yet charming) Soho basement for their second ever London headline performance.
Supported by London quintet Counting Days and Florida born troop Wage War, coldrain blasted the crowd with a well laid out and not stop set of new tunes from their latest album as well as old bangers going back as far as their 2010 material. From harsh blaring yells and growls to an almost pop rock tone, frontman Masato let loose on his trademark Shure mic seamlessly showcasing his versatile vocal range. Backed by upbeat riffs and punchy drum lines, coldrain kept the floor bouncing from start to finish, cramming an admirable 19 odd tracks into a 90 minute slot.
Having only heard them live during a festival set two years back, I’ll admit, I had my doubts that they had the reach just yet to pull in a crowd big enough to fill even a small London venue, but I can say they blew all my expectations out the water. Despite this, I can’t really say anything special about their sound as a whole. They tick all the boxes for a high quality standard metalcore act, but lack the twist that differentiates them in such an over-saturated genre.
Since forming in 2007, coldrain have truly become masters of their craft. They sure as hell know how to work a crowd, and their stage presence is impeccable. With any luck, the amount of momentum they’ve picked up over the last year might just make them a welcome addition to the UK tour circuit, as well as the international metalcore scene as a whole.
Words and photos by Charles Shepherd