Is 'Black Flame' The Defining Moment Of Bury Tomorrow?

The Music converses with Daniel Winter-Bates, vocalist for Brits Bury Tomorrow while the band is on tour in Berlin. The metalcore mainstays are not far removed from a triumphant set at the UK Download Festival, during which the frontman suggests the group played one of their biggest shows yet — an estimated crowd of 30,000 people.

Are such gigs one of those surreal occasions you can't help but think, 'Hey Mum and Dad, I made it'? "Yeah," Winter-Bates chuckles. "It's definitely one of those moments where you kind of reflect on how far your band's actually progressed, what we're doing right and what we can improve on."

Despite such successes, not to mention the band's considerable work ethic, they perhaps remain a second-tier proposition within certain corners of the heavy music world. The quintet have a dedicated following and are well-established, but seemingly haven't graduated to that desirable "next level" yet. "I hope so," Winter-Bates says when quizzed if new platter and fifth overall Black Flame could propel them further up the ranks. "I think we're in a really good position.

"We've got a very loyal fanbase, a fanbase that's supported us through thick and thin, and supported us while we were finding our feet. We've now moved labels [to Music For Nations/Sony], it's a fresh start for us and they're an amazing label. We put a lot of effort and time into the production of this record, into the sound and songwriting of this record. So far it's all really poised for [us] to kind of take over that globally, rather than just in our own country or Europe as a whole. We're ready to be able to tour the world again and be out there, and really just see how it connects with fans, because we've written it completely with them in mind. I'm hoping this is the moment, or this is the album, that's really a defining chapter of our band."

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• ALBUM REVIEW: BURY TOMORROW - BLACK FLAME

The new LP is bursting with hooks while retaining their typical aggression. There was a time when the term "metalcore" seemed a dirty word, and had a derisive connotation for many. However, although the style has seemingly passed its peak creatively and commercially, Bury Tomorrow have, as the screamer notes, "very much embraced the metalcore [label] because it best explains our genre".

The recent return of one of metalcore's most prominent acts, As I Lay Dying — frontman Tim Lambesis reconvening with formerly estranged bandmates after being convicted of trying to have his wife murdered —  has divided the public. Many high-profile metal musicians and industry types have thus far declined to comment, sitting on their hands and not publicly expressing an opinion, perhaps waiting to see how the scenario transpires beforehand.​

Winter-Bates remarks that although they have no personal relationships with members of As I Lay Dying, they are a major musical influence on Bury Tomorrow. "As a song goes, it's an incredible song, no doubt about it," he offers of their newly issued track. "It's a very difficult one to have a conversation [about]. I watched their 30-minute discussion about it the other day, and there's a lot of emotions that are involved in there, and a lot of things that are going on. Your analogy of it was absolutely correct — I'm almost sitting on my hands about it as well. I'm not necessarily going to be super quiet about it, but it's still such early days.

"I'm not sure how I feel about it, I'm not sure whether I back it. But no doubt about it, those guys are absolutely amazing musicians. So it's just going to be a really interesting thing to watch to see how it connects with people, see if it can transcend the separation between artist, music and what has happened previously. He won't be the first person to be able to ride that wave of controversy and succeed, if they do succeed... So it'll be an interesting one to see, but it still remains that band are an unbelievably good band."

Meanwhile, Bury Tomorrow are focused on furthering their own cause, while remaining grounded. Winter-Bates says three of the members play in the band full-time, while he does "bits and pieces for healthcare". "But I always have done since I was younger, and that's purely just to keep my hand in that world." He believes it reinforces that the life of a touring musician is finite. "We won't be able to do this forever, even though we'll continue to push it as far as we can go with it."