Outbreak Festival - BEC Arena, Manchester (28/6/26)

Bands are already playing and huge crowds are snaking round the block by the time I make it to the BEC Arena for this years Outbreak. This should have given me some indication of how busy it's going to be but even this doesn't adequately convey how packed it is but more on that later. I only came back off holiday a couple of days ago and my wife said that I could only come to one day of the festival and this is definitely the more stacked day for me.

Glare are the first band I manage to catch, on the outdoor main stage. Dense bass, shimmering guitars and dreamlike vocals make for a hypnotic take on shoegaze. There is a decent amount of distortion on the guitars during the choruses. There are electronic interludes in between songs, some quite ambient whilst others have drum 'n' bass style percussion. The closing track has a fantastic, soaring guitar crescendo. A very good start to the day.

The second stage is absolutely packed for Pennsylvania's Gridiron. Their dudey style of hardcore is really good, creating a fine groove which instigates plenty of stage invaders whilst virtually every hand in the air is raised in the arena. They owe a large debt to Dog Eat Dog and Biohazard but they do it much better than either of those bands these days. Matthew Karll has a higher pitched vocal style reminiscent of Dog Eat Dog's John Connor. The breakdowns are satisfyingly heavy and are influenced more by modern hardcore such as Harms Way. Hip hop grooves are added with ease and manage to avoid sounding cheesy. They are great fun and you can't help but nod your head along to the beats.

Back on the main stage is Ecca Vandal and her eclectic mix of styles. The drums on the opening 'EYES SHUT' sound like assault rifles whilst the guitar is much heavier than it is on the records. The following 'CAME HERE FOR THE LOOT' completely shakes it up with some grime beats, and the little one-two punch of drums and guitar adds a little injection of power. The pop-punk 'BLEED BUT NEVER DIE' is enormous fun and prompts a huge all-female stage invasion. Every song sounds completely different to the previous track and Ecca exudes attitude no matter what style she is singing. There is a pop sensibility to many of these songs but fat riffs still add a rock credibility. The fast and furious punk rock of 'DANCE IN DEBT' sounds a bit thin but this leads straight into 'VERTICAL WORLD' which, augmented by electronics, has a much fuller sound. The drumming is excellent throughout and the relentless, persussive beat of the closing 'SORRY! CRASH!' is fantastic. The closing drum and bass section is cool too. It's differenct to the hardcore and shoegaze which populates the rest of the day and it's really refreshing.

It's back inside and another packed second stage for Dynamite. Their fast old school youth crew hardcore is full of energy. The musicianship is great whilst Alex Money's higher pitched yet coarse vocals are really good. They have a great '98 revival sound but it's nothing I hven't heard before.

It's a low key start for Nothing on the main stage with the strummed guitar and downbeat vocals of 'purple strings' gradually getting more intense, coming across like The Verve on downers. The loud, swirling shoegaze of 'Famine Asylum' is much more powerful. As the vocals become dreamier, the images on the big screen become more disturbing. However, Nicky's vocals aren't always audible over the guitars. The ultra percussive 'cannibal world' is excellent. The drumming is what gives them an edge as it is propulsive and drives them beyond the usual dreamy nature of shoegaze, although it has that element too.

It's absolutely packed on the main stage for Boston hardcore supergroup Fiddlehead. Patrick Flynn announces that "this song is for all the fuck ups" by way of an introduction to the emotionally charged opener 'Baby I'll Change'. 'The Years' sees a huge stage invasion as everyone piles on to sing along. The emotional hardcore of 'The Deathlife' causes even more chaos. Every track sounds stadium sized. The records are great but it is live where Fiddlehead really make sense and they are truly connecting with the crowd today. Patrick is so passionate about hardcore and you believe him when he says he loves those late night chats where you discuss your favourite Todd Jones song or your favourite track on a particular record, not least because I've had those types of conversation myself. Whenever he ventures down to the walkway, he gets mobbed by people who just want to scream along. His delivery is emotional and heartfelt yet is full of power and energy too, meaning that he straddles both emo and hardcore with ease. The final singalong is a joyous expression of all that hardcore is.

