Nottingham’s local hardcore scene has long been a thriving ecosystem where fans and bands alike come together to celebrate all things rebellious and alternative. The University of Nottingham’s Rock Society recently sought to uplift and prioritise this community, putting together a gig full of pummelling breakdowns, guttural screams and rapturous fan engagement. One thing’s for sure: the fans absolutely love their local acts, and the contemporary scene is in excellent hands.

First up to bat were student band Malediction, playing a covers-heavy indie music set to kick the night off on a lighter, more muted note. This was their debut gig, making this an exciting venture for the group, and the crowd enjoyed a great number of their soulful offerings. However, due to our policy that we won’t cover acts we know personally to avoid undue bias, this article won’t feature a comprehensive review of their set.

Soon after, Silent Confidant came rip-roaring onto the stage to kick the gig into high gear. The trio were a late fill-in after the show’s original headliner— indie group Dantzic— had to drop out last minute due to an injury; Silent Confidant certainly proved themselves worthy of the spot, however, as the group’s enthralling antics and monstrous stage presence made for a fantastic show. Focusing their sound around simple yet effective riffs that get the entire crowd invested, the band embodied hardcore music to a tee, living and breathing the genre at every turn. Though many of the group’s songs did arguably blend together, the live show was hardly affected by this: after all, the fans were more than happy to head bang and mosh to each increasingly momentous, brutal track.

The group are blessed with three endlessly endearing performers, who’s on-stage antics made them wonderfully likeable. Jacob Warren showcased a truly boundless energy behind the kit, engaging in more snare rolls and drum fills than you can shake a stick at— from his blistering drum solos to the slower, groovier backing he provided to the breakdowns, his playing grounded the group’s sound superbly. Bassist Ash Smith was similarly enjoyable to watch, frequently coming out into the crowd to dance around and rile everyone up, and frontman Alex King had crowd engagement down to a tee: the entire set was an act of showmanship, peaking when the band had two audience members fight with foam scythes in the pit. Though the show may have failed to leave us with a desire to check out the band’s studio output, it was nonetheless an infectious and upbeat set that had the whole place rocking— great job on this one, Silent Confidant.

Tor Rot came on to play their first headline gig to a slightly diminished crowd: it seemed that Silent Confidant had pulled a number of their own fans to the venue, who had since left. Even still, the band launched into their set, self-described as ‘post-metal,’ with confidence. Initial single ‘deviate,’ which was saved for the end of the show, fits this description perfectly, sporting a beautifully withdrawn atmosphere and soft, clean vocals: this track inarguably got the best reaction of any of Tor Rot’s originals, making it a natural choice for the end of the set.  The most climactic moments, however, came when the band covered two System Of A Down songs— both ‘Suite-Pee’ and ‘Toxicity’ absolutely brought the house down as the band crushed each drum fill and guitar riff, making the latter the perfect way to end the entire event.

The label of ‘post-metal’ arguably does a poor job of summarising the remainder of the group’s original material, however, and it’s these other tracks that brought the show down somewhat. Lying somewhere in the realm of hardcore, the rest of the band’s set was filled with increasingly dissonant and brutal breakdowns, often interspersed with softer moments. Many of Tor Rot’s riffs and hooks are impactful, no doubt, but not so immersive or high-energy as Silent Confidant’s before— Silent Confidant may well disagree, however, as their bassist managed to injury his knee while moshing to the band. Most damning of all, however, were the group’s vocals, which sounded so unhealthy as to be almost ear-splitting at times: imagine a dying seagull, if you will. Tor Rot’s frontman is certainly talented to make such sounds, but when even the clean vocals became increasingly strained and spotty towards the show’s end, the concern could certainly be raised as to whether this style of singing is healthy. Make no mistake, however: though some elements of their sound didn’t really resonate with us, Tor Rot were nonetheless a confident and suitably heavy end to the event, stepping into the role of headliner quite naturally. With further refinement, and more songs as sweet and touching as ‘deviate,’ the band could excel, and we would love to see it.