Annisokay rolls into London on the Abyss Pt.II Europe Tour – we went along to check it out!

There’s already a fair queue to get into the Garage this evening as I arrive for a night of metalcore from three very interesting but different outfits. Entering the venue, I’m pleased to see that there is already a pretty full venue from the get go to greet the first of this evenings bands

THE NARRATOR

Playing their first gig in London (and also the UK I believe), it is fair to say that there is a fair bit of anticipation before The Narrator from Essen, Germany take to the stage this evening. Not a band I’ve heard before but clearly they are a well kept secret as the crowd this evening seem to be pretty familiar with the material. From the first notes of Drawn, Conned And Deceived, you could feel the atmosphere in the room shift from anticipation to exciting engagement.

Carving out their own sound, blending clean vocals (from Rob on bass) and roared vocals (from Fabi I think) very nicely, the set is raw and full of energy. By the second song, Pills From The Start, which shows a nice blend of brutality and tuneful hooks, the crowd is moving – heads banging, fists pumping and much singing along.

MORE SMOKE THAN BONFIRE NIGHT

Drummer Fritz Dehn along with Rob on bass are a rock solid foundation for the rest of the sound. The riffs are sharp, and the breakdowns hit hard, super heavy, vocalist Fabi commanding the stage which is crowded to say the least with the band squashed into the front third of the space. At intervals Dehn stands up on his stool to salute the crowd and their reaction.

There is more smoke than bonfire night, all backlit and interspersed with strobing lighting, this gives an air of mystique to the proceedings, while making photography particularly difficult too! Aurora showcases some some impressive songwriting with a catchy hook that refuses to leave your head.

Closing with a particularly brutal version of Purgatory from the current Lore album leaves the crowd cheering for more – they’ll have to wait until later in 2026 for that though when The Narrator will return to the UK for a small tour.

HEART OF A COWARD

There’s a brief pause and some re-configuration before Heart Of A Coward from Milton Keynes take to the stage. While The Narrator have those clean vocals and some songwriting refinement Heart Of A Coward are definitely more in the brutal, in your face vein.

The moment the first riff of opener Paradise drops, the venue explodes with circle pits and general moshing in evidence in the middle of the venue, the crowd splitting to allow maximum mosh! The sound in The Garage this evening is also spot on and HoaC make the most of it with their performance, breathtakingly aggressive, with Kaan Tasan on vocals pacing up and down the front of the stage like a wild animal ready to pounce!

RAISING THE BAR

Collapse powers along at a pace and Deadweight raises the bar on the term heavy! The set draws from an extensive back catalogue, with only Passenger being lifted from the current long player. The sound is relentless – tight grooves, crushingly heavy breakdowns, and vocals that roar through the venue like a storm.

The band feed off the crowd’s energy, pushing harder with every track, with the crowd clearly lapping up the audio savagery and energy coming from the stage. Monstro keeps the proceedings moving along showcasing impressive songwriting and proving that HoaC can still be heavy while mixing it up a little.

Finishing with crowd fave Hollow means that as they leave the stage, there are calls for “one more song” from the floor. Sadly time does not permit but there’s no doubt that this evenings performance has done nothing to tarnish the reputation of HoaC. Crowd suitably warmed up!

ANNISOKAY

If HoaC are all about in your face brutality then Annisokay from Halle, Saxony-Anhalt., Germany take this and put it through a washing machine and add some sugar for good measure – still heavy, but with a melodic edge that feels almost cinematic. Starting with Throne Of The Sunset from the current album Abyss – The Final Chapter typifies this very well.The clean vocals of Christoph Wieczorek really elevate the sound and make for a unique feel, soaring above the crushing instrumentals, creating a contrast that has the ability to give you goosebumps.

There is playback throughout – having a playback track does allow for an extra layer to the sound but it is good to see that the band are not relying on this make up for playing live. Never Enough takes the heavy formula and turns it upon its’ head with a chorus that just begs to be sung along with. This is true of many of the songs this evening, they have a knack for creating something that is accessible and catchy without losing the heaviness, quite a feat.

What’s Wrong see’s the band and, indeed, the whole venue bouncing up and down to the beat of the track! While the haze and strobe lighting is still in evidence, Annisokay add in large LCD screens that have graphics and lyrics on them, nice touch and definitely elevates the performance.

Ultraviolet has the crowd nodding and singing along, Like A Parasite raises the heavy gauge and H.A.T.E gives Rudi Schwarzer on unclean vocals an opportunity to flex his muscles, one minute he is on the barrier and then he’s surfing in the crowd, clearly enjoying the gig!

HEAVY. AND HOOKS

Human is (imho) the best track on the set this evening, cracking blend of heavy and hooks with Wieczorek showcasing his excellent vocal abilities again. The vocals really lift this track above generic metalcore to something that actually transcends genres in many respects, especially with the haunting reprise at the end of the song. Inner Sanctum slows things down and puts us in more reflective mood. Calamity ends the set and gives the crowd another opportunity for some singalong and shows a softer more poppy side to the band.

The band leave the stage for a short period before returning for the inevitable encore. The evening ends with STFU, a fitting song to close off another cracking evening, an evening of contrasts and three bands all delivering their own brand of music and playing to their strengths. This reviewer leaves with a smile on his face!

All concert photography by Graham Hilling. You can check out more of his work on his website, here.

Annisokay: Website

Heart Of A Coward: Website

The Narrator: Website

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