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Sold-out shows. Venues upgraded. Waiting lists for tickets. It would seem that Canadian outfit The Birthday Massacre are onto something over this side of the Atlantic.
With so many different genres attached to the sound that the six-piece makes (dark wave/electronic/dark-pop/goth/rock), it can often cause pigeonholers’ heads to explode, but no matter what peg the band hang their hats on, there is a distinct British influence to their sound. A sound cultivated over twenty-plus years, and ten studio albums.
Ten studio albums = setlist headaches, especially when the latest album, ‘Pathways’ (released in April 2025 via Metropolis Records), is so strong. The risk of omitting older tracks from previous albums in favor of new material is always tricky. Still, The Birthday Massacre have created a twenty-song setlist where, unless the complaint is that only three new songs are featured, fans couldn’t have had any.
After two stellar sets from tour special guests Diamond Black (select dates), and Lesbian Bed Death (all dates) – do check out the merch on sale at the merch desk from both bands, as both have an abundance – the packed venue turns darker for the eerie, instrumental set opener ‘Night Shift’, which, after a few minutes, heralds the band onto the stage for the pulsating, industrial-tinged ‘Sleep Tonight’ (which also opens ‘Pathways’). Fantastically cinematic during the breakdowns, with what sounds like a tip of the hat to Brad Fiedel’s iconic ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ theme, it is a stunning way to open a show.
Much heavier live, especially during moments like ‘Sleepwalking’, where the guitars from Falcore and bass from Brett Carruthers are very prominent, The Birthday Massacre have a great knack of perfectly meshing together all the genres mentioned above. And for that to happen, all of the band members need to be on the same page, and that’s clearly obvious from the off. You can’t have such a busy stage with so much movement if the band are not in sync with each other, as that just leads to chaos. Chaos tonight comes in the shape of a battery pack needing to be changed before the moody, hard hits of the Gary Numan-esque ‘Superstition’. Slower, punchier, with heavy synths. In comparison, ‘To Die For’ is up next and introduced by mesmerising vocalist Chibi as “A very beautiful love song”, it proves to be just that, with gorgeous, lush sweeping keyboards that fill the room.
Maybe it’s because of the romantic strains of this “very beautiful love song,” but, during it, a guy down the front proposes to his girlfriend, and Chibi notices it and, once the song has ended, asks, “Did that just happen?!…I couldn’t stop the song, but we saw what happened”, before adding “Your crying…don’t cry or else I will cry!”. The lighter, poppier strains of ‘Kill The Lights’ follow on and get the newly-engaged couple – and everyone else – bouncing.
It’s easy to see why the band has such a strong following and have been able to create a community vibe. The songs, obviously, are very strong, as is the aesthetic surrounding the band. But a great deal of the appeal comes down to Chibi (full name Sara Taylor). An engaging frontwoman with alluring, beguiling vocals, she is super friendly, and it’s easy to imagine her being friends with everyone in the audience. She tries her best to wave to anyone that she can make out through the darkness – admittedly, at times, a struggle – and unlike the usual dourness that is often a trademark of dark, goth, industrial performers, she actually looks like she is having fun. Vocally, comparisons might be made with someone like Shirley Manson (especially on the new track ‘The Vanishing Game’), and keeping it local, you might say that Lauren Mayberry from Scottish dark pop band Chvrches sounds a lot like Chibi.
The music is, by contrast, both light and dark; the settings, however, are insanely dark. Walls of blue lights are the norm these days, but nobody knows why. Through the darkness, though, it’s great to watch the band feeding off of each other, especially when Chibi is messing around with guitarist Michael Rainbow on ‘Pins And Needles’ (released in 2010 but still as fresh as a daisy). Even further back is set closer ‘Blue’, which still packs a punch thanks to Chibi’s mixture of harsh and clean vocals.
Next time around, bigger venues are a must. As are anything other than blue lights.
Remaining tour dates:
04.11.25 BRISTOL Exchange SOLD OUT
05.11.25 CARDIFF The Globe venue upgrade
06.11.25 WOLVERHAMPTON NAC SOLD OUT
07.11.25 BEDFORD Esquires SOLD OUT
08.11.25 LONDON The Garage SOLD OUT
Early 2026 sees The Birthday Massacre join up with Lord of the Lost and Wednesday 13 for the Dark Winter Tour of the US & Canada that runs through January and into early February. Given the rise of Lord of the Lost in the UK, this would be a killer UK & EU tour for Winter 2026, just saying.
‘Pathways’ is out now on Metropolis Records
Connect with The Birthday Massacre here.
Review – Dave
Portrait photo by Andrea Hunter Photography
Live image via Facebook – credit The Birthday Massacre
