By Laura Jane.
Get Heavy UK roll into Manchester tonight to kick off 2026 with the year’s first show. Tonight’s lineup features Born Of Osiris, Within Destruction, Aversions Crown, and Larcenia Roe.
On arrival, we were informed that the show had been moved from Manchester Club Academy to the smaller Manchester Academy 3 of which has a capacity limit of 450–470. I’ve always felt that the venue shapes the atmosphere of a show, and with such high‑energy bands on tonight’s lineup, the stage setup in Academy 3 did raise a few concerns about how it might affect the overall vibe. Walking into the room, it was almost comical to see two full drum kits crammed onto an already tiny stage, leaving barely any space for the vocalists to unleash the kind of energy you’d normally expect from a front person. This left me wondering how the bands on tonight’s lineup would manage their stage presence under these comical yet hindering conditions. For anyone unfamiliar with Manchester Academy 3, it’s located inside the Students’ Union on Oxford Road and is a quaint, intimate venue that has hosted countless touring acts — from rising newcomers to major mainstream bands.
Opening the night was Larcenia Roe hailing from North Carolina, USA. Though I’d never caught them live until now, they were one of the acts I was most looking forward to. They’ve always stood out to me, even in a support slot, and the chance to witness them up close in such a tight, intimate space was something I was genuinely excited for. Arguably one of the heaviest acts of the night, they hit the stage with absolute ferocity. There were a few moments where minor technical issues cropped up — a mic cutting out, some guitar trouble mid‑set — and I genuinely felt for them. Still, they refused to let any of it derail their performance. The only negative thought that kept crossing my mind during their set was how much more impactful their energy could have been with a bit more room to move. That’s no fault of the band, though — they made the absolute most of the limited space they had.
After the sheer brutality of Larcenia Roe’s performance, Aversions Crown stepped up to the podium coming all the way from Brisbane, Australia. If it wasn’t obvious, calling it a ‘podium’ was a little joke about just how small the stage was at this point in time. It crossed my mind that if a bigger‑member band such as Angelmaker or Despised Icon had tried to squeeze onto that stage, we’d be looking at a full‑blown health and safety hazard. However yet again, they worked with what little room they had and still managed to fire off a high‑energy, hard‑hitting performance.
During Larcenia Roe’s set, I thought I was imagining it at first, but it happened again during Aversions Crowns set — as the crowd got into the heavier moments, the floorboards let out these squeaks like they’d just been freshly polished. It gave the whole show an oddly charming, slightly comical edge, especially alongside the cramped stage setup.
Despite the venue filling up albeit slowly, the crowd’s energy never quite rose to meet what the bands were delivering. Both acts had been giving everything, and they deserved a much stronger response.
Next up on this hard‑hitting lineup were Slovenia’s own anime‑fuelled force, Within Destruction. Having previously seen Within Destruction supporting Ghostkid at Manchester Club Academy — where they delivered an outstanding performance — I had high hopes for them. Naturally, my expectations were high, but this set didn’t quite reach the level I’d witnessed before. I’m not entirely sure what changed. Perhaps they were experimenting with a slower, more pop‑punk‑leaning approach in places, but whatever it was, it didn’t quite capture the feeling I had the last time I saw them. They brought plenty of energy, but parts of the set felt a little off‑time and uneven. I do try to keep my reviews unbiased, and I’m not here to pit the times I’ve seen them against each other, but I couldn’t shake a sense of disappointment. I love Within Destruction — I’d happily sing their praises to anyone. Anime and metal, what more could you want? But out of all the bands on tonight’s lineup, they were the only ones who didn’t really stand out in a positive way. Just to clarify, it wasn’t a poor performance by any means and it was thoroughly enjoyable but just had something missing this time.
Bringing the night to a close were the headliners, Born of Osiris. I loved that they kicked things off with ‘Bow Down’ — I’d honestly expected to be saved for an encore. This one always brings a rush of nostalgia when hearing this song — straight back to the Myspace era when it soundtracked my profile for at least a good month or so, and for anyone who grew up in the Myspace era you know having the same profile song for at least a month was a feat of strength in itself. Born of Osiris delivered a tight, well‑rehearsed set that hit with a sense of controlled chaos. It’s clear to see why these guys are still around since formation in 2003 and are still bringing their A-game shows in 2026.
Ironically, after watching every other band retreat a few steps just to make the cramped stage work, Born of Osiris claimed the very edge with absolute confidence even though there was enough space now to swing a cat, lovingly of course...
By this point in the evening the crowd had grown noticeably, with plenty of people clearly there for the headliner — yet even with four bands in, the room still wasn’t matching the energy being thrown out from the stage. Part of me at this point wanted to say, ‘Come on Manchester, what’s happening?’ because extreme‑metal shows — especially deathcore and death metal — normally buzz with way more energy but the energy just wasn’t as high as what you would expect for these sorts of bands. I get that some might say, ‘Maybe the bands weren’t doing something right,’ but I really don’t think that’s the case. Even with Within Destruction’s set feeling a bit off, every band was clearly giving everything they had — you could both see it and hear it.”
Overall, despite the limited space and the bands working with what they had, the gig was a great experience and a fantastic way to kick off 2026. It might not take the crown for my top gig of 2026, but it was a killer show with global talent and a lineup that balanced each other perfectly, each band adding its own twist and contribution from the genres of deathcore and metal. I’m genuinely excited to see what the rest of 2026 brings — it’s only just begun, even if January has already felt like an entire year on its own.
For all information on bands feature on tonight line up please find them online below:
Photography by Laura Jane Photography on behalf of Get Heavy UK. Images are not to be redistributed, reproduced, or used elsewhere without prior permission.
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