Bury Tomorrow

Portraits (2006–2010)

The band was formed in 2006 in Hampshire, England, with their initial line up consisting of rhythm guitarist and singer Jason Cameron, drummer Adam Jackson, lead vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates, bassist Davyd Winter-Bates (his brother) and lead guitarist Mehdi Vismara. The band – despite reading in press that "metalcore" had become a dirty word of such – was adamant to prove that metalcore was still relevant. Davyd Winter-Bates has said comment on their interest to the style by saying "since day one we have been really proud and vocal about calling ourselves metalcore". In 2007 they self-released their debut EP The Sleep of the Innocents. Their debut album Portraits was released through Basick Records in Britain on October 2009. Two music videos were shot to support the release of the album but only one, "You and I", was broadcast on music channels. "You and I"'s music video was recorded at Southampton Solent University and featured Bury Tomorrow performing to 200 fans, the video was shot over the course of two days, with the second day focusing on the band performing. "You and I" was broadcast on MTV2 in the United States, Scuzz in the United Kingdom and on Much Music in Canada. Portraits was then released through Artery Recordings on March 2010 in Japan and the United States. Bury Tomorrow toured continuously over the course of 2010, touring across the United States, Europe and Japan. In their tours in 2010 the band supported Asking Alexandria, Of Mice and Men, Sleeping With Sirens, and Pierce the Veil.

The Union of Crowns (2011–2013)

In 2011 the band felt a large amount of pressure from their American record label, Artery Recordings. Initially trying to convince the band to move and base themselves in the United States, Bury Tomorrow's band members felt the label was trying to manipulate them and change them into something they were not by suggesting they should incorporate more electronic elements into their style. While they rejected moving as they had little experience in the country; communication broke down between them and Artery Recordings and through a series of emails the band lost their North American and Japanese record label as well as their American agency. The only person that remained in their team was their British agent, and she was quoted as saying: "Nobody wants to touch you. No bands even want to take us on tour." The band was so low on money that they couldn't even afford to go to the studio to record the album they had written in 2011. Their agent managed to get them performances at Slam Dunk Festival and Ghostfest in Leeds. At this point Bury Tomorrow's members had such a lack of confidence in the band's future that they believed these would be their final shows.

Their performances at these festivals were met with a positive response from fans, which restored a lot of their lost confidence. At Ghostfest, Bury Tomorrow met their future band manager who suggested that they shelf the album they had been writing. Instead, they wrote and recorded "Lionheart", the first single for what would later become their second album, released on 8 September 2011 and accompanied by a music video released on 13 September. Bury Tomorrow supported British metalcore band While She Sleeps in October, with a follow up UK headline tour in December. On 6 December, two days before the band started the headline tour, a video was released for their single "Royal Blood", directed by Thomas Welsh. "Royal Blood" was later broadcast on Radio 1 on Christmas Eve during its daytime programme.

Bury Tomorrow spent the first few months of 2012 recording their second album, with only a few tour dates in the first half of 2012 to support the album's release. Starting on 18 March by headlining Southampton’s Takedown Festival, they went on to support Of Mice & Men and appear at Hit The Deck Festival in April before appearing at Greenfield Festival on 17 June and at Ghostfest in Leeds on 30 June. In April 2012, Bury Tomorrow announced that they had signed to Nuclear Blast and confirmed the album art, track listing and release date of their second album, The Union of Crowns. The band said that signing to the new record label allowed them to record it the way they wanted to, which they wouldn't be able to do with their old label, Artery Recordings. The album was recorded in Ridgeway Sound Studio in Wantage and was released on 13 July in Europe, 16 July in the United Kingdom and 17 July in the United States.

Two singles were released in 2012 to promote The Union of Crowns: "An Honourable Reign", which was premièred on BBC Radio 1 and "Knight Life". In the United Kingdom the album debuted at number 6 on the Rock & Metal Chart, and in the United States, it peaked at number 25 on the Top Heatseekers chart and sold 1,062 copies in its first week. Bury Tomorrow played a single date on 10 July at the Camden Underworld supporting I Killed The Prom Queen on their European tour, before appearing at Hevy Music Festival in early August. They also toured Britain with Architects in November alongside Deez Nuts and The Acacia Strain. This tour was wrapped around both Bury Tomorrow's and Architects' appearance at UK Warped Tour, including at Alexandra Palace in London on 10 November 2012.

