“If I survive this concert, there is a god and he’s taking care of me”, that’s what I told myself before catching my train and heading to the insanely stacked lineup playing on 4/20 at Trix. Having Graphic Nature, UnityTX, Crystal Lake and thrown on the same bill should by itself be considered a violent crime.
Spoiler: I did not survive.
Who Are You When No One Is Watching? – Graphic Nature
UK-born Graphic Nature were the first to take the Trix Club stage, and their presence was absolutely relentless, giving the crowd zero seconds of respite. With a setlist packed with pure adrenaline, they kicked things off with ‘Headstone’, quickly following up with ‘Locked In’ and ‘Sour’ – during which Harvey Freeman joined the crowd for the final breakdown.
Having no barrier – especially at a hardcore show – really ties into the true experience. It’s not just about going to a show, watching some bands get on stage, play their set, and go home. It’s about living the set together, with the band giving it their all less than a meter from your face.
Like many of us, Harvey comes from a background where showing emotions – especially as a man – is seen as weakness. That’s what ‘White Noise’ is all about: empowering the new generation not to suppress their feelings, but to speak openly and find a space outside their own minds to let it all out.
To close it off, Graphic Nature ended their set with ‘Bad Blood’ and ‘Fractured’. With this show, they proved they deserve way more than an opening slot. The quintet have been going strong since their first release in 2019, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down.
Setlist: Headstone – Locked In – Sour – N.F.A. – Killing Floor – White Noise – Bad Blood – Fractured
full gallery here
This is that Rock shit, hardbody – UnityTX
After a trip to England, we’re hopping the pond straight into the Deep South to get absolutely steamrolled by UnityTX.
It was literally impossible not to start moving the second they kicked off with ‘WORLD OF MALICE’ from their 2024 EP Playing Favorites. You don’t need scenography, flashy visuals, or coordinated outfits when you can just hit the stage and drop absolutely nasty beatdown riffs that get the crowd hyped instantly.
UnityTX’s signature approach to songwriting transcends any musical barrier. Their fusion of hip-hop roots with metal is a seriously refreshing blast of energy. Tracks like ‘CROSS ME’, ‘HEINOUS’, and ‘BANG SH!T’ showcase just how versatile this four-piece really is.
We even got a girls-only pit during ‘DIAMOND DIEZ’, before Jay Webster jumped into the crowd to close their set with ‘RUCKUS’ and ‘ROC SH!T’. I truly hope these guys come back to Europe with more material soon, because they’ve proven they’re masters of crowd control – getting every single person moving, no exceptions.
Setlist: WORLD OF MALICE – PLAYING FAVORITES – CROSS ME – HEINOUS – BANG SH!T – HAIL MARY – DIAMOND DIEZ – RUCKUS – ROC SH!T
full gallery here
Prove yourself if you wanna get some – Crystal Lake
Continuing our world tour, we’re making a stop in Tokyo, Japan, for Crystal Lake’s takeover of Trix Club next!
With a setlist tailored to match the brutality of the lineup, it was an all-out slaughter. Crystal Lake showed no mercy, diving straight into ‘BlüdGod’, their latest single, before launching into ‘Disobey’ and throwing the crowd into chaos – stage dives, crowd surfing, moshing, the whole deal.
John Centorrino, their new vocalist, is a force to be reckoned with. The energy he channels into the crowd through his sheer stage presence – backed by the rest of the band – is impossible to ignore.
After whipping the room into a frenzy, they followed up with ‘Hail to the Fire’ and ‘SIX FEET UNDER’, handing the mic to multiple crowd members to scream “GTS” and “dig” at full volume.
The Japanese quintet then tore into ‘Mephisto’ off their 2021 EP Curse. It was around this point I noticed John’s PA speaker was dented from where he’d been stepping on it – but judging by how he flipped it on its side, used it as a stool, and even planted both feet on it during ‘Lost in Forever’, that thing’s probably seen worse.
They closed out the set with ‘Apollo’, getting the crowd to scream along to one of the catchiest choruses the band has ever written. It’s clear that Crystal Lake has cemented themselves among the most beloved metalcore bands to ever walk the Belgian soil – especially after their equally successful Graspop 2024 show.
Setlist: BlüdGod – Disobey – Hail to the Fire – SIX FEET UNDER – Mephisto – Denial – Rebirth – Lost in Forever – Apollo
full gallery here
EXTENDED PAIN. EXCESSIVE GUILT. – thrown
and for our last stop, we’re heading back to stockholm for the night’s cherry on the cake – thrown. i’ve said it before when they opened for while she sleeps, and i’ll say it again: what are they feeding swedes? these guys have been pumping out banger after banger, delivering some of the best metalcore sweden has to offer.
with barely 16 tracks under their belt, thrown have become one of the most prevalent bands responsible for the sonic assault of 2024. it’s impossible to have missed them, and even more impossible to forget them after witnessing such an impeccably destructive display of stage presence.
they played 14 of their 16 songs, skipping only ‘fast forward’ from EXTENDED PAIN and ‘ignored’ from EXCESSIVE GUILT. the four-piece unleashed wave after wave of crushing riffs, earworm choruses, and some of the most brutally efficient drums around. sadly, the legendary buster odeholm is currently on tour in north america with humanity’s last breath, so markus matz stepped in – as he often does – to take the throne behind the kit.
full gallery here
for a setlist barely clocking in at 30 minutes, it was an unstoppable train – no filler between songs, just pure, unadulterated violence. ‘backfire’, ‘nights’, and ‘look at me’ kicked things off, followed by ‘parasite’, ‘bloodsucker’, and ‘vent’.
aside from a quick thank-you to the crowd, thrown barely spoke – plowing through the set like a train threatening to jump the tracks. it’s hard to separate the songs because of their sharp, direct nature and seamless flow. tracks like ‘dislike’ and ‘new low’ are prime examples – flipping between brutal breakdowns and two-step-worthy high-tempo riffs with surgical precision.
to close it off, we got the now-iconic ‘on the verge’, immediately followed by ‘so done’, and ending with the song that started it all – ‘grayout’, the band’s first-ever released track.
topping many “ones to watch” lists, thrown are fast becoming chart-topping contenders. from worldwide headlining tours to opening for metalcore heavyweights like while she sleeps, knocked loose, and architects, they’re making it clear – these guys are tomorrow’s heavyhitters.
setlist : backfire – nights – look at me – parasite – bloodsucker – vent -dislike – new low – guilt – bitter friend – dwell – on the verge – so done – grayout