Gig Recap: Life Awaits, INXU (2020.11.06)

Life Awaits 往生, INXU 音墟 (Mao Livehouse 2020.11.06)

Music that’s made for the biggest stage possible, Beijing’s Life Awaits and INXU delivered some mammoth thrills last Friday night as they kicked off their China tour at Mao Livehouse. Besides clearly striking a chord with audiences, particularly with Life Await’s frank emotional lyrics, there’s a level of professionalism with these acts – one that’s built on muscular musicality that’s refined and surgical in its precision.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen INXU, a band I have fond memories of back in Beijing when I booked them for one of my many bashes at DDC. And holy shit, have they beefed up considerably since them. Straight up prog rock with a sharpened metal edge, it’s soundtrack music that comes at you hard, grips you, and doesn’t let go. And like most good prog rock acts, it’s not afraid to cheese it up a bit – when the stakes are this high it’s important to remember it’s alright to have some fun. 

Life Awaits continues to be one of the scene’s most visceral bands out there – seamlessly blending in intense guitar-charging breakdowns with soul-bearing vocals, with an electronically-infused atmosphere that’s calls to mind everyone from Bring Me The Horizon to The Weeknd. It’s amazing how quickly one is wrapped in the swirl of emotions and hard-hitting instrumentation – riding one musical catharsis to the next. Whatever you wanna call it – metalcore, post-hardcore, emo rock – Life Awaits are the real deal.

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