Live Review: Caliban w/In Hearts Wake, Cabal and Assemble The Chariots at The Dome in London!

How do you finish a glorious summers day? A few pints of Guinness and a Metal show is always a good shout, so we head into the big smoke for a night of Extreme Metal, Deathcore and Metalcore from four bands who should know better. Believe it or not, the last time we witnessed German Metalcore mainstays Caliban was on the “Elements” tour at this very same venue seven years ago where they were joined by Lionheart and Bad Omens. That was a special night upon which the band reduced the crowd to blood, sweat and tears with a career spanning set of bludgeoning riffs and Metalcore of the finest order. Fast forward to tonight and our headliners bring with them a very well received new album in “Back From Hell“, a new bassist and clean vocalist in Scotland’s Kenneth Iain Duncan and some exceptional support bands, making for a potent mix only missing pyrotechnics…

…with roots that go back to 2008, it may come as a surprise that the “Back From Hell Tour” is the first time Assemble The Chariots [8/10] have been outside of their native Finland. The four piece are here off the back of their 2024 album “Unyielding Night” and offer an intriguing blend of Symphonic Extreme Metal and Mythology based storytelling. A backing track is put to good use and gives everything an epic feel but the band are clearly a well oiled machine, getting the crowd involved with dialogue during the longer instrumental passages. Crushing, high energy rhythmic gymnastics and a blinding light show that feels like it’s being triggered by the jackhammer footwork is sublime, the breakdowns and guttural vocals a masterclass in pummelling Technical Deathcore. When vocalist Onni Holmström says “let me hear you in my next life!” you can’t help but smile because by the grand finale that is “Empress” the band have won over everyone in the room.

Danish Nu-Deathcore collective Cabal [8/10] are next up tonight which feels a little criminal given how good they are. Vocalist Andreas Bjulver is sick with a heavy cold and his voice is incredibly gravelly, however that doesn’t de-rail their train with bassist Malthe Strøyer giving his all on the backing vocals. Stephen MacConville from Confessions Of A Traitor enters stage right to join the band for a ripping rendition of “Still Cursed“, reprising the role of Aaron Matts from Ten56 on the studio version which makes for a special moment before cuts like “Snake Tongues” and “Magno interitus” hit with the force of post earthquake tremors in the aftermath. Bjulver maybe in need of some decongestants but that doesn’t stop the four piece from having some fun, commanding a wall of death mid set, their light show pure blinding white and enough to burn your retinas.

The last time we saw Australians In Hearts Wake [9/10] was at a sold out Camden Underworld on the “Ark” tour. That night vocalist Jake Taylor risked life and limb to crowd surf in an inflatable dingy from the stage to the mixing desk and back to capture a flag and wave it on the stage. Tonight they come out hard, commanding a circle pit two songs in with a lethal rendition of new song “Tyrant“. The classic Slipknot inspired get on the floor and jump up is then brought out for “Hell Bringer“, the clean vocals purposefully reduced on the new material in favour of plenty of bark and bite. A passionate speech about the Australian government not turning up for the rebuilding process after a natural disaster precedes a heartfelt and crushing rendition of “The Flood“, the bands Metalcore roots exposed with their non-stop rhythmical bombardment. Opting for something a little different, the final third of the set finds the four piece joined by a pair of dancers, one male, one female, as they hammer out “Worldwide Suicide” and “Orphan” much to the delight of the mosh pit. Make no mistake, this is a new era for the Australians and they’re a heavier, more crushing force than they were an album or two ago and live, tonight at least, they’ve embraced the change and move forward in deadly fashion.

A huge drum rig is unveiled at the back of the stage for Caliban [10/10] and they make fantastic use of it as they hit the audience with an artillery shelling to accompany slab after concrete slab of hard hitting riffage. It has to be said that the band feel refreshed and rejuvenated, both vocalists at the height of their game as they command a venue sized circle pit for “Paralyzed” having already slapped us across the face with hard hitting opener “Guilt Trip“. As you might expect “The Beloved and the Hatred” becomes a mid set sing-a-long anthem but tonight it sounds both heavier and more melodic than ever before with the crowd singing the chorus back making for a spine tingling moment. A majestically heavy rendition of “Dear Suffering” is followed the new album title track, the five piece playing with the kind of verve and swagger that twenty five years of experience brings. They’re having fun tonight and it shows, vocalist Andreas Dörner catching a couple of crowd surfers before taking a risk and participating himself. A short speech about how they love playing the shows and seeing the fans a wonderful touch from Dörner before the bloodstained curtain comes down with a brutal rendition of “Nothing Is Forever“. A triumphant return from a band who have long given the devil his due, tonight is a fabulous example of just how good a Metal show can be.