10 Best Heavy Metal Live Bands Of 2018
1. Loathe
It is impossible to overstate the greatness of Loathe. The Liverpool hardcore bruisers are one of the best rock bands in the UK right now and their live show is a gigantic reason as to why. Whether they’re demolishing the Dogtooth stage of Download 2018, co-headlining clubs with Holding Absence or supporting the progressive giants SikTh, their stage presence is always intense and cinematic, blowing any act set to follow out of the water every single time.
Under a veil of unending darkness, this brutal quintet would arrive, raising hell instantly as frontman Kadeem France unleashes maniacal roars over dissonant, nu metal-flavoured riffs. Erik Bickerstaffe’s clean singing then provides a more melodic counterpoint during Loathe’s enormous choruses, only upping the catharsis. All the while, a dark, disturbing atmosphere is built by looming TV screens and atmospheric interludes inspired by the minimalist film scores of Blade Runner and Akira.
Add it all together and you get a band that creates a dank, gritty environment through a seamless fusion of hardcore, melodic metal, prog and industrial music. Their performances are twisted and morbid, crafted slowly and meticulously by a group that makes sure everything down to the smallest detail fits their acerbic music.
Make no mistake, Loathe are metal’s best live performers since Slipknot.
Check out our list of the best heavy metal live bands of 2017 here.