“Youâbreathe the air in, spit the venom out.”
Curated with the intention of gathering local talent from across the UK and shining a spotlight on undiscovered artists, Collision Fest has a track record of finding bands ahead of their big breaks and critical recognition, with alumni including artists ranging from Graphic Nature, Calva Louise and Lake Malice. Today’s line-up deserves the attention of anyone doubting the health of the UK underground.
Within Reach
Shaking the cobwebs off the smaller of Esquires two stages, Within Reach brought their melodic metalcore to Bedford with an energy and professionalism that reaches beyond their years. Combining the strengths and melodic tendencies of UK royalty Bury Tomorrow and While She Sleeps with their own boundless enthusiasm. Their potential to grow is obvious, and they give a performance that’s genuinely impressive given their age and experience.
Only Pain
Next up are Only Pain, new blood with just a handful of shows under their belt and their debut release, Beneath Hell, not even a full day old. Their bare bones deathcore has plenty for fans of All Shall Perish, Suicide Silence or any of the genres iconic 2008-2010 run of releases to dig their teeth into. A solid performance with a few particularly gnarly breakdowns leaves the audience thoroughly warmed up for the rest of the line-up.
Iridium
Unfortunately for London’s Iridium, the ambitious production they’ve brought today is smothered by sound issues that force a series of false starts. They do manage to take much of it in their stride though, with frontman Danny Lewis‘ good humour smoothing over the cracks. Their low-end heavy, technical metalcore gets a chance to shine through. The influence of bands like Northlane and Polaris is easy to hear and Iridium have the chops to do them justice.
Hell Hotel
Upstairs Brighton’s Hell Hotel march out to the sound of Robbie Williams and perform their highly polished, modern twist on the classic sounds of emo’s late 00’s heyday. Taking pinches of MCR, The Used and Paramore in equal measure, together with the dual vocals of singer’s Demi Jay and Tom Maxfiel to form the core of their sound. The vocal interplay is fun and the music provides some instant sonic nostalgia that’s sure to serve them well at future shows.
Obeyer
Northampton’s Obeyer are up next, with a progressive take on metalcore that leans more heavily on atmosphere and relentless breakdowns than unnecessary theatrics. Fans of Heart Of A Coward‘s early material will find the complex riffing familiar, combined with the grooves of Mick Gordon‘s beloved “Doom” score to devastating results. Given the precision of their performance and the sheer power of frontman Karl Brown‘s vocals they’re set to explode on their run with Periphery in June.
Lonesome
Bringing a far more mellow sound than much of the line-up, Peterborough‘s Lonesome delicately balance the alternative rock and melodic hardcore sounds of their influences. Producing a deeply emotive sound with the cinematic qualities of fellow UK acts like Casey or Holding Absence, all delivered with the frank lyricism that made Being As An Ocean so great. Songs from their 2025 debut In The Hope This Finds You are delivered with earnest emotion, and it’s easy to see Lonesome gathering a similar momentum and devotion to that Lastelle have enjoyed over the past year.
Blight Town
Taking all the camp and whimsy that make Chon and Dance Gavin Dance so endearing and delivering them with the breakneck pace and soaring vocals of acts like Chiodos and Hail the Sun. Nottingham’s Blight Town have found their formula and pour their hearts into the noodling riffs and math rock melodies that define their sound. Frontman Jake Hough has a notably powerful voice and impressive range that particularly shines. With a string of earworm worthy singles already, whenever their first full length effort arrives it’s certain to turn heads.
Bex
Next up we’re indulged with Bex‘s genre agnostic approach to music, one that feels as close to cabaret as it does a concert. Carefully arranged aesthetics back up songs delivered with a manic energy that permeates the room in minutes. The unorthodox theatrics are backed by dual bass guitars, lending a fuzzy, distorted backdrop to Bex‘s frantic vocals. Her ability to engage with, tease and involve the audience with the show with such ease could humble much larger artists. A few well-placed support slots could have the potential to propel Bex into the limelight very quickly.
HRTLSS
Sprinting upstairs just in time to catch Cambridges HRTLSS, their modern metalcore has layered ambience and oil slick vocals that borrow as much from R&B as they do alternative music. Easy comparisons to artists like Bad Omens or Dayseeker can be made, songs like “Blood Moon” have the calibre to stand next to their influences with ease. While this sound is certainly saturating its market very quickly, HRTLSS have the production to compete with its best.
Native James
Hailing from Ipswich, Native James takes on the gymnastic challenge of genre hopping between rap and metal. Managing to juggle the groove centred nu-metal of classic Korn or Limp Bizkit and blend it seamlessly with the wordplay and tongue twisting bars of grime MC’s like JME or D Double E. Taking distinctly American and British sounds from scenes known for their high energy audience participation is a gamble, but one they make sure pays off. The band is tight and James‘ banter plays the crowd perfectly. With songs this catchy bigger rooms are a certainty.
Tropic Gold
After another sprint upstairs, we find Tropic Gold launching into their set. Songs from recent EP SICK TO DEATH OF EVERYTHING have huge choruses, dissonant breakdowns and layered electronics that are sure to scratch an itch for fans of Architects or Thornhill. Frontman Jacob Paris‘ memorable vocal hooks bring to mind the past few TDWP albums and have the potential to see them jumping up bills for the rest of the year.
False Reality
While most of today’s line-up may have slipped under the radar for fans of all the alternative subgenres represented on our bill. The same cannot be said for False Reality, the London Hardcore outfit were hard to miss in 2025. Seemingly cropping up on a new show or fest line up every week, while their debut LP Faded Intentions was met with critical praise across the board. For anyone who managed to avoid seeing them last year, tonight’s set is a perfect example of why they’re gathering momentum so quickly. Their no nonsense, thrashy hardcore does well for all the same reasons that genre leading bands like Speed, Terror and Power Trip do. Memorable, two-step ready riffs and enthusiastic delivery that incite an instant atmosphere of good fun.
Anyone that held any doubt about the health of the many sounds that come together to form the British alternative scene, may just find that in spite of the myriad flaws of the music industry and miserable state of the wider economy, that new and independent music is still thriving. Tonight’s line-up is a testament to the strength and diversity of artistry cropping up around the country, and shows that even in the small, often sidelined towns like Bedford, that a community can form and turn up for those artists.