Live Review: Impericon Never Say Die Tour 2023 at O2 Islington London!

The Impericon Never Say Die Tour has long been an annual celebration of all things heavy not to be missed which sees some well established acts bring some of the lesser lights of heaven across Europe, setting venues ablaze in the process. Usually a mix of Hardcore, Deathcore and Metalcore, previous years have seen the likes of Suicide Silence, Emmure, Northlane and even Our Hollow Our Home partake in the action, the event a couple of bands short of being qualified as a touring one day festival. This time out it’s not Camden Electric Ballroom but The O2 Academy Islington with doors opening at 16:00 on a Friday afternoon and the first band hitting the stage at 16:35…

… And that would be German Metallic Hardcore brutes Reduction [9/10] who keep the later bands honest by delivering a searing set front loaded with breakdowns, takedowns, downtempo groove and Mosh parts. Switching between screamed and unclean rapped style vocals keeps things fresh with plenty of opportunity for the two step if you haven’t already snapped you neck, they’re a high energy, caffeine rich start to the night. A band with a wealth of experience having existed since 2006 but one who haven’t had the opportunity to play a tour this big until now, they prove their worth with cuts like “The Darkness” and “FLS“. Its actually a shame that there aren’t more people in the venue to witness the five piece decimate the weak but those that are here have been won over instantly.

Next up are Fox Lake [10/10] and the American Metallic Hardcore band with a rap vocal flow who hit as hard as “Nomad” era Kublai Khan with their sound. Each and every breakdown feels like a hammer blow, the bass and drums bringing the groove and they’re so god damn infections that you can’t help but bang your head until your teeth fall out. The staccato riff infestations are fuel for the two steppers, who are out in force while cuts like “Dog Eat Dog“, “Hammer And Nail” and “Gaslight” are an incitement to riot. Tonight they’re in party mood and waste no time in throwing themselves around on stage for the last night of the tour, all that’s missing is an end of set stage dive from vocalist Nathan Johnson. While we hope for an album in 2024, on this evidence they’re going to be back here in Europe sooner than they think…

The unmistakable figure of Taylor Barber takes to the stage for a mic check while his band Left To Suffer [9/10] warm up and is greeted by cheering fans for which he cracks a smile. He’s elevated the status of his band with the sheer volume of guest vocal appearances he’s clocked up elsewhere but tonight Left To Suffer need no introductions as the US Deathcore collective put a crack in the foundations of the venue with cuts like “Loathe“, “Artificial Anatomy” and “Disappoint Me“. Gradually getting heavier from a Metallic Hardcore start, the bass rumbles and the 8 string guitar crushes with the four piece getting the first circle pit of the night. Its a rampage that knows no end with Barber spitting pure fire, at one point catching a smart phone from the front row, turning his back to the crowd, taking a selfie and then throwing it back. Whoever got that souvenir should treasure it because that’s the kind of little thing that makes a big difference.

Parisian Nu-Deathcore crew Ten56. [9/10] were always an obvious choice for Impericon Never Say Die this year, their reputation and previous European tours winning them plenty of fans and friends so to see them here isn’t a surprise. They bring with them a collection of strobe lights that flash red and white so the band move like still frames across the stage, vocalist Aaron Matts commanding a wall of death and a ladies only circle pit as they produce slab after concrete slab of Deathcore riffage. From “Diazepam” to “Kimo” they’re a lethal dose of catharsis from the darker side and welcoming former Novelists vocalist Matteo Gelsomino to the stage for a verse of the incendiary brilliance that is “Boy“. It’s astonishing to think how far they’ve come in such a relatively short amount of time and if they keep maintaining the momentum they’re going to be playing the bigger festivals next summer. On a side note, if you’ve ever wondered if musicians still go to shows well your answer is right here with Megan Targett and Jay Bacon, one half of Progressive Deathcore outfit Vexed drinking pints at the back.

For whatever reason, Impericon decided that Nasty [10/10] would headline the mainland Europe shows with King 810 headlining the United Kingdom which is why the bands appear the way they do on the tour poster but in reality tonight has been so good with all of the bands on absolute fire that it doesn’t matter. The Belgian Metallic Hardcore quartet take the roof off the venue with their brand of the genre, putting bounce in the mosh pit as they do so and while they look like three ordinary Joe’s they’re the polar opposite. Their now three month old album “Heartbreak Criminals” finds a couple of cuts extracted from it for our listening pleasure with Nathan Johnson from Fox Lake making a well timed cameo at one point. “At War With Love“, “Reality Check” and “Zero Tolerance” are all incendiary bursts with Matthias Tarnath thanking the crowd regularly between cuts while spreading a message of inclusion.

Tonight’s headliners are of course the band from Americas most dangerous city in King 810 [10/10] and from the last time we saw them they have evolved their live show into what can only be described as pure theatre. Moving the drum kit over to the side of the stage they put a sky blue piano in the centre which serves as an object of black magic throughout the set. A narrator tells a tale between songs which the band members interact with and you’re never quite sure what’s going to happen next. They start with “Love Under Will” before Taylor Barber from Left To Suffer joins the band on stage for a rousing scream-a-long rendition of “Alpha & Omega“. That’s swiftly followed by “brains on the asphalt” with Eugene Gill and David Gunn dancing around the stage in concentric circles, the sound deliberately bass heavy and chemically enhanced by a backing track. As each song plays out Gunn’s vocal performance becomes increasingly unhinged, a standing leap from the top of the piano a surprise moment that causes a gasp. Older songs like “Fat Around the Heart” and “Vendettas” go down well but the biggest surprise is “Black Rifle” which finds Gunn playing keys. The grand finale is “Kill em’ All” before the band take a bow, the microphone held against Gunn’s heart like a knife. He then dives into the piano lid and fireworks go off, creating a moment of wonder and illusion…