But let’s rewind a little. The band announced their Cardiff date back in February as part of their UK tour, building up to the release of their upcoming album Corporation P.O.P, due June 27th via Music For Nations.
As doors opened, fans were already lining the streets, buzzing with anticipation and ready for their Hot Milk fix. Inside, the venue quickly filled to the brim with die-hard followers dressed head to toe in band merch. The energy was electric before a single note was played.
Opening the night was Mouth Culture — a band some may recognise from their viral TikTok hit ‘Don’t Pull Up’. It was one of those tracks that got stuck on everyone’s FYP for weeks, and since then, the band has quietly been gaining momentum. After this performance, it’s safe to say they’ve proven themselves ones to watch.
From the moment they stepped on stage, Mouth Culture delivered charisma, confidence, and chaos in the best way. At one point, the bassist even mimed firing at the crowd with his bass like a machine gun — and somehow, it absolutely worked. They had the entire room lit up with phone torches for their slower track and then closed on their hit single, ‘Don’t Pull Up’, which had the crowd bouncing. Even those unfamiliar with their back catalogue were fully invested by the end. Mouth Culture are now a must-see at Slam Dunk next month, and they make a seriously strong case for being anyone’s go-to support act.
Headliners Zeal & Ardor picked three underground metal acts to open the various legs of this European run, with Polish post-black metal/crust five piece Dom Zły (translating to The Dark House) getting the nod for their first handful of UK dates. Using a lengthy, sad dirge as a walkout to a stage enveloped in smoke and bathed in rich purple lights before tearing into their poignant and brutal melodic sound. The set comprises mostly cuts from their 2024 release Ku Pogrzebaniu Serc (Towards the Burial of Hearts). Ania Tru’s vocals are vicious, cutting through the ambitious and punishing soundscapes weaving punishing black metal, spacious post-metal passages and disquieting ambient builds. There is a respectable crowd in attendance early to check out the unknown openers, who are graciously wolfing down the harrowing and heavy sounds of Dom Zły, The band regularly appearing through the fog like an apparition. They make a great first impression and are sure to attract a fair amount of attention on their next trip back.
The evening started with Nordic Giants, arriving at the legendary Concorde 2 stage at 8pm sharp. For those who have never taken the time to delve into their music, the best way we can define them would be “a visual and sensory experience mixing cinematic soundtracks and compelling short movies, like a soundtrack but for our own lives”. Every single song of theirs can easily speak to us in some ways, especially if you love your post-rock to be dreamy and self-reflective. They were lucky enough to perform with This Will Destroy You for the UK leg of their European tour, which started in Brighton, Nordic Giants’s home turf.
Going through the motions with the giant screen projecting the short movies accompanying their music and never seen without their masks and feather war costumes, Loki (electric piano) and Rôka (drums), show that they do not need much to cast a spell to an audience. Very early on, the crowd was euphoric but also very moved by what they were experiencing. The applauses in between songs would be loud and roaring, but the moment they start performing, not a peep from anyone, all you could hear was these two playing their best songs and displaying fantastic short films such as In Shadow (‘Philosophy of Mind’), Pencilhead (‘Together’) or the beautiful Sundays (‘Dark Clouds Mean War’), we could also see Alex Hedley‘s face during the ironically titled ‘Faceless’, a song he featured in 2022’s Symbiosis projected in the two screens they had: one was a regular schmegular big screen and the other was some sort of Babadook-looking creature who would sometimes show glistening birds of prey showing up. The entire show was phenomenal, and once again, Nordic Giants did not disappoint.
Wardruna fans are probably familiar with London based Cellist Jo Quail seeing as she opened for the neo-fol collective on their last UK run in 2022. The electric cello sounds magnificent in the Symphony Hall, the manipulated percussive loops forming the backbones of the warm subtitles of the classical instrument through the expansive and emotional compositions. Her warm and joyful presence shines through her crowd interactions, seeming just as happy to play the beautiful concert hall as the audience are to see her there. It’s a bite-sized thirty-minute set for Quail this evening, consisting of two fan favourites, ‘Rex Infractus’ and ‘Adder Stone’, book ending a new composition introduced as ‘Embrace’ from an upcoming full orchestral and solo cello double album. With simple stage lighting and a projection of her logo adorning the floor to ceiling backdrop, it feels a very classy affair, with Quail phenomenal as always starting tonight off on great footing.
Coming onto stage with a noise table that looked fresh out of a barn and dressed like the farmyard scarecrow friend of HorsegiirL, Mun Sing wordlessly (by not motionlessly) put the subwoofers of heaven into overdrive. Coming off of their 2025 EP I, there was more trancey proto-hyperpop than Machine Girl’s digital hardcore, recalling Spinee and Himera more than Atari Teenage Riot. This wasn’t completely saccharine – the only acoustic noise came from a balloon being slowly let out into a microphone, and the blue clown paint made this barn feel like it was ripped from a nightmare rather than a nursery rhyme.
Before Animals as Leaders appeared – a Californian trio, Night Verses – showed what they have in store. Their 9-song set was immersive, groovy and incredibly engaging, with enchanted by their sound crowd. Promoting their newest album – Every Sound Has a Color in the Valley of Night from 2024 – Night Verses proved that they are a right choice for opening slot to such icons as Animals as Leaders. It felt like their most prominent parts of the set were songs such as opening “Arrival” or “Vice Wave”, when the drummer Aric Improta (also known from his work with Fever333 and House of Protection) made an epic jump in front of his drum kit… And later repeated it to crown an incredible set, wrapping their tour alongside Animals as Leaders. As if that wasn’t enough – March 15th is also bassist Reilly Herrera’s birthday, and it was celebrated with a loud and joyful “Happy Birthday” sung for him by fans gathered in The Roundhouse.
Overall, watching Night Verses’ set was very enjoyable and mind-soothing before the main star of the night. With the drummer’s high energy and guitar section composure, it felt like a powerful mix that caught the right spirit, and it carried forward during the night.
