MAKE THEM SUFFER PERFORMING AT SOUTHAMPTON’S ENGINE ROOMS

★★★★☆ (4/5)

MAKE THEM SUFFER PERFORMING AT SOUTHAMPTON’S ENGINE ROOMS
PHOTOCREDIT: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI

Southampton has been one of the hottest stops for UK tours of bands this year, and tonight makes no exception. Hailing from different parts of the world, the four-band bill with headliner act Make Them Suffer is no exception.

Expecting heavy riffs, even heavier breakdowns, intense headbanging and relentless crowdsurfing, the Southampton crowd flocked to Engine Rooms early on in the evening to catch If Not For Me. Flying all the way from Pennsylvania, the metalcore band has dominated ‘heavy breakdown evening’ Spotify daylists. With their dynamic stage presence, mix of clean and scream vocals, melodic riffs and a heavy bass-line, the quartet took the stage with a bang. The room was already full when the set started, and a circle mosh had formed in the middle since the second song. Despite the short setlist, the band performed their greatest hits and engaged with the crowd throughout, having already set the tone for the intensity of the evening. Amongst their setlist were ‘Say It To My Face;, ‘Blameless’ and personal favourite ‘Feel Me Now’, a very emotion-intense song that ended the set on a high.

Drinks flowed as shortly after, the UK’s Conjurer took the stage. Bathed in atmospheric lights, the band shifted the mood towards a more post-metal vibe, with much heavier bass and guitars, as well as almost exclusively brutal vocals. Their stage presence was full of energy, as they constantly headbanged and scream to complement the high-pitched vocals of the singer, performing a mix of songs from their albums with a focus on their heavy sound and drums. With a very informative ‘Now we will play a new one’, the band not only treated the audience to their usual fan-favourites, but also gave a sneak peak of what is to come. For an underground back that has already got backing from Nuclear Blast Records, their set was nothing short of spectacular, with a lot of people already gearing up the moshing and eagerly anticipating the next bands.

There was a short break before band number three came on stage, as Resolve from France were now on. Intense lights, extreme sound, crazy moshing and a room that buzzed with electricity, the set had it all. Resolve were the band that took me by surprise the most, not only because of how much energy they had through the set, but also by how the got the audience in a chokehold since the first riff echoed. They clearly know how to put on a good show, performing tirelessly, jumping, screaming, dancing, and headbanging through the whole set without a breath. To sound a bit cliché, this is a highly underrated band that you should definitely check out. Their setlist included some amazing tracks – starting off with a bang, ‘Human’ is the perfect headbanging song. Followed by ‘Bloodlust’ and ‘Molotov’, there is no other way to go – your neck is going to be ruined. Finishing off their set with ‘Smile’ and ‘Older Days’, the circle pit and headbanging had reached another level – and when a band gets an applause at the end of their set, you know they’ve done something absolutely right.

Last but not least, Make Them Suffer were not just the main course of the night, they brought dessert too. With 15 years of experience, the Australian metalcore band flew all the way from Perth to perform to the audience that had now packed the venue all the way to the exit. The band does not only bring roaring deathcore riffs and vocals to the mix, they bring the heaviest guitars, the cleanest female vocals and keys to enhance their sound, and an energy that feels like a whip cracking the air. Starting off their set with synchronised headbanging, Make Them Suffer wasted no time in turning up the heat. Performing banger after banger, ‘Epitaph’, ‘Bones’ and ‘Unchartered’ were enough to raise chaos. The crowdsurfing started practically instantly, the crowd moved like a mass as the energy surged in the room, and there was not a single person around whose eyes were not glued to the performance.

The set did not dip at all, as more fan favourites such as ‘Ghost of Me’ and ‘Weaponised’ came on. The band’s unique selling point is that they have something for everyone. Whether you like extreme deathcore, or clean keys and guitars, or maybe ferocious drums and a bass that makes your whole body vibrate, Make Them Suffer have it. Their stage presence is phenomenal, whether that is in a small room or a big arena, they perform like rent is due. Closing off the set with ‘Doomswitch’ and encore ‘Widower’ – and only because despite curfew the audience wanted “one more song!” – the band made the night one to remember. The tour continues on through the UK and Europe, with Resolve also going to America joining the iconic Landmvrks on their tour. 2025 is a great year for catching bands live so if they’re in your city, you don’t need to think twice about it. Just go and see them!