Connecticut metalcore giants Boundaries arrived in London over the weekend as part of their European tour promoting their newest release, Death Is Little More. The Dome in Tufnell Park barely contained the violent yet tender energy of the headliner, with everyone surrendering and completely losing control to the sound of their set. Joining them on tour were Varials, Dagger Threat, and No Face No Case.
I think the carnage would have been even bigger if the stage hadn’t been so high, but that didn’t stop some of the more possessed fans. Although it was Boundaries playing, there was no barrier in existence that could have separated them from their loving fans. Standing in that tightly packed crowd, I could feel the love, I could see the joy, and I could experience the chaos of their cute aggression—everyone moving in all directions. It was a long Sunday evening, and prior to the headliner we had three additional acts—we were definitely not shortchanged.
Boundaries’ set was 15 songs long, with just under half of the material coming from the new album. There was no buildup—they simply entered the stage, picked up their instruments, and got straight to it, instantly raising your blood pressure. Opening with Turning Hate Into Rage made things intense—fast. The band was pumped up, the crowd was pumped up. Everyone was in the air. Song after song, fresh faces were jumping toward the stage. The whole central area of the pit was reserved for those doing their hardcore dance. People knew the lyrics—walking amongst the crowd, I could hear them reciting with great intensity. Everyone chanted along to some of their biggest hits like My Body Is a Cage and Survived By. But it was toward the second act that things truly boiled over. The last three songs ensured there were no more rules left—and with the sound of the closing Easily Erased, half the room was on stage in a full-blown invasion. This was a memorable show for anyone who came to The Dome that day.
Coming along on this journey through Europe were three other insanely good bands. Varials joined Boundaries, making it a US-headliner duo with their Philadelphia-style blend of nu-metalcore and hardcore punk. I personally anticipated them, as their album In Darkness makes a regular appearance on my playlist—especially their short but intensely atmospheric song Romance. It’s a delicious, hard-hitting track, almost reaching the sonic highs of Deftones, and to echo the lyrics, I truly feel “closer to God” when listening to it. Live, the band was submerged in their signature deep blue lighting, almost drowning us in melodic aggression. It was rough seas in the pit, for sure! Fans expressed themselves without holding back. Varials’ more recent work, their 2022 album Scars for You to Remember, explores more melodic aspects of metalcore, which we heard live that evening. Don’t get me wrong when I say melodic—these were still heavy-hitting, down-tuned riff bombs.
German band Dagger Threat brought their own spin on hardcore, death, and nu-metal, embracing more aggressive peripheries with a fun mix of background samples in their backing tracks. They describe themselves as a “Y2K force,” and I agree—there was something about them that captured the crossover between classic metal and heavy industrial/early-internet aesthetics. Currently, they’re promoting their new single Becoming.
Opening the night, we saw the nu-beatdown straight from Prague: one of the biggest representatives of this genre in Czechia, No Face No Case. Their slam was mean, and I loved every second of it. It was the first time I heard such a cool combination of genres—it was soothing to my ears as someone who grew up on nu-metal. There was trap, too! Everything felt crafted “in the hood,” vibing with that urban beat-meets-GTA-rampage aesthetic. A must-listen!
Boundaries are still touring with this incredible entourage across Germany, wrapping up their run on April 26th in Cologne—catch them if you can.