Tonight we’re back at Rebellion for some up close and personal metal, and despite the early doors it's already pretty busy for first band on Gideon. These lads from Alabama deliver a modern take on 90’s hardcore-punk which is aggressive, intense and emotive. Their original more melodic-hardcore roots show through on occasion, but it’s the brutal elements in the vein of Madball and Lionheart that have the crowd pumped throughout. Tyler Riley delivers a guitar sound very similar to tonight’s Thomas Williams of Stray from the Path, with plenty of crunch and power. Frontman Daniel McWhorter prowls the stage in his checked shirt with such commanding stage presence that even when Andrew "Drew York" Dijorio from Stray From The Path makes a brief appearance (for guest vocals on ‘2 Close’) his is really only a featuring role in a classic hardcore juggernaut.

Liverpool's Loathe take to the stage next. It’s fair to say that this band are already favourites of ROCKFLESH, but I have to say tonight they’re the best I’ve seen them. Their brand of horror-metalcore is exceptional and unique; calling upon aspects of avant-garde screamo akin to The Blood Brothers and Rolo Tomassi, but also the ferocity and groove of Emmure. Kadeem France’s brutally guttural vocals are superb layered over generous helpings of djenty technicality commonly found in bands like Meshuggah or Vola. Personally, I’m not too sure about the yellow beanie and sunglasses that Connor Sweeney is sporting, but otherwise the image and stage intensity match their music, with their trademark red lighting to form black silhouettes ever present. If enough people are willing to give their uniqueness a chance then they could become very successful over the next year.

The Devil Wears Prada are currently undergoing the same metamorphosis (you could argue) they’ve been pursing for a good few years now. In fact, latest album “The Act” is probably a suitable mirror of this set – it’s not really what you’d describe as metalcore anymore, instead being a bit too experimental, disjointed and lacking in cohesion. They do drop in a decent dose of pop-punk infused metalcore tonight, certainly for their opening few songs, but then drift into the post-hardcore electro territory. That in itself isn’t a problem, but they simply don’t deliver this type of music as well – it’s fine to adapt or change-up your musical style, but it still has to be well executed. As the nu-electro-screamo songs become more frequent and generic in the set they seemingly start to lose the crowd. ‘Worldwide’ is a track that shows the perfect balance and is a delightfully raw and passionate example of what The Devil Wears Prada can be capable of (both live and on record), but you wonder if they’ve taken too many wrong turns now to be able to see the most obvious, but also best advised, path.

Headliners Stray from the Path have been a personal favourite of mine for a good while now, and the only way to truly experience them is live. Their mix of hardcore-punk and metal is always full of energy, intensity and a non-stop adrenaline rush. Political and social issues form the meaning behind both their lyrics and existence, and it never fails to impress me how perfectly the songs are written in order to speak meaningfully to these issues passionately. With all this in mind, there will inevitably be comparisons to Rage Against the Machine (themselves deciding to slip in a ‘Killing In The Name’ reprise), and they do share the same groovy, infectious and empowering vibe throughout every performance. However, there’s a clearer nod to their hardcore roots that seats them alongside bands such as The Ghost Inside and Stick To Your Guns. Craig "The Grustlord" Reynolds scitters and pounds away on drums, with Anthony "Dragon Neck" Altamura driving the overall groove on bass. Thomas Williams expertly plays the role of mad professor guitarist - experimental avant-garde segments dropped-in alongside crunching, snarling hardcore riffs. Drew York is undoubtedly the master of ceremonies though, with his rhythmic yelling and yapping delivery of heartfelt vocals both distinctive and irresistibly energetic. They now have seven albums under their belt with Drew at the helm, and I’m praying they get their breakthrough moment sometime soon.