Live Review : Catch Your Breath + Until I Wake + Of Virtue @ Rebellion, Manchester on April 10th 2025

Catch Your Breath are a modern melodic pop-metalcore band that you can’t sleep on. The venue is sold-out and packed before the first band have even started. Bands that speak to a variety of bases of interest across a wide span of fans are few and far between, but CYB have the tools and backing to be able to make it big. Very big.
We first caught openers Of Virtue at Tech Fest in 2023 and even grabbed an interview with them (see the interview here). At that time their name was surrounded by quite a buzz. It’s fair to say the wealth of bands in the melodic tech sub-genre has exploded in recent times and it’s testament to these guys that they’re still hitting hard. They continue to carry weight within the genre with their mix of powerfully robust chunky guitars and accessible melodic metalcore. They execute everything with precision, and their performance is impeccable, professional and so slick you can’t help but enjoy it. While She Sleeps and Beartooth fans will enjoy plenty of their catalogue, and there’s enough technical guitar riffing and soulful clean vocals to keep a wider base interested too. At the heart of it there’s a great accessibility and groove to their music, and it’ll be interesting to see how far they can continue to rise. 

Until I Wake stride onto the stage, plunging headfirst into a dense and thundering live version of their material. Some of the definition gets lost in the blanket intensity of the mix, which is dialled up and at times muddy. Anyone who likes to embrace the new-wave nu-metal genre should check these guys out as they bring a slightly different take with an element of vulnerability through the vocal delivery. All the vocals are performed by the newly returned Cody Jamison, and as the single vocalist covering a variety of styles it’s a dynamic which works well.

The clean, anthemic chorus sections have a pop-punk feel to them, but the closest description for Until I Wake is that their sound like a hybrid of Landmvrks and Northlane, with a large helping of Cane Hill. The overall sound has a moody, atmospheric background but as noted earlier without much definition, rather than being sharp and aggressive. The sound could be described as ‘djent-dance’ though it comes across as slower and more plodding when performed live compared to the recorded version.

Catch Your Breath are making their debut as headliners on these shores with this tour, and you can see that a load of people have been waiting eagerly for this day as the sold-out crowd yelps with glee at their arrival on stage. The Austin (Texas) band look the part for sure, especially frontman Josh Mowery with his bright white jacket, wooly hat and long hair. He wastes no time in directing the crowd in interaction. They unleash their slick blend of catchy, pop-infused metal, launching into ‘Ghost Inside the Shell’. Owning the stage like the headliners they’ve always seemed destined to become, they immediately have the crowd in the palm of their hand.

Fans of Normandie and Siamese will find plenty to love in this hook-driven melody-heavy band. From the outset, the band deliver polished and vibrant rock-pop-metal, making full use of the stage to deliver a performance that is as dynamic as it is tight. Mowery leads the charge with commanding vocals, while his bandmates construct a ferociously infectious wall of sound. There’s clear influence from Linkin Park in their product and they achieve a great deal of what they’re trying to emulate.  

Notably the live mix for them is spot on, allowing us to clearly hear the melodic intensity of the powerful, catchy hooks of their songs. Tracks from their “Shame on Me” album gain an extra level of heaviness in a live setting, with standalone 2020 single ‘Criminal’ serving as a standout for ripping vocals together with a crunching guitar riff. The rest of the set highlights Mowery’s soaring vocal prowess and the band's ability to deliver both high-energy and deeply poignant moments.

The crowd feeds back the energy the band has demanded, nodding and bouncing along to every beat. Each band member plays an essential live role, and while the presence of the backing track is sometimes a little too obvious, the performance is stunning. The band’s engagement with the crowd remains heartfelt and upbeat, their enthusiasm shining through. Catch Your Breath manage to offer something for everyone in the venue tonight with the earworm ‘Savages’ being another highlight of the set. There’s a genuine feeling that these guys are destined for big, big things. 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Catch Your Breath + Until I Wake + Of Virtue