In the wake of their newest album ‘Deprecipice’, Mastiff embarked on their most recent UK tour alongside other acts and friends of theirs from all across the UK extreme metal and death metal scene. First up on the bill, Yersin, a three-piece from Sunderland that genuinely deserved a higher place on the bill. Very engaging, very heavy and when being described as extreme metal, they’re not far off. Next up was Tymvos, locals throughout the Edinburgh death metal scene. Massive riffs of pure doom rattled throughout the small stone pub as the band performed material from their newest EP ‘World of Abominations’, and their 2021 release, ‘Devoured (Feed them to the Rats)’. What a title! It was nice to see such friendly feedback from the crowd for these guys as they gave the set their all. Next up were Iron Altar. The atmosphere completely changed when these guys came onto the stage. From the vocalist practically emerging into the lower floor and seducing half the crowd with guttural sounds of growl infused rage, to the bassist’s dog-like stance, staring the audience down like a Rottweiler on speed, it was a metal stand off between the band and windmills that nearly chopped the band’s vocalist in half. As he climbed back upon the stage, the remaining crowd departed the slim brick exposed walls, leaving us to ponder another trip to the bar. Absolutely mental set. An hour later, and the last performance of the night belonged to none other than the anticipated Mastiff. When their lead singer walked out adorning a Taylor Swift ‘Folklore’ t-shirt, it was evident that they were here meaning business. (We love a good cross-over) Pop goes death metal anyone? Stepping out briefly, upon entering back into the room there was no space whatsoever, we clearly knew who the audience were here for. Being described to us by a gentleman at the bar as “melt the flesh right off your body” kind of heavy, it’s safe to say Mastiff lived far up to expectations. Gravelly screams and cut-throat drops ended the night as we removed our ear plugs and left in single file. It’s impressive and also quite humbling to observe the sheer positivity within many metal communities, especially the death metal scene. The lineup truly served as a night of showing what certain acts of the scene have brewing and we genuinely look forward to what they have coming up next. Taylor Swift (death metal version)? Words: Zoe Parker-Forest

I’ve always preferred camping festivals. But going to Manchester Punk Festival this year may have changed that. Over the past year and a half, since getting more involved with the punk scene, I heard more and more about the infamous MPF. The annual meeting of punks from across the world in 7 venues across Manchester to support their pals and find new bands to skank to. Managing a festival with over 140 acts, across 7 stages, is by no means easy but from walking around you would think it was a breeze. The team of volunteers running merch and info stalls were all lovely and helpful and the security staff were always pleasant at the doors and stages adapting to the diverse crowd reactions set-to-set. Everyone attending was bright and friendly across the weekend, happy to chat in queues, share tables, and help each other out across the weekend. Keeping a happy crowd across three full days is a positive reflection of the band choices, staff, and management of MPF as a whole. No matter what kind of punk you prefer there is always going to be something for you at MPF, and with the majority of the venues being within a 10-minute walk from each other if you find yourself listening to a band that isn’t to your taste, you don’t have to walk far to find one that is. As a heavy music publication, we focused on the heavier and hardcore punk bands across the weekend. Opening up Bread Shed on the Friday was Shooting Daggers, a self-described “queercore punk trio” they knew how to get the crowd's attention and at 4 o’clock in the afternoon after a four-hour drive, that is exactly what was needed. Their post-hardcore sound brings together very listenable melodies and driving vocal lines with clear influences from the likes of Petrol Girls and combined with their queer femme rage and a hint of 90s indie nostalgia they were a strong start to my first MPF. IKHRAS. The most ferocious nine minutes of the weekend. Releasing their debut EP less than 2-months before their MPF set gave hardcore fans plenty of time to listen to their 6-minute and 50-second offering of blistering anti-colonial rage. Singing in Arabic and English, Hassan puts an immense amount of passion and anger into both lyricism and delivery that translates perfectly to the stage. Blasting through their set in true hardcore fashion, the crowd reacted in kind with fervent two-stepping and windmilling with Hassan also taking the opportunity to launch himself horizontally into the crowd. As the band started to pack up and walk off chants of “Free Free Palestine” echoed out, Ikhras turned and took to the stage again with Hassan pointedly saying “If you think chanting Free Palestine is gonna make me play another song, you’re wrong, because it’s gonna be free anyway.” before fully wrapping up their set by thundering into ‘Executioner’ once more. Making their Union debut at ten to three on Saturday afternoon were Cornwall “noisemongers” Rash Decision. Noisemongers is one of the best descriptions I have seen from any band ever and certainly sums up their combination of punk and metalcore. After potentially going a bit too hard on Friday, watching a loud and interesting band was exactly what I needed. Thrashing through hardcore shouts and guttural vocals with galloping drums and tasty metal riffs their set was high energy and entertaining from beginning to end. Up next and bringing unapologetic rage to the stage was The Menstrual Cramps. Kitted out in their trademark orange looks they took to the stage in a tornado of fiery punk passion. They were definitely the horniest band of the day driving home their points with thrusts and twerks as the band used their sex appeal to enrapture the audience for their whole set. Emilia made full use of the stage as they danced and kicked and sprawled while shouting about injustices scaling from personal to political. They used their platform on the biggest stage of the festival to call out businesses actively funding Israel, especially those who are sponsoring music festivals, and encouraged the audience to boycott them, fully cementing their meaningful activism and opposition to performative gestures. After comfortably filling up Gorilla back in 2022 and off the back of their incredible debut album ‘Kill the Dream’, Tripsun graduated to the Union stage and proved their worth by drawing in a full room to watch their set. Largely playing songs from KTD, with some older fan favourites thrown in, there was truly a song for everyone. The highlight of their set