It seems like the third album from Bury Tomorrow has been a longtime coming. Announced in January, ‘Runes’ finally sees the light of day this week, and it’s safe to say it has certainly been worth the wait.

From the opening moments of ‘Man on Fire’, you’ll instantly realise that Bury Tomorrow have stepped up their game. With pulsating drums, meaty riffs and pitch-perfect vocals, BT have found a fitting formula.

As you work your way into ‘Runes’, you find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer force and powerful tracks like ‘Shadow, A Creator’ and ‘The Torch’ produce.

As a whole, ‘Runes’ is one giant leap forward for BT, yet the band’s overly aggressive side is still very much intact. ‘Our Gift’ is dominated by pounding drums and spiralling guitar riffs, whilst ‘Darker Waters’ follows suit with Davyd Winter-Bates’ growling vocals taking center stage.

A late highlight, ‘Under The Sun’, sums up what ‘Runes’ is all about; domineering instrumentals with “hooky” clean and heavy vocals going back and forth.

The band’s growth has seen them become open to a more melodic style, and with songs like ‘Under The Sun’ and ‘Garden of Thorns’, they’ve unintentionally widened their appeal. Sure it may not please longtime fans, but as an overall package ‘Runes’ is simply awesome.

Whilst stylistically the band repeat ideas late on, thus giving a sense of unneeded longevity, it still doesn’t hinder ‘Runes’ as a whole.

It is a record that truly demonstrates why British metalcore is in the strong position it’s currently in. Bury Tomorrow have confidently grown as a band on ‘Runes’, an album that is thoroughly compelling and powerful. It deserves all the praise it gets. Not an album to be ignored.

4.5/5

‘Runes’ by Bury Tomorrow is out now on Nuclear Blast.

Bury Tomorrow links: Facebook|Twitter

Words by Sean Reid (@SeanReid86)