Loathe - The Asylum, Birmingham 11.02.2020
At the frontline of new beginnings for Metal stands Loathe, Liverpool’s freshest meat for heavy music whose genre defying style puts them at the catalyst of change for Metal in 2020. Their latest tour swoops them across the UK in support of their latest LP ‘I Let It In And It Took Everything’, bringing along the scenes rising underdogs Phoxjaw and God Complex to raise all kinds of hell.
God Complex and Phoxjaw unleashed a ruthless wrath onto a packed-out room of fans, almost squashed together like sardines. On first impressions basis, the two bands are an unstoppable force in their own right and both put on a show-stopping, off-the-wall performance that rekindles an old flame for grotty, cramped basement gigs and the intense atmosphere they have. Whilst borrowing influences from previous genres, both bands find their own in music and offer a unique, refreshing perspective to what’s already been done. Both put on a jaw-dropping performance and are bands to keep on the radar.
Loathe kicked things off with a familiar track ‘Red Room’, taken from their latest LP. The drastic climax of the song felt like a perfect fit to electrify the crowd and thus, moshpits broke out like clockwork.
An interesting point of Loathe’s discography that feeds into their live performances is their versatility. The Liverpudlian four-piece don’t care for clichés and won’t limit their creativity with the bounds of what’s already been done in Metal. Songs can juxtapose between the soulful harmonies in 'Screaming', to the rage-fueled nightmare of 'Aggressive Evolution'. This translates beautifully into their live performances, you never know what’s coming and that anticipation leaves audience members with a blood lust for more, bringing them to the brink of insanity when the breakdown hits.
Loathe have always been a conceptual band, in their early days they went by alias and had stage masks and to this day they carry the same mantra of their high-energy music into their performances. Leading vocalist Kadeem France could be seen practically bouncing off the walls and leaping into the crowd which the crowd appreciated greatly because to them I imagine it’s nice to break down the barriers and sing together.
Though they are commemorating their latest release, they didn’t skip a beat in paying tribute to their earlier works as ‘Banshee’ and ‘The Cold Sun’ found their way to the set list for older fans. Arguably fans were the powerhouse of this show, leading the way for the room’s chaotic energy and singing the words even louder than the band. Even before the first act, God Complex, came on the room was packed to its brim. It’s evident that Loathe have risen from the underground scene and established themselves as a ruthless force, with their next album taking the scene by storm. Overall, an awesome and unforgettable night.
Loathe - https://www.facebook.com/loatheasone/
Phoxjaw - https://www.facebook.com/phoxjawofficial/
God Complex - https://www.facebook.com/GodComplexUK/
Review - Yasmine Summan