was bringing Stu Daly (CHEWIE) out for ‘Apathy’ and seeing the shared joy and love between the two bands in that moment was incredibly sweet. Running high on emotion and adrenaline they powered through the rest of their set ending with the devastatingly emotional ‘Concrete’ which never fails to make me shed a tear. A Wilhelm Scream were a force to be reckoned with. As the penultimate main stage band of Saturday, they did not hesitate to show the technical mastery they had over their instruments ploughing straight into their high-octane set. With moshpits and crowd surfers galore, the photo pit became a risky place to stand barely two songs in and by the third song I had retreated further back to watch the remainder of their set. They continued from strength to strength highlighted by consistently high-quality vocals and beautiful guitar solos they kept the energy up and the crowd involved with lead singer Nuno throwing himself into the throng. A solid demonstration of why they are the pinnacle of modern melodic hardcore. A must-see for us at MPF was Witch Fever. Manchester-based doom-punks headlined the Bread Shed on Saturday evening and brought the home team advantage with them. The room packed out for the quartet and the cheering crowd was on side and ready for the onslaught of sludge as they made their way onstage. Melding genres together in a way that shows the breadth of what punk can be, their set kept up momentum and hype. Ending with their best song to shout to, ‘12’, Amy charged into the pit and finished their set on a high. Clobber are massive. That could be the entire review. They set out with that ethos and delivered. One of the loveliest bands on the scene these Londoners proved that taking the journey outside the M25 is worth it by winning over the late-night HXC fans with a tight thirty minutes that set the standard for the rest of the hardcore bands at MPF. Between songs, Charlie took the time to emphasise how getting involved in the scene has steered him away from a more negative path, appealing specifically to the blokes to take it from him - someone who looks like a “proper geezer” - on the importance of listening to other voices around them. With pits and mic grabs galore they blasted through their tracks with a brilliant cover of Blur’s ‘Parklife’ thrown in they provided one of the most fun sets of the weekend. Kicking off Sunday morning (afternoon really, but by day three time was a bit of a blur) were Buds., the only band I saw over the weekend that had a rocky start to their set. Through no fault of their own, they were left stranded by the sound engineer with their mics off in front of a packed-out Zombie Shack. Filling the silence by bantering with the front few rows of the crowd they kept the energy up and once the mics were recovered, they were off. Easily launching into an energetic mix of emo, punk, and hardcore that got everyone up and moving. Having two vocalists adds depth and vibrancy to their performance, clean melodies from Dan emphasised by deep shouts and growls from Sonny really work well together live. Moving onto one of the messiest bands of the weekend, Pizzatramp. Notorious for their on and off-stage shenanigans they brought their trademark energy with them for a late afternoon Sunday set to remember. Jimbob took to the stage and went on a 40-minute rant interspersed with old-school-shouty-thrashy punk tracks. He rattled through his current vendetta against a certain delivery company for causing their merch to be delayed, a solid back and forth with a heckler whom he went down to the crowd to chat to, successfully slagged off Saturday night headliners Hot Water Music, and then proceeded to throw up over the stage and apologise profusely while a sea of blue roll was laid around him. After taking a brief break from the madness and grabbing a bite to eat in the Flour and Flagon, it was time for DARKO. One of the many fantastic offerings from Lockjaw Records at MPF this year, their presence across the weekend showed how diverse the punk scene is from the brilliant acoustic set in Yes! from Katie MF on Friday to this glorious dark and fast set in Bread Shed. Their set saw the return of human pyramids which had become a staple of the weekend and one of the best pits of any set, successfully engaging the room with their blistering mix of melodic punk, thrash, and prog influences. Tom’s vocals are hard to beat as he effortlessly switches between clean lines, highs, and growls uplifted by the incredible talent the other members brought to the stage. They have embraced the transition from their previous EP ‘Sparkle’ to the next chapter ‘Greyscale’ putting angst and fire into their performance. MPF was an absolute delight. Being surrounded by so many like-minded people for a weekend and watching so many talented bands was a treat. We’re very thankful to have been present and can’t wait for MPF25 to roll round next Easter. Words: Kayleigh Fryer Photos: Kayleigh Fryer

The last day of a weekend festival is inevitably a little more painful, has a few more strained sighs, and might even have slightly less drinking, although that last one is doubtful. However, with the star-studded lineup provided at Reality Unfolds, the pain and the sighs were all afterthoughts as we enjoyed one final day of brutality before heading home to crumple into bed in a heap. At precisely 13:24pm, Ancient Rivalry broke the bass drum skin. This might’ve happened because of the ridiculous amount of use it’s had across the last couple days, but is just as likely to be because of how truly crushingly heavy they are. Sounding like hell incarnate, they feel like a band out of time with their wonderfully 90’s take on death metal. Easily one of the best new finds of the weekend, and playing with Burner on the 16th of February in Guildford, they need to be on your must-see list now. For something I’d never seen before, it was Ikhras up next with their own brand of harami metal. They were frenetic from the off and displayed an amazing new side of the scene that myself and plenty of other attendees hadn’t ever experienced, which was amazing in and of itself, to say nothing of what was an awesome set on its own merit. Having barely been around more than a few months, they are one to watch with their first recorded work coming in the near future! Cainhurst took third up, and their all trans lineup gave the festival a rabid performance of tormented queer hardcore. Having had a few queer bands over the weekend, it was amazing seeing such brilliant representation, and when that representation is so damn good at playing vicious hardcore then it’s just that much better. Their final song was sent out to any and all trans people, and was greeted by a dangerous pit that was the only suitable reaction to their raucous show. The metalcore crowd were given a show by Sentience, who kept the room's energy up and at