New Cross Inn is a pilgrimage destination for underground bands from all over the metal universe. This time, it hosted the third edition of the hardcore, screamo and extreme metal festival Reality Unfolds —a flagship event for the UK scene and the community surrounding the bands. Organized by a true legend – I lost count of how many times those performing on stage extended their thank you for putting this together – Theo Araby and Real Life Presents. It’s taken him a year to get together 28 bands to play across three days on that small London stage (including the legendary Ringworm!). I was there on behalf of Metal Junkbox on Saturday and Sunday, and trust me—when I say I had no idea what I was getting myself into, I mean it. Spoiler alert: it’s been days since the festival, and I’m still not fully recovered.
How did Reality Unfolds become a reality?
Theo shared with us his story and what pushed him to take action:
Reality Unfolds takes influence from some of the best times of my life watching bands at Fluff, Damnation and Outbreak, trying to combine all those heavy and weird sounds into a blend of styles across the underground scenes. I learned a lot about doing this from helping out on the final Upsurge fest, and when they stopped putting on shows I knew we needed to put our own stamp on things.”
Saturday
He really cooked this year. Saturday’s lineup was practically back-to-back extreme or hardcore. I didn’t know what to expect before arriving. Sure, I’d listened to hardcore bands in the comfort of my home. I’d also seen videos online of crowds going absolutely batshit crazy—kick-spinning, throwing crowd kills, windmills, two-step. I’d even witnessed tiny pockets of this at the “regular” metal shows I usually go to. Watching this unfold in front of me that day was like watching a powerful dance. There was choreography to it—one that might leave behind some bruises or even make you bleed a little, but still – dance. After Saturday, nothing feels heavy anymore either. That’s it—I’ve hit the bottom pit of my metal iceberg.
But beyond the surface-level stuff you see and talk about within the hardcore community, there’s something else bubbling just beneath: a strong sense of unity and connection. It was clear from the start that everyone in the venue was part of something bigger than themselves—a larger collective. Watching the interactions in the pit and on stage was beautiful. People clearly knew each other, the bands, the lyrics. Vocalists happily handed the mic, letting the fans finish verses. At times, a mountain of people would pile up on top of the stage, fighting over who gets to growl or scream. The sheer stamina and form of some of the kids there were mind-blowing too—12 bands played on Saturday, and they raged in the pit every single time, sprinting left to right or pulling off their acrobatics.
Did I get hit by flying limbs? Yes—but that’s just part of the deal. Did they check on me after I fell or got nicked? Absolutely—because everyone was looking out for each other. It was organized chaos, a space where people could express their emotions with their entire body and soul, shedding whatever they needed to release. It wasn’t just about performing songs either – the stage gives you access to say your truths. Supernova vocalist used the platform to bring out the issue of violence against women. War, especially in Palestine was mentioned multiple times throughout the weekend as well, encouraging peace.
The band-to-band support was incredible. One of my pet peeves during long shows like this is seeing musicians show up but not supporting each other—waiting their turn away from the main stage instead of engaging with the music. There was no space for that here – I saw the same faces on and off the stand, right in the heart of the action, elevating and hyping each other up. Huge respect for you folks—you’ve got my heart.
Saturday was a packed day that at times felt neverending, but one moment stood out to me above the rest: No Relief’s set. Before they played, the atmosphere felt like the calm before a storm—like something was about to explode. You could feel the adrenaline bubbling up and radiating from everyone in the venue. And then… absolute carnage. Random people ran up and down the stage, crowd-surfing while the relentless hardcore pit surged on. What started as a loud and wild afternoon became pure, unfiltered mayhem. New Cross Inn was packed to the brim and the walls and windows dripped from a mix of sweat and condensation.
Sunday
On Sunday, I wasn’t the only one feeling exhausted. You could see it on many faces—it had been quite a hectic weekend. The festival was neatly planned, anticipating the need for a more chilled-out closing day. But don’t get me wrong—the lineup was far from acoustic. Personally, Sunday hit my tastes the hardest, and it was the day I’d been looking forward to the most. As much as I’ve embraced hardcore over the weekend, my regular playlist isn’t usually that loud.
I want you to go home with 3 new favourite bands and realise that actually, the hardcore and screamo and extreme metal scenes are a lot closer to each other than you thought
To echo Theo’s words, I feel like his goal for the festival was achieved.I discovered a handful of new bands that instantly became staples in my music library—Church of the Rat, Flesh Creep, Hidden Mothers, and Perp Walk, to name a few. Running at full capacity for most of the weekend, we are confident everyone found a new band to obsess about. I urge you to check out this incredible lineup, even if you missed the event. Some of them will be making headlines very soon.
The ultimate highlight of Sunday was forging new friendships. When you’re voluntarily confined to the same space for eight hours a day throughout a weekend, you quickly realize how much you have in common with those around you—especially that shared love for the music you’re all experiencing together. In small scenes like this, there’s something special about being able to speak to the artists about the songs they just played, share a friendly chat about anything with someone who happens to be standing next to you, or even exchange a simple smile or nod across the room that says, “Good to see you again.”
Looking forward
To wrap up this article, let me leave you with something to look forward to. What will Theo and Real Life Presents bring to us next?
Real Life Presents is still putting shows on all year round – we just announced All Out War for a show in July and that’s only the first one of our Summer jams to go live. I know who I want to invite to Reality Unfolds 2026, and the first few messages have already been sent. It never ends up exactly how I expect it to at this point but the final poster is always something special!
We are confident that 2026 will be as good or even better than this year! Metal Junkbox will be watching these events closely and hopefully, we will see you in the pit soon.
Did you miss out? Check out the 2025 playlist below: