“No respect for they have chosen hell.“
For those of us who headed down to New Cross for Reality Unfolds 2025, it placed itself as one of our favourite festivals. A blistering line-up of hardcore, screamo, and everything in between, all within the comfort of the infamous New Cross Inn. 2026 looks to be another absolute corker, with bands from across Europe, America, and Britain all convening for three days of heavy hitting goodness.
Break Them (Friday)
Alongside Regress, the wrath of Peterborough unit Break Them will kick off Reality Unfolds 2026. They bring utterly maddening beatdown riffs that will cause the New Cross Inn to have more windmills than a Dutch village. Across their three EPs, they mix in old school shredding to compliment their pointedly rudimentary sound, and provide some tasty riffs to indulge in before their huge breakdowns.
Casket Feeder (Friday)
Death metal has been a big theme at Reality Unfolds, and crossover death is even more fitting. Casket Feeder are a gem of UK death metal and among the best to cross it with hardcore. Since they initially impressed us on Servants of Violence, it’s always felt like they’re an underappreciated band waiting to take over. Their Friday performance at Reality Unfolds will begin what will be a big year for Casket Feeder, as no doubt their upcoming material (which we will hopefully get a preview of) will set them on the path of being one of the big names in UK death metal.
Rescüe Cat (Saturday)
Truthfully, Flesh & Weapon by Italian unit Rescüe Cat was one that we didn’t give enough love to. It’s a sublime blend of hardcore and screamo that succinctly blends the two genres taking centre stage across the Reality Unfolds weekend. Their set will no doubt be a rapid one given their compact discography, with fingers crossed we could hear some new material. Rescüe Cat could end up being a band that many walk away from the weekender as their new favourite, with a vinyl of Flesh & Weapon tucked under their arm as they head home.
Calcine (Saturday)
Making their return to the UK, French heavy hitters Calcine bring their brand of beatdown hardcore to the New Cross Inn for the first time. Their gnarly double kicks and brutish riffs will make the small capacity of the room a scene of swinging limbs, and the two-step moments and barked vocals will no doubt have the crowd reaching for the mic. Calcine could follow in the footsteps of their French counterparts in Sorcerer by having one of the best sets in Reality Unfolds history.
Mindless (Saturday)
Big stompy hardcore will always have an audience that will go absolutely feral for them. Whether it’s the good old side-to-side, two-stepping, or, in some cases, a military crawl, Mindless are set to tap into that mindset. Their pounding drum grooves, massive riffs and in-your-face vocals are sure to command the crowd. But it’s not aimless – their music is proudly anti-fascist and is very clear about the direction our true anger must be pointed. Mindless will be one of many acts at Reality Unfolds that will define what punk movements are truly about.
Harrowed (Saturday)
UK scene mainstays Harrowed make their first appearance at Reality Unfolds, before appearing at Desertfest later this year. With a discography of thrashy and sludgy goodness that now runs back a decade, Harrowed will no doubt perform their apocalyptic sound to perfection. They’ve had prized support slots in recent years including Wormrot, Terrorizer, Gillian Carter, and Knoll, aligning them with the most gnarly of grind and hardcore. Tracks such as “One Hundred Years” will be one of the handbangers and circle pitters.
mountain peaks (Sunday)
After dropping what could have been (i could have been more) last year, it’s fair to say that we’ve been looking forward to seeing the raw ballads of mountain peaks for a while now. They bring an abrasiveness and emotion that will be uniquely pitched for the Reality Unfolds crowd. They also fit into the DIY ethic of New Cross Inn through and through. Along with fellow rising stars Sunday Best, they are one of the early acts on Sunday; it could be quite the special set that we look forward to dancing and singing along to.
Cassus (Sunday)
For as much talk as there is around the screamo revival acts emerging in Britain and Europe, Cassus are an act who have already been at it for many a year. They’ve played countless towns and cities across the country and crafted a discography that still feels urgent to this day. With scattered material across the past decade from their screamo-meets-post-hardcore sound, we’re eagerly awaiting more material after “As A Person” re-activated the band. Whether it hints at a new EP, LP, or is simply them blowing the dust off their guitars, Cassus have the potential to steal Sunday.
Agency (Saturday)
We have a sneaky feeling that, in terms of UKHC acts on the line-up, Agency might just be the one that has everyone walking away from the Saturday talking about. While they’re one that our team have not yet managed to catch live, a listen to their debut Life Will Kill showcases a sound that will send the New Cross Inn into a frenzy. With riffs that are absolutely mean and vocals that are murderous, those who get down early enough will have an absolute time tearing up the venue to the hardcore thrash sound of Agency.
Kid, Feral (Sunday)
There are those among us who dubbed “screamo Sunday” as their favourite day of the Reality Unfolds weekender. Making their UK debut come Swedes Kid, Feral, who have an expansive and ethereal screamo sound that touches on influences of shoegaze and emo at times. The bombast and breadth within their sound is reminiscent of much of the ‘5th’ wave of emo along with beloved bands like Guitar Fight from Fooly Cooly. An act seemingly intent of having the most fun possible with their live sets, Kid, Feral could be one to steal many hearts at Reality Unfolds.
Reality Unfolds takes place from the 16th to the 18th January at the New Cross Inn, and tickets can be bought here.