Of course, the guys have decided to bring some very talented bands along for the ride kicking off with the insatiable Funeral Shakes. The Watford lads are without doubt the best dressed band out there at the moment (where can we buy those shirts?) their lyrics may be full of dread, regret and heartbreak but those topics have never sounded so good. Sure with early doors there might not have been as many people in the venue as they’d have wanted but that doesn’t stop their brand of good old rock n roll getting those in attendance moving. Just like the recent vinyl revival, Funeral Shakes have dug deep and dragged a 50s sound back into the present and not to mention that technically, Funeral Shakes are the first band to ever play The Underworld 4 nights in a row. Technically…

Next up bringing with them a huge change in pace are Death By Stereo who immediately launch into a ferocious set. It even seems to take the crowd by surprise a little but that soon passes as a circle pit erupts and the band can’t help but join in the fun running through the pit while still managing to hit their notes. Death By Stereo are all about riffs, huge vocals and even more riffs which fit perfectly into the evening, which reminds us of the difficulty settings from your favourite computer game. If Funeral Shakes were the easy, fun setting then Death By Stereo are the medium, harder setting you must conquer before moving onto the hardest setting, which in this case are the mighty Cancer Bats.

And finally, the reason we’re all here. To celebrate 10 years of one of the finest records out there ‘Hail Destroyer.’ Taking the stage to a huge roar from the crowd as you’d expect they kick off proceedings with their no nonsense cover of the famous Beastie Boys track ‘Sabotage’ there are crowd surfers and mosh pits from the get go and these don’t cease until the final note has been played.

Not wanting to go straight into ‘Hail Destroyer’ the guys first build the foundations with a brutal rendition of ‘Bricks & Mortar’ before laying waste to the entire room. Playing through each track with care and precision they sound as huge and chaotic as ever. ‘Sorceress’ and ‘PMA ‘til I’m DOA’ still sound as fresh and engaging as they did a decade ago. But tonight isn’t just about the record, it’s about the bands journey because as they put it “We’d still be working in a tofu factory if it wasn’t for you guys” there’s even time for a few tracks from the bands epic surprise album ‘The Spark That Moves’ before they finish fittingly on yet another chaotic performance of ‘Hail Destroyer’

And just like that Cancer Bats write their own page into the famous Underworld history book by becoming the first band to headline the venue for 4 nights straight. And with the resounding success of their newest record here’s to many more landmarks for the Canadian band. Long live the Cancer Bats.

CHRISTOPHER LEE

It’s crazy to think that Feed The Rhino have been around for the best part of eight years now. Their debut album ‘Mr Red Eye’ was beautifully brutal. But like a fine wine, this record is more matured, more focused.

In places it is somewhat toned down. Second track ‘Losing Ground’, for example, might not be as heavy as some fans would expect, but it’s expertly crafted with some beautiful guitar playing and an almost ballad-like chorus that is sure to be a hit live.

If you’re thinking this new sound might diminish from all that makes Feed The Rhino great, well you couldn’t be more wrong. Embedded in the roots of this record is the mix of thrash, hardcore and punk that the guys have been unleashing over the years, only now it’s more finely blended together. ‘All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy’ is the pinnacle of this convergence, and simply put it is three and a half minutes of brilliance.

Don’t call it a comeback. Feed The Rhino have always been incredible, and this is by far and away their best record. Full of explosive riffs, and brutal yet atmospheric lyrics, overall testament to their skill. Here’s to the next eight years which are still full of potential. They might be even louder than before.

CHRISTOPHER LEE

From start to finish it’s a delightfully pessimistic take on the traditional. Forget love songs and think more anti-love. The almost 50’s sound has a way of bringing out your dancing shoes and is reminiscent of greats such as The Beatles, if they’d been formed in the current generation. Dare we even say it they could even be compared to the late, great Elvis Presley!

’Funeral Shakes’ is 40 minutes of pure, unadulterated fun while still managing to make you feel like it’s ok to never be in love or always be the broken hearted one in your social circle. Tracks like ‘Gin Palace’ and ‘You’re So Bad’ transport you straight into a High School dance from one of a thousand Hollywood movies you’ve seen. Whilst on the other hand the faster paced numbers like ‘Circles’ add an almost punk twist to the record.

