A Work of Art Tour finally rolled into Ancienne Belgique, a date announced eight months ago and instantly circled in red on our calendar. In fact, there was no way CMA was missing this one ! Tickets disappeared almost as soon as they went on sale and the hype around the show only grew from there. And honestly, the lineup alone was enough to justify the excitement. From TX2 to Creeper, to the metalcore kings The Devil Wears Prada and the long-anticipated return of Ice Nine Kills, November 26 shaped up to be a dream night for anyone who lives for heavy music with a horror twist : and it absolutely delivered.
“Fuck you if you think you’re too cool to do this” : Unpredictable opening with TX2 !
Announced just a few months after the official reveal of the A Work of Art tour, TX2 hit the stage with the kind of tension you can feel in the air, that unspoken sense that they had something to prove. Their reputation definitely precedes them and you could tell some people in the crowd weren’t sure what to expect. As for me, I was genuinely curious. I wanted to see Timothy Evan Thomas, the mind and voice behind the band with my own eyes
And honestly, their set turned out to be a genuinely pleasant surprise. they showed up exactly as they are, no filter, delivering a set that easily outshined acts far more established in the scene, the kind you’d normally expect to raise the bar but where you feel a bit disappointed. What stood out most was how much TX2 love performing. You could feel their joy of being onstage, the hunger to make the moment count. It was refreshing to see the human behind the mic instead of someone running through a rehearsed routine for the thousandth time.
Controversial or not, one thing’s undeniable: their energy is contagious. The emo roots are impossible to miss, I even had moments where I felt flashes of Escape The Fate melodies. And even if I’m not drawn to their studio work, the live version was convincing enough especially when a band gives that much of themselves !
SETLIST : Feed – Vendetta – HOSTAGE (they will not erase us) – Vampire By Rumor – Mad – I Would Hate Me Too
Creeper’s immersive Sanguivore reign takes over Ancienne Belgique
Straight out of Southampton., Creeper brought with them a dark and theatrical energy that very few bands manage to pull off so effortlessly. Six members onstage, all dressed in their own style blending rock, goth and a touch of glam, immediately set the pace. From the beginning, it was clear that they inhabit a universe entirely their own and it’s almost funny to think back to their show nearly ten years ago with Pierce The Veil, long before their sound evolved into what it is today.
Watching from the balcony, I couldn’t take my eyes off Hannah Greenwood, whose vocals and synth lines added a haunting elegance to Will Gould’s performance ! About their show : their set drew exclusively from Sanguivore (2023) and Sanguivore II: Mistress of Death (2025), two albums that marked a real turning point in the band’s evolution. And that’s exactly what makes Creeper so fascinating: their style is almost impossible to pin down.
Each era feels like a complete reinvention, so much so that many people genuinely think they’ve changed singers over the years even if they haven’t. They’re simply talented and bold enough to reshape their identity whenever they feel the story calls for it.
That night, I loved their unique vibe, that commitment to aesthetics that so many bands are too scared to push. Even if the crowd seemed a bit less responsive, I’d go see Creeper again without hesitation, especially in a smaller venue where their immersive atmosphere could truly take over the room !
SETLIST : A Shadow Stirs (intro) – Mistress of Death – Lovers Led Astray – Headstones – The Ballad of Spook & Mercy – Parasite – Cry To Heaven
The Devil Wears Prada : the perfect balance between heritage and evolution
In a night already defined by many different acts, The Devil Wears Prada did claim the crown for reinvention. If you are familiar with the band, I’m pretty sure you know how versatile their discography is. Which is exactly why their sets always feel too short but impossibly packed. And honestly, who could blame them? Their career has shaped entire generations of metalcore-music fans.
They opened their set with ‘Ritual‘, the very first single from Flowers (released on November 14, 2025). And to me, this track is the perfect bridge between their new direction and the worlds of The Act (2019) and Color Decay (2022). Then came ‘Sacrifice‘ (during which I fully abandoned my spot to go crowdsurf) and ‘Chemical‘, both now recognised as metalcore anthems screamed back at every show.
Knowing how hard it is to satisfy an audience that’s followed them through so many eras, they played it smart by blending new tracks with undeniable classics. And when they pulled out two of their oldest songs : ‘Danger: Wildman‘ and ‘Outnumbered‘, the vibe just shifted. I paid for it with a three-day neck injury but it was worth every second!
