By Josh Bicknell
With the evenings stretching longer, what better way to usher in spring than with the sheer brutality of Paleface Swiss’s European headline tour? Riding the momentum of their latest album, ‘Cursed’, this run has been their most ambitious yet: selling out, upgrading, and selling out again shows across Europe, even to their own surprise. Joining them for the carnage are The Acacia Strain and Desolated, two IQ-loweringly heavy bands that make for a relentlessly punishing lineup.
Stepping into Manchester’s New Century Hall, it instantly cemented itself as one of my new favourite venues. Its sleek, varnished wooden floors and polished walls, paired with a striking multi-coloured overhead lighting rig, gave the space a unique character. But the real standout? It’s almost trampoline-like floor, which fans of the night’s openers, Desolated, wasted no time in testing as they threw down to the band’s blistering brand of beatdown.
Launching into their set with ‘Numb’ and ‘The Beginning,’ Desolated wasted no time making their mark. Two-steppers and hardcore dancers swarmed the floor, out for blood with every breakdown. Even outside the pit, nowhere was safe, at one point, dodging a barrage of flying beer and water cups became a sport of its own. As openers, Desolated were the perfect choice; their diehard fanbase showed up early, cracked the pits wide open, and set the tone for a night of blast beats and demon noises.
After a quick changeover, The Acacia Strain took to the stage, kicking things off in devastating fashion with ‘FLOURISHING.’ Despite its brevity, clocking in at less than a minute and a half long, it was more than enough to send the pits back into a frenzy. The Acacia Strain are an interesting band, as much like Paleface, don’t neatly fit into a box. Having been around for over a decade they have had plenty of time to refine their sound, which was clear throughout their set.
Blending elements of deathcore and hardcore, The Acacia Strain’s unique sound was most notable in tracks like ‘Chhinnamasta’ and ‘FRESH BONES.’ These songs showcased the ambient background layers typical of deathcore, while incorporating the heavy, groove-driven breakdowns characteristic of beatdown. This fusion made them the perfect act to bridge the gap between Desolated and Paleface, as their ability to blend genres seamlessly created a cohesive flow throughout the live show.
After one final changeover, it was time for the main event, Paleface Swiss, whose headline set absolutely tore down the house. The four-piece walked out to an eerie cascade of off-kilter synths emanating from the backing track, ‘un pobre niño murió,’ pulled straight from their latest record, ‘Cursed’. Vocalist, Marc Zelli, sported his signature black string vest, with the rest of the band following suit, and dominating centre stage was a giant gallow with a dangling noose. A trademark of their aesthetic. This, combined with the microphone stands that had been designed to resemble chains, created a genuinely dark and intense atmosphere before a single note had been played.
Before long, Paleface leapt into their first full song, ‘Hatred,’ which opened with several anguished screeches that quickly gave way to a barrage of frenetic riffs and rhythmic drums. It’s nearly impossible to capture the sheer impact of this moment live, Zelli’s screams were uncannily raw, as if he were deliberately channelling a flawed, almost ‘bad’ screaming technique, yet executing it in a way that preserves his vocal health. This fascinating approach has almost certainly fuelled their rapid growth.
After a few more singles from ‘Cursed’, Paleface reached the midpoint of their set and seamlessly integrated material from ‘Fear & Dagger’ alongside a handful of standalone singles. One of these, ‘The Gallow’, felt especially epic in light of the show’s striking set design and New Century Hall’s cracking sound system, where the bass strings rumbled as if they were as thick as elevator cables.
Also, around this point in their set, Zelli addressed the crowd with a heartfelt message about being back in Manchester, a city that he stated feels like a second home to the band. While many acts give this spiel in every city they visit, his words seemed sincere. He recalled that one of their first shows outside of Switzerland was at a small festival in Manchester, and he fondly remembered gigs at iconic grassroots venues like The Star and Garter and Satan’s Hollow. His reminiscence resonated with the crowd who repeatedly cheered throughout his speech.
Towards the end of their set, Paleface Swiss shared one final intimate moment with the crowd by performing their hit single, ‘River Of Sorrows.’ Grounded by its clean vocals and massive chorus, this heartfelt ballad revealed the band’s more melodic side, prompting the audience to wave their flashlights in sync with it’s slow, downtuned guitar chugs. After offering a sincere thank-you to the entire crew, they capped off the night with a bang, a two-song encore featuring Pain and Love Burns.
Overall, Paleface Swiss’ headline tour is easily one of the most exciting live experiences on the road right now. Few bands possess the stage presence and undeniable aura of this four-piece, with Friday night’s show etching a lasting memory into the minds of every metalhead in attendance.
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