“I’ve been talking to my conscience, it’s soft-spoken and self-conscious.“
Shot on the 17th of June 2025 by Kieran White – contact Kieran before any use. Words by Maximo David.
In what is sure to go down as one of the strangest line-ups of 2025, tech-metal titans Northlane and deathcore progenitors Whitechapel banded together amongst their collectively busy festival seasons to bring a night of varied, heavy and groovy tunes from across the spectrum of modern metal.
Profiler
Opening the night was nu-comers Profiler, who brought an airtight set of groove-laden nu-metalcore to kick off the evening. Also supporting the previous night in Bristol, it’s clear as day why these rap-core rising stars were picked for the bill – their modernised, unique brand of ‘90s-angled metal is deeply engaging, with both the riffs and the vocals commanding the audience at almost all times as the room began to fill up. Their early slot meant that the crowd certainly started thin, but by the time the crowd had made their way in and the band had warmed into their set, the pit was ablaze and stank faces were on as these bounce merchants made a remarkable impact to start the evening.
Whitechapel
The true show starts now, though, and that notion is no more apparent than the moment all-American legends Whitechapel hit the stage. Following the recent release of their ninth studio LP, Hymns In Dissonance, which saw the group make a concerted effort to return to their gnarly, classic deathcore roots, the band take to the stage with a full set of non-stop heavy bangers.
It’s full-force from start to finish, and the intention is clear: the Whitechapel of old is back and better than ever. Whilst on a personal level this means shedding some of my personal Whitechapel favourites from across The Valley and Kin, there’s absolutely no doubt that this laser-precise focus on only the heaviest and grooviest from across their storied discography was executed flawlessly.
From new album bangers “Hymns In Dissonance” and “A Visceral Retch”, all the way back to the likes of “Prosthatic Fluid Asphyxiation” and “This Is Exile”, alongside mid-career groovers like “The Saw Is The Law”, this career-spanning set may have focussed primarily on the heaviest and most visceral Whitechapel have to offer, but very few stones were left unturned in terms of hitting the key cornerstones of their discography.
Northlane
Lastly came Aussie djenters Northlane, who last graced the UK shores on their headline tour just short of a year ago. Whilst the set remained largely the same as that, there is no doubt that the picks here were hard-wired for live play. Rocking the stage with some truly cyber-y get-up, the Aussie mainstays, similar to Whitechapel, played a career-spanning set of bangers, whilst also dedicating a good portion of the set to their latest release in Mirror’s Edge.
What proved to be the highlight here, though, as well as on their tour last year, is the group’s latest addition to their repertoire – a masterfully crafted medley of some of their biggest bangers from across their discography. Darting effortlessly between the primal groove of “Dispossession”, the unforgettable opening of “Worldeater” and the ferocious atonal pummelling of “Jinn”, this fan-pleaser seemed to provide the band just as much joy as it did the feral crowd, allowing the band to play their back catalogue on their own terms, and doing something wildly creative with it in the process.
The remainder of the set largely focussed on tracks from across Alien and Obsidian, which is certainly a welcome focus, but dotted additions from the likes of the highly-underrated Mesmer proved to add some variety and balance to the set, feeling truly well-rounded by the end. The crowd clearly agreed, too, as the pit rarely let up even for a moment as the Aussie metallers cruised through their almost hour-long set with very little reprieve.
A relatively intimate affair for both parties, the O2 Academy Islington was almost entirely packed from the front to the back all night, despite the stark difference between our two co-headlining acts, and proved to be one of the most engaging mixed bills I’ve seen in some time. Whilst Whitechapel and Northlane played condensed sets versus their previous respective nights on the tour, shedding some much-loved tracks along the way, both bands played phenomenally-picked sets all the same, and absolutely set the stage at the O2 Academy Islington aflame with electric energy from beginning to end. There’s no doubt that the next time either of these acts hit the UK shores it’ll be in much bigger venues, making this venture off the beaten path from both of these monumental acts’ festival season feel all the more special.