VENUE O2 RITZ, MANCHESTER DATE 24/02/2024
SUPPORT UNPROCESSED
TesseracT are coming to the end of a run of more than 30 shows throughout Europe and the UK, and tonight it’s the turn of the north of England, with the quintet swinging by a dreary Manchester. Following a chaotic warm-up from The Callous Daoboys, which piques the crowd’s interest, it’s the turn of German melodic prog metallers Unprocessed, who seem to have refined their stage presence since 2023’s Radar Festival, where we thought they fell a little flat. This time around, vocalist Manuel Gardner Fernandes holds the audience in the palm of his hand. He fills the stage, pacing from one side to the other while delivering flawless, soaring vocals and executing exemplary growls that deliver a much more intense impact in a live setting than recorded.
Unprocessed hurtle through a selection of tracks from 2023’s …And Everything In Between and 2019’s Artificial Void accompanied by standalone single Deadrose, before closing on Haven from 2018’s Covenant. Delivering their signature meandering riffs without missing a note and demanding the audience’s uncapped energy is no easy task, but the outfit ease into their role seamlessly. The crowd engagement, while a little over-the-top at times, shows a willingness to absorb the energy from the sold-out venue as the members encourage circle pits to roars of approval. As the lights dim, Unprocessed should be proud of the show they put on to such a diverse crowd tonight.
Unprocessed’s Manuel Gardner Fernandes revs up the crowd.