By Laura Jane.
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There’s something about Christmas period there’s a special kind of excitement. 2025 has been nothing short of extraordinary for music — a year where Manchester once again proved why it’s the beating heart of live performance in the UK. It’s been a year of sold‑out tours, surprise moments, and seeing bands grow who have made their first appearances in the year.
Tonight Get Heavy UK take a trip to Holy Diver in Stockport for the final show of the year at Holy Diver for the amazing team at 0161 MUMC. The line up this evening featured appearances from DEKAYTAH, Incarnage and Syntara.
Holy Diver is a fairly new venue in comparison to most, having opened it doors on 29 November 2024, it sits right in the town centre offering a dedicated space for both local bands and touring acts alongside it's weekly alternative club nights.
No photography was taken tonight — this one wasn’t about content or coverage for once although, I guess doing this review goes back on the coverage part but feel this show needed a bit of hype. With it being the final show of the year, the goal was simply to catch up with friends and enjoy the music. Sometimes the best way to honour a night is to put the camera away and just enjoy the experience for what it is, a great evening.
Setting the night in motion, Syntara take to the stage. Syntara are a up and coming progressive metal / alt band hailing from parts of Liverpool and Manchester and have taken the music scene with force this year. I'll be honest when they first took to the stage I felt like I wasn't witnessing the usual Syntara with the opening tracks feeling a bit more "pop punk" and less "heavier" than usual however this certainly changed as the set progressed. With a cheeky inclusion of a cover of "One Step Closer" by Linkin Park featuring an on stage collab from DEKAYTAH's vocalist Joe which got the crowd moving and full engaged.
By the end of the set I felt like the band that was now on stage was no longer the entry level band that I'd witnessed earlier in the year. It showcased what was possible from these guys and the confidence that radiated on stage was magnificent to see from previous shows. One of my main critiques for Syntara from back earlier in the year after seeing them at Manchester Metal to the Masses was that they looked scared and timid on stage - I would like to say this is no longer the opinion I share. It's amazing what a few months can do and it's wonderful to have first hand witnessed this confidence grow and flourish.
Following on from Syntara's explosive set Incarnage. With this band having traveled from South Cumbria it's great to see them hitting up the Manchester circuit on a regular basis. Having what feels to have seen their breakthrough to the Manchester crowds fully this year since Metal to the masses 2025 the band have pushed themselves further and further in the scene. It's not been an easy year for them with line up changes and stop-starting but they have pushed through with ferocity and resilience.
One thing I do like to give credit to with Incarnage is their tight sets, with this band and their live performances you can tell their heart and souls go fully into the music. It's great to see and something that should be a part of every performance in music and these guys do not lack on that.
Bringing to the stage what I would describe as melodic metal the band definitely know how to put on a show. It's charismatic, it has character and musically is precise and powerful.
Closing the evening, DEKAYTAH. DEKAYTAH are a band that aren't new to the scene in anyway and have gone from strength to strength throughout the year. Known for bringing hard-hitting, high energy shows to the stage with a sound heavily rooted in metal - tonight was no exception. I have seen DEKAYTAH live multiple times but tonight I felt was possible one of the best I've seen them - this is not meant to diminish any performance where I've witnessed them on stage before but just something about tonight stood out for me. The chemistry on stage between members felt a lot 'stronger' than usual and they were fully locked in.
As the set unfolded you could see the crowd getting more and more into the music and by the end - people looked physically knackered. Was it because it was a Christmas show and people may be having that seasonal fatigue? Maybe added to it, would be lying if I said it's easy attending shows this time of the year when flu is rife and bank balances are dwindling- but people looked like they had an amazing evening and that's what live music is about. DEKAYTAH are one of them bands that are definitely one to look out for in 2026.
With the night being jam packed full of melodic metal bands and a great end to the year it's clear to see why the Manchester scene is thriving. I know I stated this often but we are very lucky in Manchester to have the venues we do and the bands we have come to the scene... It feels a bittersweet thing to write but that wraps up the final gig of 2025 (At least noted down for now untill 2026, who knows - it might change but at this moment in time this is the last one of the year for me!). No better way to close out the year than surrounded by live music, loud crowds, and the kind of energy you can only find in our corner of the North West. It’s been a year of new venues, new bands and new experiences.
Here’s to every stage that lit up, every artist that showed up, and every moment that reminded us why we keep coming back and supporting the people and the venues that put their heart and soul into music. Roll on 2026 — if it’s anything like this year, we’re in for something special, something very special indeed.
As we head into 2026, there’s never been a more important time to back the local music scene. If you need to set yourself one resolution for 2026.. let it be to try and see atleast one local show a month. Every ticket bought, every share, every late‑night gig makes a difference and keeps the scene alive. If we want the scene to grow, evolve, and stay loud, we’ve got to keep supporting the people building it from the ground up that means going along, having a drink with friends and supporting artists on stage. Here’s to another year of discovering new favourites and keeping our local stages thriving.
To keep an eye on any of the bands featured tonight visit their social media links below:
Syntara
Incarnage
DEKAYTAH
0161 Manchester Underground Music Promotions
Join the community group on Facebook here - 0161 Manchester Underground Metal Promotions | Facebook
For up and coming shows at Holy Diver, Stockport you can view events on their Facebook
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