Kicking off their much-anticipated SCREAMING INFERNO EU tour on June 25th in Helsinki, Finland, metal idols BROKEN BY THE SCREAM reduced the fans of the UK to a frenzy on their third stop in Camden, London on June 28th. Fuelled by an abundance of energy and a desire to be unrelenting desire to scream, there is no denying that BROKEN BY THE SCREAM made their presence known on The Underworld stage, one that has previously been graced by many other iconic Japanese artists such as HANGRY & ANGRY, various WACK groups and HANABIE, to name a few.
Originally formed in October 2016, BROKEN BY THE SCREAM is currently made up of four members—Nozukidaira Io (low-pitch growling), Nanaougi Tsubaki (clean vocals), Mikogami Shizuku (clean vocals) and Takayashiki Yayoi (high-pitched screams). Creating a unique balance in clean vocals and iconic screams, BROKEN BY THE SCREAM’s most recent tour has been a highly anticipated event not only in London, but around Europe, too.
Now, despite knowing of the group in passing, I went into this show completely blind—that meant there was no looking up videos prior to the event, nor did I listen to the music or brush up on the member names. I had no idea what BROKEN BY THE SCREAM’S performance style was like, either, so everything that happened would be a complete surprise for both my eyes and ears.
Spoiler alert: Boy, was I surprised.
Making my way into the heart of Camden, I was immediately met with an excited crowd outside of The Underworld. From seasoned fans of underground idols to those who were new to the group, there was no doubt that BROKEN BY THE SCREAM was a much-anticipated act within the UK Japanese music scene. In fact, many fans commented on how this tour had been years in the making while taking pictures of the poster in the window, or handing out stickers to those in attendance. And for those that were new to the group, this live was a great way to connect with other fans or meet up with friends, and to ultimately share their passion for the Japanese music scene all while discovering a new group.
Once I had chatted with some of the other fans, I headed inside The World’s End pub to not only meet up with my own gaggle of friends, but to get out of the heat, too; it was a sweltering day in London, one that would undoubtedly grow even hotter under the blaze of BROKEN BY SCREAM’s performance. Immediately, I was greeted with a cheerful warning that by the end of the show, my ears would be ringing; “These girls are serious,” said my friend. “You might want earplugs.”
That same sentiment was echoed once we were finally inside the venue itself—it took a while to get to that point, as these events typically do; I can’t recall attending an overseas gig that ever started on-time—and I was told to grab some complimentary earplugs from the bar. So I did as I was told, grabbed my neon yellow earplugs and found found a spot somewhere in the venue (a pointless venture, given how I can’t stand in one spot for too long) and chatted with my friends and other fans of the group while we waited for the group to come on stage and start our night of live music to a frenzied crowd.
After what might have been an age, the night finally began and, honestly speaking, I don’t think that I was even the slightest bit prepared for how serious the members of BROKEN BY THE SCREAM were.
I can only describe the live itself as intense and, despite a fairly short run-time—around 1 hour and 15 minutes—undeniably impactful. High in energy and absolutely mesmerising to watch, BROKEN BY THE SCREAM brought their crowd to a frenzy with 11 songs (not including the intro) and delivered a memorable, sweltering performance that left the fans not only delighted, but raw from their own screams as they sang and cheered along with the members.
Opening with Sayonara Birthday (AN ALIEN’S PORTRAIT, 2019), BROKEN BY THE SCREAM set The Underworld ablaze with Io and Yayoi’s growls and screams. These girls meant business, and they were not going to ease us into their music with something light and fluffy. The crowd were no quieter, of course, and when Do-Do-N-Pa!! (AN ALIEN’S PORTRAIT, 2019), Kanjou Cross Counter and Tokyo Ride (RISE into CHAOS, 2022) played, the energy of both the group and the crowd only grew, as did the screams. In that moment, I was quite glad that I had my earplugs in because my ears were already beginning to ring.
That’s not to say there weren’t some quieter moments in the songs. Tsubaki and Shizuku, who provide clean vocals for the group, were absolutely wonderful, too, with their voices providing a balance to the group that helped to create a quality, well-rounded performance for everyone in attendance. I am certainly a fan of their voices, however, despite the fact that I am not necessarily the biggest fan of screamo music, I could not help but admire Io and Yayoi’s growls and screams, as well as appreciate the contrast that Tsubaki and Shizuku’s more gentle, sweet vocals provided. This was especially present in songs such as Koi wa Otomeno Nakidokoro (AN ALIEN’S PORTRAIT, 2019) and Ai wa Kimi no Mono (Noisy Night Fever, 2019), where the blend of both sets of vocals was exceptionally done, in my opinion.
