Live Review: Paleface Swiss at Electric Brixton, London

There are very few things more satisfying than watching a band ascend to their peak, and Paleface Swiss are right on that trajectory. Having outgrown their previous planned London venue, O2 Academy Islington, this sold-out show at Electric Brixton was proof of their growing dominance. 

The venue upgrade allowed for an extra 700 people, raising the capacity from 800 to 1,500, and that additional space was certainly put to good use. The crowd was relentless, with wave after wave of crowd surfers launching themselves over the barrier.

The tour manager revealed to me that at their Bristol show (at the 1,100-capacity SWX), security had to deal with around 120 crowd surfers, so it’s terrifying to imagine just how many bodies went over at this gig. 

As a photographer in the pit for the first three songs of each band, I found myself dodging incoming fans more times than I could count.

Even before Paleface Swiss hit the stage, a looming noose and gallows hung ominously above the drum kit, setting the scene for what was to come. The support acts did an incredible job of driving up the energy.

Desolated

Southampton’s own Desolated kicked off the night, setting the stage to absolute chaos with a brutal set that perfectly embodied modern hardcore music. Tony Evans, now on lead vocals, owned that stage with an intimidating presence, pacing up and down, he was unstoppable. 

Their sound, while rooted in classic hardcore, incorporated thrashy and blackened elements, making for an explosive start to the night. The crowd was all in from the start, with circle pits breaking out instantly and surfers racing to get over the barrier. 

The Acacia Strain

The Acacia Strain followed, bringing their signature fusion of death metal and hardcore. Vocalist Vincent Bennett, dressed in a cap, windbreaker, and shorts, looked more like an audio tech than a frontman – but the second he opened his mouth, any doubts disappeared. His guttural, gnarly vocals, combined with the band’s crushing instrumentation of crushing guitar riffs and stonking bass, turned the venue into a battlefield from Jarhead. He took swigs from his water bottle only to spit it back at the crowd and even onto drummer Matt Guglielmo, whose pedal work was insanely precise. Their set reached its peak when they closed out by drenching the front rows with an entire bottle of water – just in case they weren’t already drenched in sweat.

Honestly the energy that this band was building up from the start of their set up until the bitter end was phenomenal.

Paleface Swiss

Now… Paleface Swiss aren’t ones for classic rockstar theatrics BUT they made the crowd wait nearly thirty minutes after The Acacia Strain wrapped up, letting the anticipation build to diabolical levels.

When they finally took the stage, it was with thunderous applause and cheers, and well… their entrance just that matched the intensity of their music. From the very first note, the energy was unmatched.

Their setlist, while unsurprising, was exactly what fans wanted. Eight of the thirteen songs were pulled from their latest album CURSED, which made sense given the tour’s name, The Cursed Tou, to showcase their new albumr. The remaining five tracks were absolute bangers: “Nail to the Tooth,” “Pain,” “Suppressing Times,” “Please End Me,” and my personal favourite “The Gallow.”

“The Gallow” was the defining moment of the night. The crowd went completely feral, and security could barely keep up with the sheer number of crowd surfers. It was chaos in the best way possible.

It was truly a show to remember, the lighting setup for this tour was particularly impressive, with strobes and moles perfectly timed to each breakdown. The looming noose above drummer Cassiano “Cassi” Toma added an extra layer of theatrics, reinforcing the dark and heavy aesthetic of the band.

This was, without a doubt, one of the best shows I’ve seen this year. We may only be in March, but Paleface Swiss have set an incredibly high bar. If this gig is anything to go by, their rise isn’t slowing down anytime soon.