it. Another of the numerous female fronted bands across the weekend, the diversity on display was brilliant, and so was the music. Making their way through a technical set, the vegan metalcore group carried us nicely over midway through the afternoon. To amp up the brute force, No Relief were enlisted from the deep dark depths of Brighton. They offered us precisely what the name would suggest, and excercised no restraint all set long. Furious guitar lines flew left right and centre, as did kicks and flailing arms, which the show to a T. Lyon’s Iron Deficiency also stopped by to show off their chops, and their straight edge hardcore got the crowd at each other's throats. With vicious vocal delivery and razor sharp riffs, the French five piece were a blaze of fun and fury in equal measure. EMHC was given a full run out at Reality Unfolds, as Full Contact got involved to the fullest. Walking out and doing a vocals only cover of ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams, with a slight change to “I’m loving East Mids instead”, really set the tone as they then set about killing everyone with music. ‘Lack Of Respect’ was a late set punisher that was almost perfect, excluding the sad lack of the spoken word piece, but aside from that heinous transgression the band were excellent and lived up to their name in every way possible. Ghetto Justice. They are singular in many ways, not least being the only band I’ve ever seen make their own mini pyro onstage using the time-honoured teenage pastime of a deodorant flamethrower. The Berliners partied harder than anyone, finishing their set by getting into the crowd, sharing plenty of drinks, and turning up the PA to max whilst pumping dance music through it. A set that will live long in the memory of all who witnessed it, taking the crown of the silliest hardcore set seen by all there. Allowing us some time to recoup our minds, bodies, and souls after the last couple of sets, Chalk Hands gave us the screamo we all wanted as we wound up for the last few bands of the entire weekend. Alternating between delicate melody and anguished heaviness, Brighton’s brightest put on a powerful, emotive show for us all. After the slight respite, Inhuman Nature provided their thrashy death metal to let us limber up one last time ahead of the finale of the weekend. A band who’ve gone from strength to strength of late, they showed their mettle at the end of a tiring weekend by continuing to have people moshing somehow, at this late late point of the weekend. Playing their only hometown show for a long while, Cage Fight were on fine form for their subheadline slot on Sunday. Speedy frantic riffs gave way to soul crushing breakdowns amidst the penultimate set, at one point playing a song for “someone you truly detest” that was subtly titled ‘I Hate Your Guts’. Cage Fight were incredibly enjoyable, and the new song they debuted is sure to invoke many a circle pit post release. I could describe Genocide Pact in many ways, yet the only thing that truly feels accurate is biblical. The trio make you feel like the world is ending (in a fun way I promise), with excruciatingly slow chugs and breakneck blastbeats abound. On what was their first ever international show, they proved exactly why they should not stop here and should carry on to become worldwide sensations. Dedicating one song of their set to Napalm Death, and another to Slayer, they showed their love for the past whilst showing us the future of death metal. Necks were fried, voices were lost, and elbows flung at their London debut, sending out the weekend perfectly. Our time at Reality Unfolds has come to an end, but we want to thank everyone who was on site at the New Cross Inn working, whether as bar staff, sound engineers, management, or otherwise. Everyone we met was extremely lovely, and talking with everyone in the audience made it so much more fun that it already was going to be. The bands themselves were all stellar, and individually all great people too. Finally, Theo Araby (Real Life Presents) deserves not only our thanks, but huge praise, for organising such a brilliant weekend. Can’t wait for next year! Words: Jake Longhurst Photos: Kayleigh Fryer

We’ve reached that beautiful midpoint of a festival weekend - everyone’s in the mood for it, the acts are coming thick and fast, and to top it off there’s a ton of face melting riffs headed our way. At the gleefully early time of 13:20pm, Wreathe started the days proceedings off with a wonderful blend of blackened crust punk, sprinkled with a dash of hardcore. The group were a force onstage and had far less crowd than they deserved, but still enough for a great reception. ‘Nature’ was a particularly impressive cut that will live long in the memory of all watching. At the top of the hour, it was time for Mutagenic Host to take the stage, and it did feel a bit bizarre in truth; at not even 2 in the afternoon we were watching some crushingly heavy metal and loving it. I’d be willing to wager that at that point of the afternoon, the New Cross Inn was by far and away the happiest place in the entire country. To start off a wave of hardcore bands playing one after the other, False Reality were up. They proudly repped female fronted heavy bands and had two steppers by the dozen, which was in fact a momentary respite for my neck after the previous set. Final song ‘Bite The Bullet’ absolutely set the room alight, getting energy levels peaked for the rest of the day. Not letting anyone take a moment to breathe, Still In Love bombarded everyone with a wall of noise and anger that was oh so very enjoyable to listen to. Their debut performance was a vitriolic and cathartic watch that was viscerally powerful, and they will only carry on to create more impressive work from here. And without even so much as a hint of a break, Detriment wrought chaos to the room in the way only the heaviest of bands know how to do. Mixing some beatdown and powerviolence into a foundation of hardcore and death metal is a surefire recipe for some brutal pits and sure enough, Reality Unfolds was greeted by some of the most hectic scenes of the weekend. For the fourth hardcore band in a row, xapothecaryx showed us how the straight edge vegan community does it (here’s a hint, they do it hard and fast). Grabbing the atmosphere by the neck and not letting go until the room was choked by their phenomenal sound, they kept things heavy and had another nasty pit after so many already. Taking a break from the hardcore briefly, Rotherham’s finest Swamp Coffin turned the speed down and the sludge way up. Any band who choose to name a song ‘Jagerbombs Away’ deserve a stage to showcase themselves in my humble opinion, and the sheer force the trio project with their live performance is almost unrivalled, even within the hallowed walls of the New Cross Inn. As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it - so naturally we were going right back to the beautiful sound of hardcore with the next act on. Realm Of Torment turned on the mosh, completely nullifying any relative calmness that might have settled in after the previous set. Final Form have their own brand of raging thrashy hardcore that sent the room into uproar, carrying on the brutality of the event. With a bright green guitar onstage I was loving it (neon guitars are more fun) and the whole set was a fury filled showcase of their brilliance. Cruelty took over as UKHC was well and truly shown off, being the sixth hardcore band to play on the day. A brief guest appearance from False Reality cemented the set into the fibres of all hardcore fans in attendance, but Cruelty’s own dark musicality connected with each member of the audience without any outside help necessary. For another jaunt outside the cozy realm of hardcore, Celestial Sanctuary walked onstage and proved that the UK death metal scene is not just thriving but positively inspiring. ‘Mass Extinction’ is a firm favourite, alongside the song about “savagery that is relentless”, otherwise known as ‘Relentless Savagery’. A bombastic and primal performance from Britain’s best death metal group set us up perfectly for the final act of the day. The final act on what had been a stunning Saturday would be Boston’s Fuming Mouth. Having just released a sensational sophomore album, and making their UK debut show, it was certain to be riotous - and finishing a hardcore-laden day with one of the best hardcore adjacent bands out of the States gave that even more surety. They roared out of the gates with venom and fury, and if you missed this performance then you’d best make sure to catch them whilst they’re still in the UK - you’ve only got a few shows to do so, and you won’t regret it! Words: Jake Longhurst Photos: Kayleigh Fryer

Out Of Rage reviews Reality Unfolds Festival in London, featuring post-hardcore, pits and Pupil Slicer The first day of a festival is always such a wonderful experience - the anticipation is enormous, the pints are slipping down easily, everyone is in high spirits and energy levels are at a maximum. Such was the same at Reality Unfolds, and lucky enough the lineup was absolutely stacked so more than deserved every single ounce of energy the crowd could muster. With openers Good Cop starting things off early at 6pm, the crowd did need some warming, but their chaotic queer hardcore did more than enough to get some pits opening up sharpish, and songs like ‘I Identify As A Death Threat’ summoned people to the microphone in a second, as is the hardcore way. Incaseyouleave kept everyone ticking over with some brilliant Midwest emo/post-hardcore that was intense and angelic, a real contrast to the previous set but in a completely cohesive way. Third on the day was As Living Arrows who performed a phenomenal post-screamo set, that fit the tone of the day brilliantly. Playing songs off their album ‘In The Absence Of’, they were a force on stage and made for an excellent choice of band on this lineup. The ever brilliant Death Goals came next, acting as subheadliner to our two coheadliners of the evening. Their queer hardcore act was a riot, lyrically and physically, with spin kicks and elbows literally everywhere. ‘Shrike’ was a clear favourite, and had people flying through each other throughout what was a wonderfully chaotic set of music. The first coheadliner to play was Milan’s Øjne, who I’d never heard of and am deeply upset that this was the case. They will be nigh impossible to beat as my favourite new find of the weekend, playing a beautiful style of screamo that alternated between 'SeeYouSpaceCowboy-esque' breakdowns and Deafheaven style shoegazey moments. A stellar live act, they were downright incredible. At the end of the night, we were lucky enough to be watching Pupil Slicer play their first ever London headline show, and it was all we could have asked for! With a rather different lineup than has been seen before, there were a few nerves as to whether the band would be up to scratch, but a brilliant run through of some cuts from 2023’s masterful ‘Blossom’ followed by three blistering tracks from ‘Mirrors’ gave the onlookers at the New Cross Inn no room to breathe. All in all, the perfect way to finish off an amazing day of live music. Words: Jake Longhurst Cover Photo: Kayleigh Fryer

They Fear Us. Not only the title of Ithaca’s exquisite second album, but also a mission statement, ‘They’ being those who are opposed to the wonderful revolution of queerness, acceptance, diversity, support and love that Ithaca are a huge part of. The band put on a show on Saturday the 25th of November in London at The Dome, playing through the album in its entirety for the first (and possibly only) time ever. It was a small bill, having just the headline band and then Wallowing, who were opening the show - in stunning fashion might I add! Playing a forty minute set that started at 20:00, the band seemed genuinely bowled over at the brilliant turn out of fans who came to see them play through a phenomenal set of sludgy doom and grindcore. The unique look of alien beekeepers creates an amazing onstage presence, and the aesthetic of their electronic board covered with pedals, LEDs, switches and more makes the whole set feel even more chaotic and exciting. They started heavily and carried that on through every second onstage, each moment of music causing the atmosphere to become that much more caustic. Upon finishing, the audience erupted into a chorus of cheering and clapping that was more than deserved - Wallowing are on tour with Conan in February and March, make it down for a brilliant show. Of course, no matter how good the support act, we knew that Ithaca would show up and cause absolute pandemonium. Playing They Fear Us in full, joined by some extra musicians to make the evening even more special, the set started with ‘In The Way’ and immediately a circle pit formed that stayed open for the duration bar a couple small exceptions for when the crowd was in tears. The band's singer Djamila Boden Azzouz alternately howled as if possessed and sang like a siren above a soundtrack of squealing guitars, stinky riffs, thick basslines and wonderful drumming. Bassist Dom Moss ran about the stage, during the title track he must’ve covered more ground than anyone else in the entire venue whilst simultaneously laying down some absolutely filthy sounds, and gurning like a professional. Song number six ‘Number Five’ was a personal highlight, with moshing galore and heaviness abound; guitar lines from Sam Chetan-Welsh and Will Street bringing about some seriously hectic pits. After having a stunningly heavy set of tracks shoved down our throats (all willingly), it was time for the more emotive part of the album to begin, with a tear jerking speech from Sam about trauma and healing, particularly being