Glixen are yet another shoegaze band. It is the second time we've seen the singer Aislinn Ritchie today as she was playing guitar in Glare earlier. Initially, it feels a bit flat as there is too much feedback and the vocals are too quiet but these become more audible as the set progresses. There are times when it is rather dreamy and one track has some great Sonic Youth style swirling guitars. However, they straddle the line between hypnotic and boring, and they cross the wrong side of the line a few times. It's a bit disappointing to be honest, but mainly because I had such high expectations.

By now, the whole site is absolutely rammed. Uncomfortably so. There are horrendous queues for food and toilets and it takes at least ten minutes to get anywhere. Worst of all, there is nowhere to sit down and my feet are screaming. I'm feeling really fed up and I seriously consider going home. I leave the site but end up stopping at a bus stop on the main road where I take my shoes off and put my feet up for a hour in the sun listening to Snail Mail in the distance. This re-energises me so I decide to head back in for another try. When I get there, I discover that the indoor stages are shut off for entry and there is a sizeable crowd waiting to get in. From what I can gather, Hatebreed have completely filled the place to capacity on the second stage. Realising that I have no chance of getting in, I decide to grab a drink and get a spot for Trapped Under Ice which is also quickly filling up.

Trapped Under Ice's buoyant hardcore explodes right from the start and thousands of hands punch the air for 'Pleased To Meet You'. There is a hip hop influence present but they are still undeniably hardcore with the odd monstrous bass drop, some heavy breakdowns and plenty of two-stepping parts. I'm pretty far back but the pit looks pretty big from what i can tell. As great as Trapped Under Ice are, I decide to head inside midway through the set to try and get a half decent spot for Suicidal Tendencies.

The chants of "ST, ST, ST" start a few minutes before Suicidal Tendencies take to the stage. They tease the beginning of 'You Can't Bring Me Down' before they launch into the track and all hell breaks loose. Mike Muir may look like a crazy uncle these days but he still knows how to command a crowd. The mid-paced stomp of 'Join The Army' is just made for two-stepping and plenty of kids oblige as they dance across the walkway. You can't really hear the guitars but kids are going off and it's impossible not to get carried away too. 'Send Me Your Money' is impossibly bouncy and the bassist Tye Trujillo (yep, former bassist Robert Trujillo's son) gets the chance to show off with that funky bassline and a neat little solo. 'War Inside My Head' is incendiary and even the reggae interlude can't bring it down. 'I Saw Your Mommy' prompts a gigantic stage invasion which then becomes an even bigger circle pit. The closing 'Pledge Your Allegiance' sees the biggest stage invasion yet with the whole crowd chanting "ST, ST, ST" again, echoing the start of the set. Absolutely fantastic.

I watch Basement from the back whilst eating some Sri Lankan food. The food options this year are really great, it's just a shame that the queues were so big for them for much of the day (although it's obviously good for the traders to be so busy).

Basement have a really full sound and their post-hardcore sounds massive, especially on tracks such as the opening 'Time Waster'. There are lots of grunge and alt-rock influences contained within their sound, and the quiet verse-loud chorus template of The Pixies is often followed. 'Dead Weight' sounds like Nirvana, only slower and heavier. The Quicksand style post-hardcore of 'Spoiled' is extremely good. Overall, they are pretty good but I think I've reached my limit so I call it a day there.

I'm pretty conflicted about the whole day really. It's great for hardcore that an event like this can attract 10000 plus attendees and I saw plenty of great bands. However, it felt uncomfortably busy and that does detract from the overall enjoyment of the day.

Basement ***

Suicidal Tendencies *****

Trapped Under Ice ****

Glixen ***

Fiddlehead *****

Nothing ****

Dynamite ***

Ecca Vandal ****

Gridiron ****

Glare ****

Excide, Hollow Suns & Never Better - The Deaf Institute, Manchester (5/6/26)

Two unknown bands touring Europe together for the first time seems like a huge leap of faith but there is a decent turnout tonight although I think this is aided by the local support act. It is the first show outside of the US for South Carolina's Excide. They should have played Leeds last night but cancelled flights due to extreme weather meant that they didn't make it.

