I approached today with trepidation. Weather warnings. Manchester trains. Never knowing if the start time listed online is correct (it wasn’t — I didn’t get any pics of Ashen). There’s a band I desperately want to see today, though, so I’m risking it.
Ashen are a fairly new French band but already highly in demand. I’ve seen them once before on their support slot with Novelists back in 2024, and back then, it felt like the crowd only really came alive for the headliner. Today, though, that couldn’t be further from the truth — the room was more than hype to catch their set.
The band come out demanding attention with their genre-blend breakdowns. Their look is immediately eye-catching, and the songs are a perfect way to start the night. Potentially the heaviest band on the bill tonight, aside from some classic Resolve moments, Ashen are ideal for fans of heavier metalcore tracks that don’t shy away from aggression. From the reaction alone, it’s clear their UK presence is only going to grow from here.
Tropic Gold are the UK reps for this tour — and what a rep they give us. They take the stage with instant intensity, opening with The Angels Are Gone and setting a pace that doesn’t let up. While they’re still technically a growing band, it’s hard to say that with a straight face when they’re already sitting at around a million Spotify streams.
They’re captivating to the crowd below, feeding off the room’s energy and throwing it straight back. That energy gets an extra push when the Windwaker vocalist jumps on stage for a quick cameo, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The band manage to coax a shy circle pit into existence, and a single crowd surfer appears — much to the surprise of the lone security guard in the photo pit. I’m hopping between the barrier, thinking, oh no, does he need me to cover his back? Luckily (or unluckily), the surfer doesn’t quite make it to the barrier.
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Windwaker are a growing Aussie nu-metalcore band, and this marks their first time in the UK. I’ll be honest — I’m biased. I’ve had my eye on them since Left In The Dark (which sadly isn’t on the setlist). Still, they come on, and they’re exactly what I expected.
Windwaker have found a perfect blend of nu-metal, rap, and metalcore. They encapsulate this new wave of metalcore bands with heavy breakdowns, beat-pad drops, and infectious grooves that hit even harder live. The vocalist is great with the crowd, constantly encouraging circle pits that people are more than eager to comply with. The harsh vocals scratch that specific itch at the back of your brain — the kind that makes you pull a face and go yeah, that’s the good stuff. I can already tell this will be a gig highlight of 2026 for me.
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Resolve are a French metalcore band well known to the UK at this point. They’ve toured the country at least once per year, boasting consistently strong lineups both as headliners and in support slots. The band come out against backlighting and get straight into the set, wasting no time.
There’s a noticeable melancholy hanging over this performance, as these shows serve as a goodbye to their 2023 album Human. The energy built by the earlier bands is still there, but it’s layered with a sense of foreboding, knowing the band will be stepping away afterwards for a break and to begin work on the next album. Over the last two years, Resolve have built a strong community around Human, with fan-favourite Older Days hitting especially hard tonight. Fans line the barrier with outstretched arms, and I spot a child singing every word back to the band. The night ends with a real sense of belonging — and a buzz for what’s to come from all the bands involved.
Tonight felt like a snapshot of bands at pivotal moments in their journeys. Ashen are clearly on an upward trajectory, already shaking off the “support band” label and carving out a heavier identity that UK crowds are responding to more each time they return. Tropic Gold continue to prove they’re more than capable of flying the flag for the UK scene, with momentum building fast and the kind of live presence that suggests bigger stages aren’t far off.
For Windwaker, this first UK run feels like the beginning of something long-term rather than a one-off visit. Their sound and confidence translate effortlessly in a live setting, and it’s hard to imagine this being the last time they headline rooms like this. Meanwhile, resolve, close this chapter with Human having firmly cemented its place in their catalogue. The pause ahead doesn’t feel like an ending, but a necessary breath before whatever comes next.
If tonight proved anything, it’s that each band on this bill is moving forward — whether that’s expanding into new territories, growing a devoted fanbase, or stepping back briefly to build something bigger. Risking the trains, the weather, and the timing mishaps was worth it. Nights like this remind you why you do it in the first place.
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