Club Academy is absolutely PACKED this evening, with a whole different assortment of metalheads, both young and old. This is a stacked lineup, featuring hardcore/deathcore bands that have been around over a decade and also bands that are new to the scene. The crowd is excited for them all, and the underground room at Manchester Academy is bursting at the seams from the get-go.
Big Ass Truck I.E.
First on the bill tonight is the subtly monikered hardcore five-piece Big Ass Truck I.E. Coming from San Bernardino, California, this is their first time in the UK, and you can tell they are surprised at how many people know EXACTLY who they are, evident by the huge pit that opens up almost immediately. Lead singer Abel Abarca is a formidable frontman with a distinctive hardcore vocal style and an easy way with the crowd. You’d think they had been doing this for years, but the band only formed in 2024. Their set is hugely energetic, powerful and extremely entertaining, and despite not having an album yet (just EPs and singles), the pit is absolutely frantic. After treating us to a new unreleased track, they come to the end of their set with their self-titled song ‘Big Ass Truck’, with the opening words (BIG! ASS! TRUCK! HOOOONK!) being roared back at them by the audience. Having recently signed to Nuclear Blast Records, it’s clear Big Ass Truck I.E. have a bright future in front of them, and judging by both the crowd reaction and the MASSIVE line for merch immediately after they exit the stage, they need to come back to the UK as soon as possible. An incredible start to the night!
Psycho-Frame
Next up is Atlanta-based “spinkick deathcore” band Psycho-Frame, who bring a completely different kind of chaotic energy to the stage. They are brutal, raw and bring a stripped-down vibe to their show, with the main focus being crushing riffs and the frenetic dual vocals of frontmen Michael Sugars and Colter Adams. Taking most of their setlist from their incredible 2025 album Salvation Laughs in the Face of a Grieving Mother, the crowd knows exactly what’s coming and they are SO excited, with pits opening up and crowdsurfers putting the venue security to work. The twin vocals work extremely well, making their set fast, aggressive and breathlessly non-stop. Vocalist Michael takes a moment to tell us that “the only good thing about America is the Diet Coke, the rest is a dumpster fire,” to massive cheers from the crowd. They seem genuinely happy with the crowd reaction, with their mix of fast thrash-style riffs and seriously heavy breakdowns creating a chaotic show that feeds the vibe of the crowd very well indeed, causing them to exclaim that the best thing at this gig is all the crowdsurfers. Having only visited the UK once before last year in support of Malevolence, it’s obvious they need their own headline tour very soon!
Ingested
There’s been a lot of talk about local slamming deathcore band Ingested online recently, with their new vocalist being unceremoniously sacked just days after their new album announcement, after SA allegations surfaced online. The crowd is curious how the band will perform with yet another new (albeit temporary) vocalist in Adam Mercer, ex-vocalist of A Wake In Providence. They needn’t have worried. Adam is a beast of a man with great stage presence and, dare I say it, a more mature and powerful voice than his predecessor. Being a Manchester band and having been around since 2006, they have a pit opening up immediately and crowdsurfers flinging themselves over the barrier from the get-go. With a large back catalogue of tunes to play, they cover songs from many different albums, keeping the crowd guessing but also playing classic tracks to keep everyone happy too. There isn’t much room for banter in this set (apart from Mercer briefly mentioning the “unique circumstances” that led him to be on the stage) but it’s pure crushing brutality from the first song to the last. Ending the set on classic track ‘Skinned and Fucked’ from their first album, this could easily have been a headlining set, but this night isn’t over yet.
Bodysnatcher
The room is absolutely roasting by the time Florida hardcore/deathcore lads Bodysnatcher take the stage, sweat pouring from everyone and making for one extremely damp pit. Not that anyone cares, because from the first bars of opening track ‘The Maker’ the crowd is absolutely going off. ‘The Maker’ is a brand new track from their upcoming album Hell Is Here, Hell Is Home, and it’s the epitome of the perfect opening song for a band as heavy as Bodysnatcher, with its middle refrain of “Are you scared???” followed by the roar of “YOU FUCKING SHOULD BE!!” being the perfect introduction to their intense and aggressive set. Vocalist Kyle Medina is not what you expect, however. He’s personable, smiley, taking great joy in using English swear words on the crowd (“get this pit moving you bellends!!”) and completely at odds, in a good way, with the brutal riffs and intense lyrics that often delve into real-life struggles rather than the usual gore and violence of many bands of the same genres. He’s obviously absolutely delighted to be here, demanding “Everybody say AAAAAAAAAH!” at multiple points, talking about how this is the most awesome show ever because of the crowd reaction and all the crowdsurfers.
This is Bodysnatcher’s first ever headline tour of the UK, having previously supported Ingested on a US run, so it’s interesting to see how the students have become the teachers and this time Ingested is supporting them. But it’s easy to see why. Their set is relentless, the insane breakdowns sending the pits crazy, the crowdsurfers never-ending. They really are a fantastic live band. The reaction to their newer tracks from the upcoming album is just as intense as it is for the more well-known songs. They take tracks from multiple albums and EPs throughout their career and each track is just as well received as the last. Set closer ‘King of the Rats’ is seriously punishing, full of bass drops and frantic riffs, and is as perfect a closer as ‘The Maker’ is an opener, before a beaming Medina thanks the crowd for an awesome show. We all leave, sweaty and satiated, sporting bruises from the pit or sore necks from all the moshing.
It’s rare that a four-band show gets as much love for the first band as for the last, but this was a special night. All four bands were excellent, all four brought excitement, brutality and neverending riffs, and I for one can’t wait to see Big Ass Truck I.E. and Psycho-Frame do their own headline shows here in the (hopefully) not too distant future. Gone are the days where no one has heard of the support acts, and it’s a real pleasure to see so many bands bring established but lesser-known bands on tour with them to get them more exposure. That means the fans get more than their money’s worth when every single band on a £25 ticket is excellent!