defined by the quote ‘your trauma does not define you’. This led into their song ‘Fluorescent’, which had equal parts of the crowd sobbing or elbowing each other. Going from that into ‘You Should Have Gone Back’ had the crowd slowing down in the pit, and then it was time for an announcement. Djamila asked two friends of the band, Liam and Lindsay, to join the band onstage. Through misty eyes the audience looked on as Liam proposed to Lindsay, and every single person cheered as he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him, with the volume swelling as she said ‘of course I will’. Then, as guest vocalist Yansé Cooper came onto the stage for ‘Hold, Be Held’, it seemed like there was only one course of action for anyone in the room and it was to cry. This final song of the main set was a beautiful moment and will stay with every single person who was in attendance for years to come, as the keyboard, oboe and trumpet being added to the sound of Ithaca’s main band boosted the already immense power of the song. The band took a collective bow and walked offstage for a moment, allowing everyone to take a moment and breathe. The additional musicians then took their leave, and we were treated to one last song in the form of first album banger ‘Impulse Crush’ to finish the evening. With that, the London five piece left the stage for the final time, leaving nothing but sweat on the stage, and hundreds of awed audience members standing stunned. The November cold felt that little bit easier to deal with after one of the very best shows of the year. Words: Jake Longhurst Cover Photo: Jake Arthur

I love Rock City for a gig. Perfect balance between an intimate atmosphere but still a big enough capacity for those ‘you sing it’ moments to give sizzling goosebumps. The iconic Nottingham venue is especially well suited to high energy artists that encourage you to leave your inhibitions in the cloakroom, turn the floor into a sweat-forest, and ask ‘would you like to say, “fuck it” with me?’ A perfect choice for the relentless McFly and their superb support act LostAlone. Despite having a significant presence on the rock scene since 2005, I was a novice in my experience with LostAlone. That was until the Derby based ensemble roared onto the stage in Nottingham, providing evidence that youth is eternal if you live with a rock and roll state of mind (at least when on stage). Lead singer Steven Battelle, who is credited as a co-writer on several tracks on McFly’s Power to Play album, and who has recently been working alongside Danny Jones and Dougie Poynter as part of their writing and production team SideQuest, helmed the group expertly, bringing showmanship and mouth-watering guitar solos worthy of his ‘demented genius’ title. The audience was particularly entranced with G.U.I.L.T.Y and their closing number The Last Drop Of Forever which delivered opportunities for punky chanting that achieved the two optimum goals of any support act; created new fans and got the room buzzing for the main event. LostAlone showed absolutely no cobwebs after returning to the scene after a hiatus from 2014-2022, and I will be seeking out a headline appearance. After 20 years of watching McFly in the UK’s biggest arenas, seeing them switch to smaller venues for the Power to Play Tour was an intriguing surprise. The Rock City crowd was excited by this change, and for the final night of the tour, provided the same noise and elation as a 10,000 strong arena as soon as the first brassy notes of YMCA (their go-to walk- on song) enveloped the room. Part of the decision to tour smaller venues, I believe, is because of Power to Play’s return to their honest rock ‘n’ roll roots, and the sweaty and close environment that necessitates. This theory was immediately confirmed by the show’s opening mirroring that of the album, with the explosive Where Did All the Guitars Go? and Land of the Bees setting the tone. This was followed up with the anthemic One for the Radio from the album Radioactive which many fans say is the most stylistically similar to the band’s latest outing. McFly continued their successful habit of rotating fan favourites from varying albums from tour to tour, including the likes of Corrupted, Friday Night (a personal favourite), Too Close for Comfort, and Everybody Knows, all of which have missed out in previous tours but were received with adoration, especially by a lucky fan who kept up the tour tradition of playing the cowbell (because there can never be too much) during Everybody Knows. One detail Galaxy Defenders (if we’re doing fandom names) are loving about Power to Play is the increased concentration of Dougie Poynter. The bassist, who’s personalised merch always sells out the fastest, up until this date has always taken a more fleeting role when it comes to leading the vocals. He excels on his bass, the song Lies being an everlasting fan- favourite is example enough of this, as Dougie carries the bridge with a solo that invokes the bad-smell recognition face amongst musicians (you know the one), but vocally reserved his talents for occasional harmonies as well as the occasional feature. However, the bands return to its classic rock and pop punk influences, Dougie has grasped his opportunity with vigour. His crowning moment comes in the deliciously Blink 182 reminiscent I’m Fine, which brought out the buried emo ‘kid with long hair’ of everyone in attendance. Here feels an appropriate place to praise the influence of Mark Hoppus of the previously mentioned Blink 182 on McFly’s recent releases, as a frequent collaborator and co-writer. Hoppus penned the lyrics for Route 55 whilst undergoing chemotherapy, for fans in Rock City aware of this fact, seeing the upbeat tune performed was even more special. Throughout the night Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher’s vocal performances were as exceptional as fans have come to expect, 20 years of practice together is bound to make for a well-oiled machine, even when a guitar dies right before a big solo and you have to fill in with your mouth – great Job Danny, we hardly noticed – but their performances were most awe-inspiring during Not Alone and All About You which they performed as a duo. It was a mesmerising display of talent and a testament to a long-standing collaboration. The harmonies in Honey I’m Home also deserve a mention, I’d been looking forward to seeing them live for months and they lived up to my unreasonable expectations. One the drums it was clear all night that Harry Judd was enjoying the return to rock ‘n’ roll roots as much as anyone. Linear fills and tom-work maintained the punchy and bouncy energy all night, and all McFly fans know how much the four of them love a bounce. Also, credit to Sabian Cymbals, because Judd’s ride cymbal was perhaps the best I’ve heard – delicate on the rim but the bell had fierce attack – top craftsmanship. Perhaps