Gig Review: Pintglass

 Date: 29/5/26

Location: The Underworld, London

Support acts: Overpower, Negative Frame and The Hell

For fans of Metallica, Power Trip and Slayer, Bristol's hardcore thrashers Overpower wasted no time in getting the pit warmed up. The band's visual presentation was as striking as their sound. Frontman, Matt Howson performed wearing a steel medieval-style knight's hood, an unusual but memorable piece of stage attire that lent the set an extra sense of character. Far from feeling like a gimmick, it complemented the band's confrontational energy and made for an unmistakable stage presence. What distinguished Overpower from many contemporary crossover acts was their ability to avoid relying solely on brute force. Beneath the relentless pace lay a strong sense of song craft, with memorable hooks and dynamic shifts providing texture throughout the set. By the time they left the stage, the crowd was fully engaged and the atmosphere firmly established for the bands that followed. @overpowerthrash

Having previously seen Negative Frame as support for Pintglass in November 2025, there was already an expectation that their set would deliver. Those expectations were comfortably met. The London metallic hardcore outfit brought a relentless energy to the stage, combining crushing riffs, groove-laden breakdowns and a commanding performance that kept the crowd engaged throughout. @negativeframeldn

Hertfordshire beatdown outfit The Hell painted the pit red with their colourful performance. They kicked off their set with "6666", combining Nintendocore-inspired chaos with tongue-in-cheek lyrics, while taking to the stage in matching red jumpsuits. Orange Is the New Black? More like red is the new black.
One of the night's standout moments came when one of the mysterious vocalists grabbed my phone and filmed the mosh pit from within the chaos whilst performing I Don't Give A Fuck. Later, Pintglass vocalists Ben Mason and Angus Roberton joined the band on stage for a performance of The Hell's latest track, "Dropped On Site". That shit was fire! Especially seeing the geezas having fun on stage, as they should. 
As if things couldn't get any more surreal, a man in a Cookie Monster costume suddenly appeared and began crowd surfing across the pit, adding another layer of absurdity to an already unforgettable set. @thehellyoudick

Things were already reaching boiling point as headliners Pintglass took to the stage, instantly ramping up the chaos in the pit. Dressed in Portwest jackets, they delivered a high-energy set featuring tracks from their latest album. The frontmen later returned to the stage in high-vis jackets for fan favourites not listed on the setlist, such as “Café Brawler,” “Tarzan of the Boozer,” and “GTHC,” sending the crowd into full-on party mode. @pintglass_gthc

Overall, the vibe felt very much like a costume party, considering that each band showed up to the show in different fits. We had Overpower in knight hoods, Negative Frame in sportswear, The Hell in red jumpsuits and bandanas, and Pintglass in their trademark high-vis jackets. After all, the whole pit was full of high-vis jackets.

Gig Review: Death Metal Violence Tour

 Date: 21/5/26

Location: New Cross Inn, London

Headlining band: Dysentery 

Support acts: Toil, .357 Homicide and Anhendonia

The Death Metal Violence Tour sure as lived up to its name as four brutal bands tore down New Cross Inn, delivering non-stop violence, weighty slams and enough breakdowns to level the venue. The headlining band was Dysentery, supported by Anhedonia, Manchester slam duo .357 Homicide, and Essex hardcore outfit Toil.

Toil opened the night with a pulverising heavy set, delivering punishing breakdowns and raw energy that instantly set the tone for what followed. I’ve seen them live before, when they opened for Yorkshire hardcore outfit Street Soldier back in February 2025. @toil.hc

The Mancunian mean machines, .357 Homicide brought that Manchester shit straight to the pit, straight-up carnage. They performed a mixture of songs from Intestines On The Pavement (2020) to Cremating The Dismembered (2025). Their performance had a raw, almost chaotic edge, but it never lost focus — each section hit with intent, landing cleanly even when the overall sound felt deliberately chaotic. The crowd response built steadily as the set went on, with more movement breaking out as the riffs tightened and the pace intensified. Mat, tell your cat Bubbles that I said pspspspsp. @357_homicide

Anhedonia — where do I begin with these guys? Boston brutes, that’s what they are. Their performance was built on thick, downtuned riffs and cavernous breakdowns, each one landing with deliberate, crushing weight that filled the room with low-end intensity. @anhedonia.brutal

By the time Dysentery hit the stage, the atmosphere had already been pushed to breaking point—and so had they. Their headlining set was a relentless surge of controlled chaos, balancing precision and sheer sonic violence in a way that felt purpose-built to close the night on maximum impact. I was expecting their set to be longer, as is usually the case with headliners, but they only played for around half an hour. And Scott Scarvia (Dysentery), tell your cats Maggie and Peg I said pspspspspsps. @dysenteryslam

Gig Review: From Ashes To New

 Date: 17/4/26

Location: The Dome, London

Supporting acts: Paradise Fell, Comastatic

On the same day, headlining act From Ashes To New made their explosive UK debut, coinciding with the release of their latest album, Reflections. The Dome erupted into a wall of energy from the first note to the last, as the crowd was whipped into a frenzy by blistering, high-octane sets from support acts Paradise Fell and Comastatic.