Never Better start off as nu metal with eerie guitar lines and rapped vocals in the verse before leading into a punk rock chorus which is pretty good. The second track has a low end you can really feel and the rapped vocals are actually decent. The third track is funkier but not in a good way. The vocals are often in an angsty indie rapped fashion reminiscent of Jamie T. The fifth track is much better, with a surf rock groove and tighter vocals. Stylistically, they are pretty varied and they seem like a band with plenty to say, and the singer's delivery is suitably impassioned, There is a decent sized crowd and they go down pretty well but I have a feeling that they're playing mainly to their friends.

Japan's Hollow Suns play grungy post-hardcore which has one heck of a groove. The drummer is very smiley and he provides the punchy rhythms whilst also adding some neat fills. When they're at their heaviest, they are reminiscent of Helmet although the emotive vocals are much less aggressive. 'Free Fall' has more of a Deftones feel although that isn't that surprising considering the singer is wearing a Deftones shirt. The excellent 'Drawn To Tragedy' has a riff heavy Snapcase feel and that isn't the only time I'll be saying that tonight. 'Deep Down' has a Nirvana edge and that Pixies-esque bassline is great. 'Deception' mixes Snapcase style riffs with rocking, emotional post-hardcore. Every song has a great groove and a fair amount of power. Hollow Suns are pretty impressive.

Excide open with stop-start heavy hardcore of 'No Man'. It's short and sweet, as are most their songs although it does feel a bit too abrupt. The singer has one hell of a voice which is full of rage. He also has a neat line in two-stepping and is constantly encouraging the crowd to dance and, to be fair, he and the band do a great job of getting the crowd involved. The riff heavy '90s hardcore of Snapcase is a key influence, and 'Worth Your Salt' is an excellent example of the style. 'Call Box' mixes the heavy hardcore of Cast Iron Hike with catchy post-hardcore. They are much heavier and more energetic live, and they really take me back to the hardcore shows of the '90s. There are plenty of pinch harmonics which is a real throwback. All their songs are built for stomping or two-stepping and it is infectious. The riff at the end of the closing 'Your Flowers' has more than a whiff of Downset's 'Empower' about it, but nonetheless it is a great riff. At only twenty five minutes, it's a short but very sweet set.

Excide ****

Hollow Suns ****

Never Better ***

Acid Reign, Enquire Within & Devils Henchmen - Bread Shed, Manchester (4/6/26)

Veteran Brit thrashers are touring in support of their new album 'Daze Of The Week' but this show (and many of the others, I would guess) is less of a gig and more of a gathering of mates as the band seem to know many in the crowd and when they play, there is lots of good natured heckling back and forth.

Liverpool's Devils Henchmen play driving, powerful thrash with an Exodus influence and it has a proper in your face sound. The second track opens with a slower groove before exploding into the same kind of nippy thrash. The crowd is extremely static which is a shame as it's the kind of music which should get people moving. Both guitarists are excellent, laying on piles and piles of riffs whilst adding some neat melodic leads too. Joe's vocals are decent - an aggressive higher pitch style which is well suited to the music. New track 'Waste Of Life' is fast as hell and is more in a crossover vein which makes it stand out. They are playing with a stand in bassist tonight but he does admirably, and combined with Harry's tight drumming, they still make a solid rhythm section. 'World Fictions' has a punchy riff reminiscent of 'Heartwork' and is impressive. We even get a wild Slayer-esque solo from Dylan on the final track which is pretty cool. Great stuff.

Enquire Within are a bit more groove orientated, being post-thrash reminiscent of latter day Machine Head. There is clearly a thrash influence there but they have moved beyond it in a way which just reflects modern metal. There is some Pantera crunch present too. The crowd are even more apathetic and stay mainly towards the back of the venue, leaving a big gap in the middle of the floor. I like how animated the bassist Erim is, he looks like he is genuinely having a ball up there. Daniel Lewin's guitar solos have a Dimebag style virtuosity to them whilst Jacob Waller's vocals are serviceable on the cleaner parts and fearsome when he roars. When the band add backing vocals, they don't always seem to be on the same page and it come across as quite messy. It's heavy enough and the band are competent but it isn't anything I've not heard before. The slower parts are generally more successful than the faster parts because the riffs seem more well defined. Consistency is lacking though, and for every relentless and impactful passage, there is a lacklustre part, often within the same song. A great cover of 'Raining Blood' gets a few people moving and this closes the set. For all their faults, there is more to like than dislike.

