By Josh Bicknell
Despite it being one of the rainiest nights of the year, fans made the trek to Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse, braving the downpour to witness While She Sleeps, alongside an electrifying lineup of rising stars.
First to the stage were Resolve, who have been growing rapidly after collaborating with artists like ‘LANDMVRKS,’ ‘ten56,’ and ‘Paleface Swiss.’ What stood out most about Resolve’s set was the sheer brutality of their live performance. While their studio releases might make them sound like just another melodic metalcore band, vocalist Anthony Diliberto brought something extra to the table, throwing in guttural growls that greatly intensified their live performance. This set the crowd off early, as the drafty, half-full room quickly descended into chaos, with beers flying through the air and a surprisingly intense pit forming despite the night only just getting started.
The standout moment came towards the end of their set, during the final breakdown of ‘Sandman,’ where Diliberto ran offstage to grab a third guitar, adding yet another layer to their already thick, and powerful instrumental. Resolve is a band who are absolutely worth getting down early for and were more than capable of riling the crowd for the up-and-coming Thrown.
Having last witnessed thrown’s live show almost a year ago, in a compact basement venue, it was interesting to see how their performance would translate to a space several orders of magnitude larger. Though what was most striking was how little their performance differed, aside from the addition of tracks from their 2024 album ‘Excessive Guilt‘, and surprisingly, this worked. True to their hardcore roots, the band took to the stage donning hoodies and black caps with the lighting rig set to obscure their faces, this allowed the audience to focus exclusively on their bone crushing instrumentals opposed to the flashy productions that are typical of a venue this size.
Their set was nothing short of an onslaught of explosive songs, that together felt like one continuous breakdown, with arms, legs, and even more beer cups flailing in every direction throughout. It was impressive to see how they were able to maintain control over such a large crowd, keeping the energy high after the frenzy whipped up by Resolve. By the time they had wrapped up their set, the crowd were well and truly fired up, ready for currents to deliver yet another heavy, but far more technically impressive performance following a brief changeover.
Currents opened their set with two tracks from their popular sophomore record, ‘The Way It Ends’, and the transition between the final scream of ‘Never There’ and the opening growl of ‘Monsters’ was so seamless that it’s surprising they’re not placed next to each other on the album.
However, it was around this point that the only issue with the performances so far became apparent: the vocals of the previous bands had been noticeably quiet. Initially, this was attributed to them choosing to focus on delivering a full, and intense instrumental, but as Currents took to the stage it became clear that this was probably not a deliberate decision. Currents success, and ability to play as the main support in such a large venue comes partially as a result of their compelling songwriting. At times, it was hard to discern the lyrics because of the bass-heavy sound system at Victoria Warehouse, but for those already familiar with the band, which was most of the crowd, it didn’t significantly detract from the experience.
The American five-piece continued to flawlessly execute their intricate instrumentals, with lead guitarist Chris Wiseman nailing the solo to ‘Unfamiliar’ around the midpoint of the set. Perhaps the most memorable moment of the evening came soon after, when vocalist, Brian Wille held the mic to drummer, Matt Young, who seemingly to even the bands surprise, delivered an impressive low scream before diving into some tasty technical fills, once again highlighting the band’s immense talent. This was also the first set of the night with a substantial number of crowd surfers, and the increase in energy made Currents feel like a second headliner. After closing out their set with ‘Guide Us Home,’ the stage was set for the real deal, While She Sleeps.
Before Loz Taylor and his crew were unleashed onto the stage, the production team made some final adjustments. The usual microphone stands were replaced with towering vertical chains, and a wall of additional Marshall amps was unveiled, creating a striking backdrop for their performance. Showmanship has always been at the heart of everything While She Sleeps do, and these additions, along with a more advanced lighting rig, immediately signalled to the crowd that they were about to witness a spectacle. It did not take long for the lights to dim once more, as the Yorkshire five-piece tore into the first two tracks from their latest record, ‘Self Hell‘.
Within the opening moments of their set, vocalist Loz Taylor wasted no time displaying the full breadth of his vocal range. Following the release of their 2024 album, a growing perception has emerged that While She Sleeps are no longer a heavy band. However, the throat-slicing screams in their live renditions of ‘Anti-Social’ and ‘The Guilty Party’ prove otherwise. While they have experimented with softer sounds in recent years, they are still unafraid to go heavy. In fact, the more sparing use of Loz’s screams allows them to hit ten times harder whenever they are present.
While many modern metalcore bands curate their setlists to ebb and flow between piercing shrieks and calming melodies, While She Sleeps took it a step further by weaving in plenty of danceable tracks. Towards the midpoint of their set, I shifted myself away from the pit and towards the back of the venue, and it became clear how the upgraded lighting rig helped to cultivate this atmosphere. Bouncier tracks like ‘You Are We’ and ‘Systematic’ were transformed into club anthems, with rave-like high beams bouncing off every surface.
After inviting the vocalists of Currents and Resolve to join in on guest vocals for some of their biggest collaboration tracks, ‘Down’ and ‘Silence Speaks,’ While She Sleeps closed off England’s heaviest rave with none other than ‘Sleeps Society’. Mosh pits erupted one final time, leaving the crowd in awe before the great rush into the chilly winter night.
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