One thing’s for sure, the band may not have had the best of luck with their love lives but they’ve certainly poured their hearts and souls into this new project. As well as expert craftsmanship, huge choruses are the tip of the iceberg to an album full of huge hooks, relentless riffs and downright beautiful harmonies.

They may not have been around for very long but Funeral Shakes are making huge waves, not only here at Punktastic HQ but soon to be up and down the country with an early entry for album of the year. Long live the Funeral Shakes!

Christopher Lee

It’s been a bit of a rocky road for Californian band Being As An Ocean. Following the self release of the bands fourth studio album ‘Waiting for Morning to Come’ the bands guitarist Tyler Ross announced that he had bought the rights to the album himself, which caused a lengthy delay in its release. Fans were finally treated to it some 5 months after the original release date and it didn’t disappoint. However the guys never fail to deliver live and their set tonight was no different, the fact that they were supporting may have taken some by surprise but their emotionally charged energy is a joy to behold on any stage, at any time.

Joel Quartuccio’s lyrics have a way of reaching down into the depths of your soul and pulling you into the moment that few can match. The band produce a sound so heavy in places that you almost feel trapped, being drawn in and then hit in the gut by brutal riff after riff. Needless to say the crowd react in the only way they know how with pit after pit after pit. They may have been a support act but Being As An Ocean bring pure excellence to the line up tonight and set up the final set of the night perfectly.

With barely a moment to recover the senses Stick to Your Guns take to the stage, instantly making it their own and launching into a number of tracks from ‘True Views.’ The crowd react in true hardcore fashion with wave after wave of circle pits and crowd surfing. The energy in the room only seems to increase with every breakdown the band throw at them, peaking with classic track ‘Amber’ which sees almost the whole room turned into one big sea of movement.

It was reported that vocalist Jesse Barnett had been suffering with a throat infection but this was certainly not reflected in any way throughout a robust set, which only goes to reassert the bands commitment to providing the best night possible to their fans. After supporting sets with the likes of Architects and Parkway Drive it’s almost a breath of fresh air to see the guys step out of the shadows of some of the biggest hardcore bands around and into their own spotlight. Something that they are long deserving of. 2017 was certainly a huge year for Stick to Your Guns and may they only go from strength to strength in 2018.

CHRISTOPHER LEE

Leeds’ premier hardcore outfit Higher Power are first on the bill and, having already had a huge year with the release of their album ‘Soul Structure’, set the perfect tone for the evening. With their set time being 18:00 you might expect the venue to still be desolate, but those making their way to the floor are greeted by the brutal yet melodic sound that only the Yorkshire lads can deliver. Those who have made it down early feed on the energy provided and tracks like ‘Can’t Relate’ see utter chaos ensue. One band down, three to go and at this rate it’ll be a miracle if the crowd have anything left in them by the time Every Time I Die grace the stage.

There’s barely time to breathe before Kentucky’s finest Knocked Loose hit the stage with zero intention of providing respite for the faithful fans as they turn the evening’s dial up a notch in blistering style. Riff after riff, and thunderous vocals, hit the crowd like a tsunami, crashing and consuming everything in sight. As the band lay waste to this wonderful venue the crowd grows at a steady rate and those witnessing Knocked Loose upon entry are simply blown away. Half way through this epic line up and there’s absolutely no sign of things slowing down in any way, shape or form.

The penultimate band of the night is none other than Canadian hardcore come punks Comeback Kid. Now in their seventeenth year, they certainly know their way around a stage and boy do they deliver. Even with a number of new tracks placed throughout the set, the now-packed KOKO laps up every drop, every riff, every chorus as the band pour their heart and soul into every track like it was the first time they’d ever played a show. When the inevitable sweet tones of ‘Wake the Dead’ signal the end of their set it’s almost with regret, but luckily the best is yet to come.

Every Time I Die never fail to deliver anything but pure unbridled chaos and if you thought the crowd would be spent after witnessing three incredible displays already, you’d be wrong. Front-man Keith Buckley announces “we’re here to fuck you up”, unleashing the beast that is Every Time I Die to an instant mosh pit which engulfs the entirety of the venue floor. As the band smash through track after track there’s absolutely no time to think; better to simply lose your mind and embrace everything they stand for.