the thing Judd did throughout the night that fans were most grateful for however, was inject his charm just enough to convince his band mates to dig out a sneaky extra song in the shape of That Girl all the way from their debut album – I love last night of tour presents. Overall, McFly delivered their usual level of brilliance infused with irresistible charisma, humour, and boundless energy, seemingly renewed by the rediscovery of their musical origins. They were unafraid to claim their status as a band that adore their poppy sing-a- longs like Obviously and Star Girl whilst simultaneously cherishing their harder hitting rock bangers. It was unadulterated enthusiasm from the moment LostAlone stepped on stage to the very last pic thrown into the crowd by Danny who seemed desperate for the tour to not be over. Throughout their career McFly at times have had to suffer the ugly view of noses stuck up high in the air. Excluded from circles as they were deemed not heavy enough to be rock music. If you are one of those people, it’s completely your loss. Get over yourself, get down to the ‘mushpit’ and have the best fucking time! Words: Jack Knapton Photos: Jack Knapton

Nottingham’s Bodega has stood as a proud place of musical enrichment for many years. Serving itself as a venue for early shows for artists such as Coldplay, the Arctic Monkeys, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, and many more storied names. Tonight seemed like another such evening - we were about to get battered braindead by Going Off, Pupil Slicer, and Employed To Serve. Manchester’s Going Off opened the evening with a pleasant dash of hardcore goodness, to warm up the crowd and start the mosh pit off nice and early - even getting the odd audience member on the mic and some good old karate kicks and windmilling arms. With a sixteen song set over in less than half an hour, it was a proper dose of true hardcore that is always welcome in my eyes. Pupil Slicer then took to the stage for a very different style of set, choosing to play only four songs across half an hour; but when each song is a masterpiece it’s a completely allowable decision. No Temple and Departure In Solitude were a stunning first half of the set, before Blossom gave us a moment of introspection set to a nice heavy soundscape, and The Song At Creations End closed their set in spectacular fashion. This being arguably the best song on their incredible new album ‘Blossom’. Props to whoever made their physical setlist too, the small footnote saying thank you was a fun touch! Once both acts had vacated the stage, and some Pupil Slicer merch was bought, it was time for the mighty Employed To Serve. Having seen them at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena opening for Gojira just this year, to see them in a 200 capacity room was sensational. Woking’s finest had the room in upheaval, with mosh pits galore for the entire set. Their groove-ridden sound was built to melt faces at close range and it was impossible not to headbang along with songs like Exist, Eternal Forward Motion, and Conquering. Having seen all of these bands at least once before (this was my sixth time seeing Pupil Slicer, Slicer Nation ‘til I die), in varying sizes of venues, it was not only incredibly enjoyable but genuinely a privilege to see them in such a small room. The energy was electric, the noise was visceral, and the whole evening was a stunning success in showing off the very best of British metal. Long may these bands reign.

There’s been a trend of late in metal, with tour lineups becoming more varied and allowing for fans of different genres and subgenres to get their fill in one night. TesseracT seem to have noticed this and gone all out, by combining their own djenty progressive sound accompanied by the technical wizardry of Germany’s Unprocessed, and the mathcore madness of The Callous Daoboys, who’ve come all the way from Atlanta to open up each night of this madcap tour. Each band brings something to the table, so the only way to see just how this lineup might pan out live was to go and witness it ourselves. As mentioned, The Callous Daoboys are a truly wild group, who have a penchant for vicious live shows packed with energy. They opened up the show to an already pretty well packed out room with one of their most-listened to songs ‘Star Baby’. The aggressive introduction abruptly cuts into their most melodic live moment, with a maximalist post-punk/pop-rock outro that invites a singalong from the audience. Following it up with another song off their celebrated second album ‘Celebrity Therapist’, they went into ‘Violent Astrology’ before ripping out two stellar UK live debut’s from their latest EP - first up was ‘Pushing The Pink Envelope’, which went down a treat, before lead vocalist Carson Pace told everyone to dance or else he “would fuck [their] moms” and launched into the phenomenal ‘Waco Jesus’. The American six piece kept things moving between songs, so barely gave themselves a moment to breathe before another second album belter with ‘What Is Delicious? Who Swarms?’, and then gave us all a delightful few moments of madness with two final tracks off of their debut album ‘Die On Mars’. A one-two punch of ‘Blackberry DeLorean’ and the single most chilling message you will ever hear, ‘Fake Dinosaur Bones’. The whole set was riveting, and set the night up in good stead for the crowd. The unenviable job of following that opening set was given to Unprocessed who certainly made life easier for any reviewers by having a set full of single word song titles, most of which being only a single syllable, a far cry from either of the other two acts on the lineup! Kicking their set off with ‘Hell’, the Teutonic group showcased a flurry of high speed guitarwork that was as much a joy to watch as it was to listen to. They had the audience jumping and dancing along to their melodic electro-djent style of prog metal. Whilst the first half of the set felt a little more technical, the last few songs felt like they really captured the pop and electronic sensibilities of the band. ‘Thrash’ was excellent, and led brilliantly into ‘Deadrose’ before ‘Glass’ gave everyone a moment to calm down. They encouraged the audience to pull out the phones and lighters for a proper singalong, which looked absolutely amazing in person as the band were visibly lit up even in such a large venue. Finale ‘Haven’ was a perfect blend of their melodic and heavy side, with riffs galore and a ton of dancing going on too. Making for a great bridge between opener and headliner, Unprocessed performed excellently and showed off a whole new style of music in the process too! Headliners TesseracT had one thing above either support that really elevated their set - their lights show was phenomenal, and made them look absolutely brilliant onstage! And whilst both other bands had a good number of fans