WILL HAVEN

THE TUNNELS, BRISTOL

Seeing Nottingham’s PAlM ReADeR throw down nerve-shattering riffs while wearing cartoon onesies is enough to win them Halloween 2018 alone. Realising that sporting thick cotton under spotlights may not have been their best decision ever, the band channel that frustration into a whirlwind display of gnashing hardcore while putting on a brave, sweaty face. Not to be outdone or out-dressed, WIll hAVen pile on the thick, downtuned grooves in more… let’s just say practical seasonal attire. Heaving his body to near-breaking point, vocalist Grady Avenell needs to do very little to get the crowd worked up into a frenzy. Conjuring thick, sludgy numbers from their past, that unmistakable Sacramento nu metal bounce still packs a mean-ass punch. Though they manage to create a dense atmosphere that’s like breathing in tar, the guys fall a bit flat by playing things a little too safe. Relying on

2001’s Carpe Diem for a good chunk of their set, confidence in latest album Muerte seems to be disappointingly lacking. But ultimately, the crowd get what they came for and the band deliver it without fail.

HYWEL DAVIES