Listmania: Metal Noise Top #5 Live Bands of 2018!

New Year’s Eve will be here tomorrow and that can only mean one thing. Our fifth and final installment of the bunch of 5 campaign! We’ve had albums, EPs, anticipated releases so now it’s the turn of the live band. We’ve reviewed a hanger full of live bands over the past year, so here are the ones that really, really impressed us!

1. Counterparts

If you’ve never had the joy of the Canadian Hardcore quintet’s show, then we can promise you if you do, you’re in for a treat! Big sing-a-longs, crowd surfing and the Microphone being taken from frontman Brendan Murphy during every song!

2. Death Blooms

Playing Metalcore with a Nu-Metal bounce, Death Blooms were easily one of the success stories of 2018. Their trip to Download Festival was a surprise and they also shared stages with King 810 and Ded. Some new material was aired and we’re looking forward to more in 2019!

3. The Acacia Strain

One of many highlights of UK Tech-Fest last summer, TAS ripped it up playing a set of tried and trusted tunes having not even had the opportunity to rehearse before flying out for a rare UK show. What we got was masterful. A lesson in violence and brutal honesty from a band at the top of their game.

4. Harmed

The Hungarians dropped 15 minutes of madness with their EP “From Day One” via Famined Records just over a year ago. Their massive small venue European Tour saw us catch them in London for a raw, raging and schizophrenically energetic set that exploded our minds!

5. From Once We Came

They may only have one tune out in the World while they work on their debut full length, but this London crew caught us completely off guard with their full on riff fest and face pulling live show when they supported The Royal earlier this year. If only we had a date for that album….