Covering a set-list of twenty-plus songs is as insane as this whole night has been, and the guys even manage to pull Frank Turner and Knocked Loose’s Bryan Garris out for guest spots respectively. But what’s more impressive is guitarist Jordan Buckley who, even with a broken foot, manages to set the stage alight and also some of the speakers as he climbs atop them. When the dust settles on this show – which, believe us, will take a while – it’ll seem a miracle that the old, beautiful venue that is KOKO still stands. It will be a long time before a line up as heavy as this graces a stage like this again. This has been undoubtedly one of the best shows of the year, if not the best, and those lucky enough to be in attendance should consider themselves blessed.

CHRISTOPHER LEE

Opening with an incredibly powerful message, the album immediately evokes a wave of emotions and gives an added dimension to the acoustics of opening track ‘For you’. This doesn’t last very long though as it’s immediately followed by the The Used that we’ve all come accustomed to in ‘Cold War Telescreen’ which provides riffs that simply can’t fail to have you up and dancing, especially during the chorus.

Throughout the seventeen tracks, Bert McCracken’s vocals cut deep and bring out the best in the wonderfully melodic sound crafted by the band. When these are coupled with the huge riffs of tracks such as ‘Rise Up Lights’ they embody everything that The Used is. Track after track they hit you with incredibly intelligent song writing and a sound which has seemingly evolved over the years to something much more refined.

It’s an album packed full of influences but what shines through abundantly is an almost bluesy tone to the record. However there is also a number of different sounds floating around the record and it certainly picks up in the middle with the trio of ‘Selfies in Aleppo’, ‘Moving the Mountain (Odysseus Surrenders)’, and ‘Over and Over Again’ which instils, a sense of urgency. In stark contrast the beautiful ballad that is ‘Moon-Dream’ just adds another dynamic to an album which already incorporates so much.

All in all this album seems like the culmination of the bands journey to date, incorporating everything they’ve learnt along the way and catapulting them to a whole new level. This is The Used, evolved.

CHRISTOPHER LEE

You could also be forgiven for thinking he’d take this opportunity to rest up and maybe take a break from music but no, what he’s actually been doing is writing a whole lot of new material. And he’s taking this tour as an opportunity to give fans a first listen to a lot of these new tracks.

Normally you’d expect a band playing such a large number of brand new, never before heard tracks to lose the crowd a little but not Slaves fans. And with Craig in full flow they quickly fall in line picking up the catchy choruses and Craig’s positively beautiful tones. Every new track receives an incredible reaction much to the bands delight, none more so than ‘True Colours’ and if this is anything to go on, the upcoming album is about to blow everything else away.

It’s an absolute pleasure to see a huge smile on Jonny’s face for the entire set, cracking jokes even when the backing track manages to freeze midway through one track and they band decide to restart it. He laughs off requests for his own solo material and from his previous bands like Emarosa, continuing to deliver an exceptional performance. With hits such as ‘The Fire Down Below’ and ‘Downing in My Addiction’  the set draws to a close the crowd are left wanting more.

Tonight has been a hugely successful return for Slaves and if this is an indication for what’s to come then we can’t wait!

CHRISTOPHER LEE

The two piece are no strangers to the UK, having supported American heavy hitters Monster Truck earlier in the year, along with playing Camden’s Desertfest, and they only seem to go from strength to strength with each set.

Tonight is seemingly the perfect intimate setting to put their eccentric and raw talents on display, as the smaller dark room only seems to shine more of a spotlight on Fynn Grabke & Philipp Mirtschink respectively. Mirtschink’s drumming style can only be described as unique, as it’s a rare thing for him to actually finish a set with his kit still intact. Combine this with Grabke’s rasping vocals and mesmerising riffs. and the result is a sound which is simply so huge it really shouldn’t even be possible coming from a two piece band.

From the outset they go about their business in expert fashion, playing a set consisting primarily of tracks from latest record ‘Home is a Heartache’, as well as select cuts from their repertoire. Watching the twosome, you’d be completely forgiven for thinking they’d come straight outta the Californian desert rather than the small German town of Gütersloh they hail from. They have a sound which instantly transports you stateside.

It may not be the type of rock that instigates mosh pits, but you’d be hard pressed to find a member of the packed room not singing along or banging their feet to the drums of Mirtschink. As the set comes to a close, The Picturebooks have once again proven just why every time they visit the UK their following, and their shows, get a little bit bigger. They may be taking the slow and steady approach, but Germany’s most underrated band are only going in one direction, and that’s onward to greatness.

CHRISTOPHER LEE