In late January 2013 the band announced that lead guitarist Mehdi Vismara had left Bury Tomorrow and that Kristan Dawson would assume his position. They described Dawson as a much more technical and riff-heavy guitarist, saying that this compliments the band's stylistic ideas for their third album. In February the band supported The Ghost Inside on the "Rock Sound Impericon Exposure Tour" across the UK. Vocalist Dani Winter-Bates made a guest appearance on the song "Broken Lights" from Heart in Hand's album Almost There, which was released on 11 February.

Bury Tomorrow ended the promotion of The Union of Crowns in 2013 after appearing at several festivals, including Slam Dunk Download, Greenfield, Reading and Leeds Festivals, Summerjam, Schools Out, Pell Mell and SummerBlast, as well as touring both in the UK in September and outside of the UK. Rock Sound praised their performance at Leeds Festival, writing: "They came as underdogs, but given the reception they’re afforded this afternoon, it’s safe to say that Bury Tomorrow will be leaving with more than a few new friends". Bury Tomorrow then went to the United States in October to write and record their third album.

Runes and Earthbound (2014–present)

On January 6, 2014, Bury Tomorrow announced the release of a third studio album, titled Runes, on May 26 through Nuclear Blast, as well as the release of an exclusive track from the album, titled "Watcher", which premiered on the Radio 1 Rock Show at midnight on the 6th of January. They also announced a headline European tour with Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, Demoraliser and Napoleon, taking place in May. The music video for the first single from Runes titled "Man on Fire" was released on 25 February, followed on 13 May by "Of Glory". The album itself was made available for exclusive streaming by Rocksound on 21 May 2014 a few days before its release on May 26. By 1 June 2014 it had reached number 1 on the official UK Rock chart and number 34 in the official UK Album chart. Later in June the band announced another European headline tour, set for October, with support from Hands Like Houses, In Hearts Wake and Slaves. In February 2015, they toured the UK with Don Broco, We Are the In Crowd and Beartooth as part of that year's Kerrang! Tour.

While performing at Slam Dunk North 2015, Bury Tomorrow announced that they had just finished working on their fourth full-length album, but did not reveal when it will be released. At Reading and Leeds Festival 2015, they debuted the first song from the album. On 1 November, they officially released the song, titled "Earthbound" and accompanied by a music video. Their fourth album, also titled Earthbound, was released worldwide on 29 January 2016 via Nuclear Blast. On February 15, 2016, Bury Tomorrow signed to UPRAWR Music Publishing

Musical style

Bury Tomorrow have primarily been described as a melodic metalcore band but have also being classified as post-hardcore. AllMusic writer Gregory Heaney wrote: "Offsetting layers of pleasant, atmospheric melody with sudden bursts of chugging heaviness, the band uses its breakdowns to create a brooding, moody effect, as if the songs are lurching into a fit when provoked from their somber ruminations." Vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates has stated that he likes the ability of his band to go "heavier" and "lighter" with ease. This is reinforced through vocal styles, in a manner typical of many metalcore bands; whereas Winter-Bates performs a harsh mix of screaming and growling, guitarist Jason Cameron contrasts this with melodic singing, usually in the chorus of a song.

The band has referred to older metalcore bands as their primary source of influence, with Metal Hammer journalist Merlin Alderslade commenting on their style by saying "the quintet's blend of fierce, melodic death metal-inspired riffage [sic] and gloriously anthematic choruses was seen as of the crowning achievements of a new generation of metal bands that had been weaned on a diet of The End of Heartache, Waking the Fallen and Reroute To Remain". Prior to the release of their third album, Runes, Bury Tomorrow have said that it is going to be more technical, "old school" and in line with artists like As I Lay Dying and Killswitch Engage than their previous releases.

Discography

Awards

On 7 May 2014 it was announced that Bury Tomorrow had been nominated for the 'Best British Newcomer' award at the 2014 Kerrang! Awards.