I went into this one pretty much blindly so I could be unbiased all round, and I’m glad I did! It was SO much fun, and I was really impressed by every single band that played.
First up were KINTONA! A Bristol local metalcore band who absolutely blew me away. I heard them start and rushed in to get a spot, only just to find the venue was already absolutely packed with pits going by 7pm on a Monday. They definitely know what they’re doing. I was surprised to see such young looking lads be so full of confidence and great with the crowd. It’s clear that music is their passion, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them go far very quickly. Even more so when I found out it was only their second gig!
Next we were greeted by SMILING POLITELY, post hardcore band coming from Cheltenham to bless our ears with the nicest cleans and screams. Fast drums and guitars and headbanging galore!
ELEUSIS, playing their first gig in 3 years, absolutely kicked ass! I’m quite a sucker for twinkly pretty guitars and then immediately heavy as all hell drums kicking in, so that won me over pretty quickly. The vocals all round were really impressive as well. There was a quick pause for some returning of all the instruments, and the whole band and crowd went absolutely mental! The energy was insane for it, and I can’t wait for more!
4th up were Swindon Metalcore band HORIZONS DEMISE! And oh. My. GOD. I dig the masks, I dig the overall look, and all of those guys were menaces. Heavy all round to start and end, with a more chill song in between. The vocal styles are amazing, the pits were great, and I highly recommend keeping an eye on these guys.
Finishing up the night was hardcore band BEARPIT, another Bristol band. Hard hitting all round, crazy good energy and I am so into the backing vocals especially! The crowd was wild for these guys! The pits were just non stop and it was such a great atmosphere.
While absolutely every one of those bands deserved to go through to the finals, we all know that not possible. But going through were Kintona, Eleusis and Bearpit! But keep your eyes peeled for more from Horizons Demise and Smiling Politely, because I don’t think we’ve heard the last from them by far!
Some shows are live, some pre-recorded. All times are GMT
