The Corner Hotel was alight with plenty of hardcore fans who came to witness Stick to Your Guns and their powerhouse lineup. Reactions jumpstarted the night, blasting riffs infused with a sharp frenzy that fired up the moshpit.
Relentless then added more fuel to the fire with their ear-pounding hardcore set, and Knocked Loose blasted the crowd with heavy breakdowns of metalcore as vocalist Bryan Garris screamed and head banged onstage.
Stick To Your Guns emerged as the cherry on top of a brilliant lineup; vocalist Jesse Barnett wore his heart on his sleeve as he powerfully sung with passion. Each song also has its own personal backstory that he animatedly described before performing it. At one point he spoke proudly of his mother Mary Jane Barnett because she is his hero, and one of the most influential women figures in his life.
Barnett then sung The Suspend from the band’s new EP Better Ash Than Dust; his raw vocals filled with emotional turmoil. Stick To Your Guns’ political stance is impossible to miss; Barnett’s statements about being ‘anti-racist’, ‘anti-homophobic’ and ‘anti-sexist’ echo through your mind, because those catchphrases encapsulate exactly what Stick To Your Guns is all about: taking a revolutionary stance against the injustices of this world and never faltering in the face of your beliefs.
The band’s critical eye on the flaws of America’s political system was made evident throughout their set: Barnett showed his disapproval for Trump’s newly instated rule by bringing up the president’s dismissal of climate change. However, what really drew listeners’ in was his next statement that “We have to give people the room to change,” which reinforces the positive idea that we all evolve and can change for the better. Stick To Your Guns then blasted We Still Believe, by far the crowd favourite, as everybody sung along and people attempted to crowd surf before getting pulled away by security.
What makes Stick To Your Guns so distinctive is that Barnett tends to project melodious choruses, breaking up the heaviness of the band’s music and providing it with more rhythm and variety. He adopted cleaner vocals in Better Ash Than Dust, showcasing his impressive vocal range and infectious attitude.
It’s always satisfying to watch a band soar above their usual musical expectations, especially when Stick To Your Guns does that and also manages to perform a badass live show that has people running amok in pit circles and enthusiastically singing along to every song.
By Christine Tsimbis