The London-based alternative/nu-rock band Paradise Fell kicked off their set with fan favourites Overdose and Lil Butterfly, alongside newer tracks Super Turbo and No Lies. I hadn’t heard of the band before, so I can’t comment too much on their performance, but they certainly made a strong first impression.

Swiss duo Comastatic returned to The Dome after previously supporting Australia’s pop metalcore act Melrose Avenue. Their performance was excellent, and the intensity of the mosh pit landed somewhere between mild and spicy.

On the mild-to-spicy scale, the mosh pit for headliners From Ashes To New was absolutely off the charts—properly spicy—even though I was in the pit playing traffic warden. They delivered a mix of tracks spanning every album they’ve released, including songs from their latest record. A standout moment came when a fan was brought on stage to perform Hate Me Too with the band, and it was phenomenal. The guy is seriously talented!

Album Review: Khaos by Kanine

 Date released: 17th April 2026

Genre: Slam/ Deathcore

The kings of baguettecore have recently dropped their second album, Khaos. Oh boy, there's a lot of brutal bass drops and breakdowns. We all asked for it! So buckle up, shit's about to get Khaotic (I know what I'm doing here).

*clears throat* 808 bass drop activate. This is one of the heaviest tracks of the album; you're gonna have to invest in a new set of speakers. The intro is powerful, delivering consistently unhinged breakdowns. 

Sharp Teeth is pure sonic warfare, with belligerent chugs grinding against earth-shaking bass drops, while savage breakdowns detonate in waves, driven by a ruthless storm of blast beats and battlefield-ready riffs. I chuckled when the track randomly ended with "Well, I got naked!" There is a music video for this song, which is funny because Jason Gerhard (vocals) kidnaps every band member and throws them all into his van. The thumbnail speaks for itself! 

Who fancies a salade de phalanges—“knuckle salad,” if you prefer it in English? This track serves exactly that: chaotic, hard-hitting, and oddly addictive. Pair it with a can of White Monster, and you’ve got the full experience. The production feels like it’s constantly on the boil, never letting up, and the energy spills straight into the music video, which is just as unhinged as the song itself. It shouldn’t work, but it absolutely does—and I’m all in, especially when the White Monster makes its inevitable appearance. A strangely perfect touch along with Mortal Kombat. 

This album hits hard—goosebumps from the first drop. It’s absolute bass-drop central, relentless and unapologetic in its intensity. Every track feels dialled up to the extreme, yet there’s a sharp sense of humour running through it that keeps things from collapsing under their own weight. These boys have nailed that rare balance: brutal, chaotic energy paired with a knowing wink. It’s loud, it’s ridiculous, and it works brilliantly.

Check the new album on iTines or Spotify

Instagram: @kaninesdc

Songs I recommend: Doom Bringer, Salade De Phalanges, 808 and Anxiety

For fans of: Chelsea Grin, Signs Of The Swarm

Album Review: Good Enough by Whether, I

After Texan's post-hardcore/metalcore band parted ways back in 2016, the OG vocalists Kaleb Eddy and Joshua Calhoun made a comeback in 2021, and damn right, they are back with another album. 

The first track of the album is "Moving On" which was released in July 2021. The first two stanzas of the song must have been twisted around with Sleeping With Siren's If You Can't Hang (the part where Kellin Quinn mentioned about meeting a girl at 17 who turned out to be a cheat and meeting a girl at 23, who did the same to him) even though Whether, I's song explores themes of personal growth, leaving behind a reckless past. Their voices will touch your heart because of how relatable the lyrics are, c'est la vie (reference to their song from their EP, Dreamcatcher)! I love that they have maintained their sound, but with a more soulful feel and R&B sound. Here is the music video to this song:

The second song they released in December 2021 was "In My Head" (not a Jason Derulo cover). The song kicks off with Kaleb Eddy's fervent vocals and oh boy, this one's an emotional rollercoaster for the lads, as this song is about not being able to get over a breakup. I thought we were 'Moving On'. Ha, get it? But there's more...

However, the album focuses more on complex topics such as relationship struggles, mental health and personal growth. There are still elements of post-hardcore/metalcore with some R&B; they're starting to sound like Issues. Deadly is my personal favourite. I love the aggressive hardcore punk intro, along with more raw emotion. I need another box of tissues because this album is an absolute rollercoaster. 😿😿😿😿

I give this album a 9/10 because I feel that they have grown as a band even though I enjoy their older music from the Dreamcatcher EP and Catalyst album. Other than that, there isn't much to say other than making sure you go give these guys a listen on Apple Music or Spotify!

Instagram: @whetheriband

Songs I recommend: Deadly, Moving On

For fans of: Secrets, Sleeping With Sirens, Issues