in the audience, TesseracT held sway over almost every single person in attendance which did give their atmosphere a little bit of an edge too! Playing a substantial volume of tracks off of their phenomenal latest offering ‘War Of Being’, the crowd loved them. James Monteith, the Peter Crouch of metal guitarists (because of his height, not his goal scoring ability), struck an imposing figure whilst his hands flowed up and down the neck of his guitar song after song, and Jay Postones held the group together behind his kit through time signature changes and tempo changes all while dropping a flawless set. Opening with ‘Natural Disaster’ and ‘Echoes’ from the aforementioned latest album, Dan Tompkins started as he meant to go on, delivering towering vocals for every minute of their lengthy set. Third up was the brilliant ‘Of Mind - Nocturne’ which gave room for Alex Kahney to stretch his fingers and watch numerous crowd members' jaws hit the floor, whilst Amos Williams stalked the stage on his bass. Wrapping up the first few songs, they then pulled out the opening track from their 2015 album ‘Polaris’ and so the seven minute epic ‘Dystopia’ flowed out of the room’s oversized speakers to wash over a joyous audience - this would be the only song played off of ‘Polaris’ however, and the five piece moved into a run of four songs including three from ‘Sonder’, playing through ‘King’, the title track off of ‘War Of Being’, then ‘Smile’ and ‘The Arrow’. Each one was greeted with cheers and whoops, and the light show gave a sense of progression by subtly changing up for each track, whilst illuminating the stage and band members throughout. The end of the main set arrived all too soon, after ‘Legion’, ‘The Grey’ and ‘Juno’ were given a thorough run through, and before we knew it TesseracT had taken their leave of absence. Not to be discouraged though, the typical chants of ‘One more song!’ were taken up and the group walked out to deliver us an utterly glorious double of ‘Concealing Fate, Part 1: Acceptance’ before finishing with its counterpart ‘Concealing Fate, Part 2: Deception’. The progressive heavyweights not only curated a brilliant lineup, but also a brilliant setlist that they played through showcasing their enormous collective experience, to what can only be described as a gleeful audience. It seemed like a different place after TesseracT had finally finished, with smiles plastered everywhere that had been largely vacant on the rainy walk over, but after three imperious sets of live music each and every attendee looked to be buoyed up on their way home, many taking one last look back into the venue as if to try and capture just a couple seconds more from such a spectacular night. Cover Photo: Nic Howells Words: Jake Longhurst

On a miserably wet Thursday in Camden, two of Sweden’s finest and an independent quartet of Nottinghamshire brilliance took the stage at the beautiful Electric Ballroom. In only one of two UK nights on Normandie’s UK & Europe Tour 2024, and Normandie’s biggest UK headline to date, it’s fair to say the energy was indeed nothing short of electric. Self Deception, a band who “create whatever the f*** they feel like” according to their website, punched out of the gates with pure rock anthems - and unanticipated references to Matthew McConaughey. Heavy drums and screeching guitar line their tracks, and Andreas Clark’s rock-racked voice punctuates the ears though tracks including ‘Fight Fire with Gasoline’, ‘The Scandinavian Dream’ - and yes, ‘Matthew McConaughey’. Not to mention, in a move to outdo themselves, the four-piece even left the stage for an encore. If your gig experience needs more large pink balloons being set loose over the audience, they can do that for you too. As December Falls came up next, getting the audience dancing to pop punk bangers ‘Go Away’, ‘Alive’ and ‘Little by Little’. From Ande Hunter jumping up on the amps to thrash out a guitar solo, to Bethany Clark's powerful vocals taking the crowd on a euphoric ride, they set the tone and got everyone moving. There were clear fans of As December Falls in the crowd, whooping as they intro-ed ‘Join The Club’ and celebrating their success as an un-signed, completely independent band, doing what they know and smashing their set out of the park. Then the time for the headliners, post-hardcore band Normandie with a more electronic feel of their most recent album, ‘Dopamine’. From start to finish the crowd was in the palm of their hands, as the room quaked with hundreds of people jumping. Punching right into the set with ‘Serotonin’, an angry beast of a song, the audience was right there with them screaming the lyrics back. Then came the classics - ‘Jericho’ and ‘Holy Water’, off previous albums, both have an anthemic quality to them that ripped through the building. Yellow balloons bearing the smiley-face logo of ‘Dopamine’, given out at the merch stand, bounced back and forth over the crowd as they returned to the new album with ‘Hourglass’, a moody guitar riff the central focus of the melody, and frontman Philip taking Dani Winter-Bates of Bury Tomorrow’s scream through the breakdown (which, he did admit, he quite enjoyed doing). With a discography as impactful as Normandie’s, they had plenty of choice to go to for their set list, flicking between older hits such as ‘Awakening’ and ‘Renegade’ and giving ample space for ‘Dopamine’ through ‘Butterflies’, opening powerhouse ‘Overdrive’, smoother ballad-like ‘Sorry’ and simply sublime ‘Flowers for the Grave’. One thing they like to do, to keep things fresh, is give the audience some choice over what tracks get played; through Instagram Stories vote, Mission Control was picked to thump drums from the stage, and the live audience later selected the iconic long-standing shout-it-at-the-top-of-your-lungs hit Collide over Colourblind. Handing over to guitarist Håkan Almbladh and bassist Lucas England to deliver the votes, we’ll gloss over the fact Philip was unaware of what songs were prepped and happy to go with the flow, even lamenting that Collide which no longer appears on their set list as a regular track sounds better when the audience wants to hear it. For their encore in the now extraordinarily hot and sweaty Electric Ballroom (once again, from all of the jumping), Normandie cranked out the big guns. ‘Babylon’, ‘Hostage’ and ‘White Flag’, all bonafide bangers got their rightful place, and a little visit from ‘Ritual’ off the new album too. Philip remarked that this gig was nerve-inducing owing to it being their biggest headline thus far, but it didn’t show in the vocals or in any aspect of the band’s stratospheric performance. Not every band can say they have a back catalogue of 100% winners, but Normandie certainly does, and we can’t wait to see where their return to the UK in the future takes them. Words: Ali Gibson Photo: Ali Gibson