I won’t pretend to be neutral: the more I listen to this band the more I become obsessed with their work, and once again their performance hit me straight in the chest. Even more so knowing that Mike Hranica had just come out of a hospital stay a few days before the Brussels date. With more than 20 years in the making, The Devil Wears Prada continue to reinvent themselves without ever losing the core of who they are. That ability to grow while staying true to themself is exactly what makes their legacy so strong. If that’s not commitment, I don’t know what is.
SETLIST : Ritual - Danger: Wildman - Outnumbered - Salt - Everybody Knows - So Low – For You - Chemical (Extended version) – Sacrifice
Welcome to Brussels: Where INK delivered a truly gore and terrific performance !
After their appearance at Graspop, it was only a matter of time before Ice Nine Kills returned to Belgian soil and you could feel months of anticipation snap the second the first notes hit. And they went straight for the fan-favorite: ‘Meat & Greet‘, ‘Funeral Derangements‘, ‘Hip To Be Scared‘, ‘Stabbing In The Dark‘. Songs everyone knows by heart, to the point that the collective screaming was probably louder than the actual mix.
If I had to describe the stage production in one word, it would be : impressive. That’s really what sets Ice Nine Kills apart. In just a few seconds, they manage to pull you headfirst into their horror universe without ever losing their grip on the show. While many metal bands keep staging to a minimum or fall into repetition, every detail in an INK show feels obsessively planned. From the acting, the transitions, the props and even the rotating costumes (Joker, Pennywise, Art the Clown… you name it) worn by the actors, everything was perfectly timed with the performance
Just like their music videos, their live show plays out like a full horror theatre production. Each track has its own identity, usually inspired by iconic and classic horror movies. And their scenography turns tracks like ‘Welcome To Horrorwood‘ and ‘The Shower Scene‘ into immersive set pieces thanks to the VHS-style visuals, prop reveals, fake fights and slasher skits that add a nearly meta layer to the whole experience. You feel like you’re rewatching the movie, revisiting their clip video and living inside their album all at once.
As for frontman Spencer Charnas, he delivered a standout performance. I was genuinely shocked by how fast he vanished offstage and came back fully transformed into another horror villain within seconds. Shows with four-act lineups can sometimes drag, but not here ! Ice Nine Kills band kept the energy high from start to finish. Even the transitions felt seamless thanks to the massive screens syncing perfectly with the narrative flow of the concert.
And as for the covers they played, I found them more than daring and I don’t think I’ll ever forget that actor dressed as the sun, wielding a hatchet and dancing to the beat of Katrina and the Waves lyrics : Now I’m walking on sunshine, woah-oh ! With the audience fully screaming the lyrics and the band’s near-crazy energy… And spoiler alert: ultimately even the sun died that night !
At the end of the concert and for the first time ever, I caught myself actually wanting to write about a band’s merch. To me, their selection was surprisingly impressive, going from a huge range of shirts, hoodies, vinyl, CDs, and even a makeup palette ! Even if not all of it was my personal style, I loved seeing a merch table that felt this unique and intentional. And special mention for the Pop-Up Store taking place at Ritter Studio on the day of the show.
SETLIST : Red Right Hand ((Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds)) – Meat & Greet - Funeral Derangements – Hip to Be Scared - Stabbing in the Dark - Wurst Vacation - Walking on Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves cover) - Rainy Day - The Great Unknown - Ex-Mørtis - Farewell II Flesh - The Impression That I Get (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones cover) - A Grave Mistake - The Laugh Track - The Greatest Story Ever Told - The Shower Scene - Opening Night… - Welcome to Horrorwood - IT Is the End - Encore: The American Nightmare - A Work of Art
By the end of this terrific Ancienne Belgique night, each band manage to bring their own energy and also their own way of connecting with the audience. From TX2’s energy, Creeper’s vampiric set, The Devil Wears Prada’s reinvention, to Ice Nine Kills’ amazing horror spectacle, what could have been just another random concert memory became a genuinely memorable experience. Here we can say that A Work of Art Tour lived up to its name (to the point where some fans in the venue were calling it their best show of 2025)!