By Josh Bicknell
It was one of those wet, miserable Manchester evenings where everything feels a little slow. Walking up to the venue, the streets were shining from the rain, and the whole vibe was very “midweek gig” rather than some big dramatic event. Inside, the room was almost empty at first, no barrier, plenty of breathing space, the kind of show where you can wander right up to the stage without trying. It felt casual in a nice way. No pretense, no spectacle yet, just people drifting in with jackets still damp from outside. Despite the slow start, there was something warm about it. A small cluster gathered at the front, a few drinks clinked towards the back, and I found myself settling into the atmosphere quite comfortably by the time the night’s openers began making their way to the stage.
Atena opened the night to a room that was still only at half capacity, but they handled it with a confidence that made the space feel fuller than it was. Their set impressed early with its tight rhythms and sharp riffing, the kind of controlled heaviness that eases you into the evening rather than blowing the doors off straight away.
What really stood out, though, was the one guy in the middle of the floor who absolutely refused to take the hint that it was a quiet crowd. He went straight into full hardcore mode: spin-kicks, windmills, the whole move-set. While everyone else politely nodded. Atena noticed too, and even gave him a quick mid-song wave, a small grateful “cheers mate” kind of gesture. Their music had a solid weight to it, providing a steady start that set the tone for the heaviness to come.
After Atena’s final notes faded out and a swift changeover cleared the stage, Diamond Construct stormed into position. The first note hit, and suddenly the whole room went from quiet tension to pure chaos DC fucking ROCKED, and I don’t say that lightly. Their grooves were monstrous, the punches were clinical, and the crowd ate up every second of it. Seeing Diamond Construct for the first time was something I’d been buzzing about, especially after interviewing them before the show, and they didn’t disappoint.
Their usual guitar wizard Braden couldn’t make it due to visa issues, but even with his parts backtracked they still sounded absolutely massive. It even led to one of the funniest moments of the night when Kynan FaceTimed him mid-set, propped the ‘phone up on a stool and let him join the chaos from a hotel room while cracking beers in true Aussie fashion. It somehow made the whole set feel even more like a party, and chatting to them again at merch afterwards just cemented how down-to-earth they are.
By the time The Gloom In The Corner stepped onstage, the room had finally filled out properly. What started as a loose, scattered crowd had turned into a tightly packed floor of people clearly ready for something heavier. It was a big change from when I last saw them in Manchester back in late 2023 supporting Fit For a King, where they played to mostly early-arrival stragglers. This time, people were here for them.
Gloom brought a darker, more atmospheric heaviness than the bands before them. Their sound felt heavier in the chest; less chaos, more pressure, and the crowd responded with intensity. Heads down, eyes locked on the stage, bodies swaying in that “I’m absorbing this” kind of way.
They delivered a set that balanced mood and muscle, leaning into their brooding side without losing the punch that makes them work live. By the end, the room was buzzing, primed and perfectly teed up for Aviana’s arrival.
Aviana took the stage with an entrance that felt deliberately understated. They let the light and the atmosphere do most of the talking. Smoke drifted across the floor, and narrow beams of light cleaved through the smoke, their patterns almost ritualistic, like a séance circle. The masked guitarists and drummer immediately set the tone; a little mysterious, a little theatrical, but never slipping into parody. It wasn’t a massive reveal or over-the-top spectacle; it was just enough mood to draw the room in, tightening focus before a single note landed.
When they did start, the heaviness hit immediately and didn’t let up for the rest of the set. Live, their sound is dense and punishing in a way recordings can only hint at, each breakdown rolling across the room like a physical force. Tracks like ‘FATHER’ and ‘REDROOM’ landed with the weight of a thousand suns, and ‘STORM ABLAZE’ pushed that intensity even further. At times it bordered on overwhelming, but that was clearly by design. Aviana want you to feel it, in your chest, your ribs, even through the shaking floorboards, and the crowd were more than happy to give in to that pressure. Hell, at one point I had to run to the restroom and still couldn’t even think about taking my earplugs out.
What kept the performance from collapsing under its own weight were the vocals. Despite being primarily a brutal screamer, Joel Holmqvist still carved out softer, melodic moments that gave the set shape and clarity. The standout was ‘Anomaly’, a gentle pause that felt like the eye of the storm that acted as a brief reset before the next wave of punishing heaviness. The intensity softened just enough for the crowd to catch their breath, highlighting his versatility, moving seamlessly between raw aggression and controlled, melodic singing.
With all this going on, the lighting continued to elevate everything, shifting from deep reds to icy blues to sharp white strobes that made each drop feel sharper. Combined with the masks and the crowd packed tight against the front, it created a dark, immersive, intimate, but not cramped, space that felt entirely theirs; almost Sleep Token in aesthetic, but much more animalistic and raw.
By the end of ‘WORLD’S PULSE’, the room was completely spinning. It wasn’t a set built on surprises; it was built on atmosphere, precision, and sheer unbridled heaviness. As the last notes faded out, it felt like the perfect culmination of a night that escalated in intensity with every band that stepped onstage.
- All content © Über Röck 2025. Photo courtesy of Aviana.