For the grand finale of their monumental headline tour, Hawxx brought down the house at London’s iconic Grace venue, a dimly lit space adorned with a mix of neon lights and vintage concert posters, creating an electric atmosphere that perfectly complemented the night's lineup. The stage was set for an unforgettable evening, and Hawxx, along with supporting acts Jay Taylor and punk powerhouse BEX, delivered a performance that exceeded all expectations. Jay Taylor, adorned in a mix of eclectic outfits, confidently took to the stage, immediately capturing the audience's attention with their autotune-heavy tunes. The room's atmosphere became charged with a palpable energy as some fans enthusiastically embraced their unique sound, while others observed with a hint of curiosity. However, Jay's resilience and commitment to the craft became evident as they immersed themself into their character, gradually winning over any sceptics as the set progressed. The stage lights flickered and pulsed in sync with the beats, creating a dynamic visual backdrop that added another layer to the performance. BEX, the charismatic punk force, stormed the stage next, instantly commanding the crowd with her unrelenting energy. Dressed in a riot of colours, and fueled by punk spirit, she effortlessly transitioned between songs, maintaining an infectious momentum that captivated the growing audience. The intimate venue reverberated with cheers and applause, and BEX's stage presence, amplified by her spirited performance, left an indelible mark on all the Hawxx fans eagerly awaiting the main event. As she closed her set with the unreleased 'Sunday,' complete with a burst of bubbles during the final chorus, the anticipation in the room reached a fever pitch. When the moment came for Hawxx to take the stage, the crowd erupted in a chorus of cheers and applause. The opening chords of 'Embrace The Ugly' resonated through the venue, setting the tone for an evening of musical brilliance. The lighting shifted dramatically, casting bold shadows across the stage, as 'Death Of Silence' and 'If Not Now, Then When' followed, stirring the audience into a rhythmic dance. 'Trust Your Rage' was a pivotal moment allowing fans to unleash their wild side, with the pulsating bass and electrifying guitar riffs creating an atmosphere of controlled chaos. 'Reckless' and 'Death Makes Sisters Of Us All' further solidified the bond between the band and their London faithful, with the intricate interplay of instruments echoing through the venue. As 'Fathertongue' began, the entire room became a choir, singing along to every word, creating a sense of unity among the diverse audience. 'The Worst Thing' unleashed a heavy barrage on The Grace once more, the intensity building with each thunderous beat. 'Soulbreaking Machines' served as a moment of reprieve, enticing the room and giving everyone a second wind for the band's final two songs. 'Dogma' and 'Bite (Holiness In Fuck)' brought the night to a climax, with Hawxx delivering an encore-worthy performance that left the crowd exhilarated and yearning for more. The lighting intensified, casting dramatic shadows that danced across the stage, creating a visual spectacle that mirrored the sonic brilliance of the band. Hawxx’s evolution, evident in their performance, showcased not only their musical prowess but also their ability to connect with a diverse audience. The combination of electrifying music, captivating visuals, and an intimate venue created a concert experience that transcended the ordinary. As the final chords faded away, the lingering cheers and applause echoed the sentiment of the night – Hawxx have not only conquered their biggest headline tour but have left an indelible mark on the London music scene. The future undoubtedly holds even greater heights for this remarkable band. Words: Nick Davarias Photos: Nick Davarias

Towards the end of the UK and European leg of The Angels & Villains Tour, Born Of Osiris brought an entourage of multiple other heavy bands with them to Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms. With the early start time of half past six, Nottingham’s black-clad BOOCrew rocked up nice and early for the oncoming onslaught of heaviness. Crown Magnetar ripped straight into their set without giving much more than a brief ‘Hello!’ before diving straight into the deep end. As a band on their first ever UK tour, they had a very respectable crowd and kept interacting with everyone throughout their whole set. The four piece are based in Denver, Colorado, and played a slamming technical brand of deathcore that shares as much with tech-death bands like Archspire and Cryptopsy as it does with gargantuan presence of the likes of Lorna Shore and Carnifex. They might well have been the heaviest opener Rescue Rooms has seen in a long time, and they delivered a set worthy of that mantle. In a short twenty minutes they managed to crush all expectations of them, and showed off why they need to tour the UK again asap. Swedish group Aviana appeared onstage amidst an introductory voiceover, and rapidly gave an exquisite demonstration of how good a show a band playing so low down on a bill can put on. With most of the band wearing a hooded cloak-cum-veil, there was an air of mystery about them, and the smoke machines surrounding them gave us some stunning visuals of these enrobed figures wreathed in tendrils of smoke. Being treated to another short set, the Swedes made use of every second of it and ruled the stage with their four song setlist comprising ‘Rage’, ‘Anomaly’, ‘Oblivion’ and ‘Obsession’. Their alt-metal sound was a great fit on the lineup, and their unique look captivated the audience long after they’d left the Rescue Rooms stage. Headlining the tour was Born Of Osiris, and they ripped Nottingham a new one with a barnstorming set chock-full of bangers new and old. ‘White Nile’ was a phenomenal first song of the set, and the in-part tour namesake ‘Angel or Alien’ went down a treat. The Chicago fivesome showcased their technically demanding, aggressive brand of metalcore flawlessly, and in the process got numerous metalheads headbanging, moshing, and of course throwing the odd pint. The end of their set was made up of a number of their best songs, as well as their latest single ‘A Mind Short Circuiting’ which sounded as good in person as it does on record. After that, they rounded the set off in style with a left-right-left combo of ‘Bow Down’ into ‘Brace Legs’ and finally ‘Machine’, which of course had the room bellowing along even though the show had begun four hours previously! Whilst the whole evening had been a long one, the time had flown by with each set being a joy to watch. After each of the other bands set their stall, Born Of Osiris finished things with a flourish and capped the night off brilliantly, leaving to rapturous applause Words: Jake Longhurst Photos: J. Asha Sitarz (Photos taken in London)