Of course, one of the key things I enjoyed about the live was the energy these girls had, as well as the interaction between the members and the fans. There is no denying that these girls have a passion for performing and throughout the entirety of their performance, not once did I see their smiles falter or their interactions with the crowd dim. Charismatic, charming and fuelled with energy, BROKEN BY THE SCREAM continued to charm everyone that had come to witness their show that night and, one too many times, I could not help but feel bowled over by each member and how cute they were at times, only to be immediately disarmed by another barrage of incredible growls and guttural screams.
Now, despite my hearing’s decline, I was really enjoying all that BROKEN BY THE SCREAM had to offer. From the members’ undeniable charm and stage presence to their music, to the fans’ never-ending chants while they jumped along to the music, I was truly lost in the joy that BROKEN BY THE SCREAM provided. So far, I consider to them to be one of the loudest groups I have ever experienced in London, and the love that these girls received during the entirety of their performance is simply unmatched.
As the night started to wind down with the final five songs, BROKEN BY THE SCREAM performed Message (AN ALIEN’S PORTRAIT, 2019), which quickly became the highlight of my night, song-wise. Probably one of the groups tamer songs—the low growls and high screams were iconic as ever, however—it was clear that this was the kind of song that brought a crowd together. With fists raised high in the air and heads thrown back, the fans sang and chanted along to Message with all the energy they could muster. It was an incredible sight to witness, the pinnacle of the evening if you will, and it was in that moment that I truly saw just how much the fans adored BROKEN BY THE SCREAM and how much their music spoke to them.
Kira Kira Splash!! and Gyakuten no Kane wa Naru (RISE into CHAOS, 2022) soon followed, delivering yet another high-energy performance that, somehow, seemed louder than before, more boisterous and present. Immediately the crowd went wild, their chants and appreciation for the group chaotic as the girls gave it their all and delivered yet another stunning performance on stage, one that would sear into the fans’ memories.
And yet despite only performing nine songs (still not including the intro), this seemed to be the end of the night. As the crowd watched the members smile and take their bows before leaving the stage with a thank you, the fans began a loud chorus: Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore!
Passionate and fuelled by the energy of the night, the chants continued until BROKEN BY THE SCREAM returned to their stage, their smiles wide and their energy sparked once more as they stood on the stage to perform two more songs: KI-RA-I!! (Noisy Night Fever, 2019) and Yume Hanabi (SCREAMING RHAPSODY, 2017), with the latter quickly becoming another favourite of mine from the show.
The remainder of the performance was a symphony of screams, flailing arms and a blur of moving bodies. The Underworld became an even more chaotic cacophony of cheers clashing with synchronised vocals as the members delivered yet another stellar performance, a final goodbye to end an already brilliant night of music, growls and screams.
As the music wound down and the members of BROKEN BY THE SCREAM took their final bows, the cheers only seemed to grow as the girls waved to the fans and walked off stage. Only when they had finally left everyone’s view did the cheers die down, and everyone started to make their way out of the mosh pit and towards the exit. Passing a quickly growing line at the merchandise table, I left The Underworld to find the sky was still bright outside despite how late it felt.
Now one earplug down and with a pair of aching feet to match my ringing ears, I bade my goodbyes to my friends and made my way to the London Underground for a night of much needed rest and reminisced on the show that I had just finished.
For my first BROKEN BY THE SCREAM live, I can safely say that this was a positive experience. Loud, yes, shocking in terms of sheer talent and energy, certainly, but enjoyable and electric nonetheless. Despite the heat and the sweat, as well as the blockade of people in front of me, obscuring my vision of the girls as they performed, I truly enjoyed all that BROKEN BY THE SCREAM had to offer. They were undeniably powerful and charismatic, and I can understand why so many fans have been clamouring for an EU tour for so long.
This was a great show, one that I would be happy to experience all over again! And despite their show culminating in Milan, Italy on July 7th, I can only hope that one day we see BROKEN BY THE SCREAM back in the EU and perhaps even further overseas. They are worth every moment of your time, even if you aren’t into screamo or heavy metal. They are just that good.
You can follow BROKEN BY THE SCREAM on social media via X @BBTS_koushiki and stay updated with their live shows via their official website.