Acid Reign open with the punchy 'The Who Of You' which sounds powerful as hell. The Anthrax style crunch is tight and heavy and the double kick hammering is crushing. It is much more dynamic than the studio version. Howard "H" Smith starts off the set in a cloak but soon changes into shorts and a Fuck You shirt. It's a kinetic show with all the band members charging round the stage and bashing into each other but this doesn't affect the playing as they are a tight and cohesive unit. It's hard to pick out a standout star player because there aren't any really, they instead come together and create a formidable whole. The fast parts of 'Humanoia' are punishing and the transitions into the various parts are much smoother than on record. H creates his own slide onstage with some spilt water and he spend s plenty of time trying to skid across the stage during the instrumental parts. 

'The New Low' is waves and waves of crunchy riffs, again with a big Anthrax influence. 'Alonely' is intense but that could be said of every track as the whole experience is like being smothered by a blanket of thrash. The cover of 'Hangin' On The Telephone' has enough energy to power the national grid whilst 'Fantastic Passion' is almost overwhelming with its dense, unrelenting groove. The band look like they're having fun and although they don't play encores, they squeeze in an extra song 'No Truth' which they have never played before. Acid Reign often had a goofy and not entirely serious reputation but they prove tonight that they are no joke.

Acid Reign *****

Enquire Within ***

Devils Henchmen ****

Cryptic Shift, Unburier & Xenith - Star & Garter, Manchester (31/5/26)

Cryptic Shift have always been impressive with their brand of technical thrash/death but with their latest album ' Overspace & Supertime' it feels like they have taken a gigantic step forward. It is ambitious and challenging, and tonight sees them play Manchester as part of the tour in support of the album.

Local boys Xenith open up the evening. They are essentially a deathrash band and often they are a combination of those two genres but at other times they lean more to straight ahead thrash. They start out pretty fast with razor sharp riffs although there are a number of slower, crunchy parts which are equally satisfying. The musicianship is good, with both guitarists demonstrating some fret wizardry on the solos. As the set progresses the music becomes more refined, moving from an early Seputura influence to more of an '80s Metallica style although I think they are better with pedal to the metal speed and aggression. One passage has a bluesy lick which brings '80s Megadeth to mind. They even touch on a progressive death metal style in the vein of Pestilence or Atheist at one point. I get the impression that they haven't fully discovered their own style yet but it doesn't really matter as most of what they play is really good.

Unburier play technical death metal in the vein of Death or maybe even Nile although some of the guitar leads have a Kirk Hammett feel. It is extremely heavy but the guitars provide enough to melody to give it some accessability. The balance of complexity with riffs you can bang your head to is well considered. The drumming from Kim Hughes is excellent and he shows real stamina as constantly switches from high speed blasting to something more mid-paced, like an athlete constantly switching from sprints to jogs and back again with no rest in between. The band are extremely tight, the musicianship is fantastic and the vocals are suitably gnarly. The songs are labyrinthine but concise enough to demand your interest at every single point. Excellent.

Cryptic Shift's opening number 'Cryogenically Frozen' starts off with jazzy chords which leads to technical, progressive death metal which is furious and sounds punchier than the record. There are lots of jazzy flourishes sprinkled in and Atheist are an obvious influence. The musicianship is absolutely dazzling whilst Xander Bradley sounds rabid with a vicious Chuck Schuldiner edge to his voice. 'Stratocumulus Evergaol' opens with the same jazzy flourish but keeps it going for an extended period, getting gradually heavier and more discordant. There are some punchy, technical thrash sections reminiscent of 'Rust In Peace' too. It possesses more energy and power then the studio version and it is dizzying. The biggest compliment I can give is that it captivates for the full twenty nine minutes.

The tech thrash of old still makes cameo appearances with a number of passages which could be Coroner or Watchtower. It is much more rousing than I expected. 'Hyperspace Topography' is crushing throughout and the savagery and aggression is ramped up further on 'Hexagonal Eyes (Diverity Trepaphymphasyzm)'. They keep up the intensity for the full ten minute running time and it is almost overwhelming. The sheer scope and ambition of what they are doing is audacious and to pull it of with this level of ferocity is mind-scrambling. It is a draining experience watching it so God know what it must be like playing it.

Cryptic Shift *****

Unburier ****

Xenith ****