LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: COLDRAIN AT THE ELECTRIC BALLROOM, LONDON 23/11/25
Japanese alt-metal powerhouse coldrain returned to London after six years with a performance that was nothing short of electrifying. Playing Camden’s Electric Ballroom, the band brought their blend of post-hardcore, metalcore and alternative metal/rock, delivering a set full of fire, sweat and adrenaline.
The evening kicked off with NOISEMAKER, who arrived onstage with the kind of force most bands save for a finale, hitting like a shockwave from the very beginning with ‘Something New’ and ‘MAJOR-MINOR’. With sharp screams, the band played with relentless energy, turning every riff into a punch. ‘Supernatural’ was a most definite highlight, especially when coldrain’s frontman Masato jumped in to join them on stage.
French metalcore outfit Revnoir were up next, shifting the atmosphere without losing any intensity. Their sound leaned into the hypnotic side of heavy music, moving between raw aggression and atmospheric breaks, with the crowd lifting their phone torches one minute and getting slammed by huge, electronic-infused drops the next. It was a whirlwind that left the venue absolutely buzzing long before coldrain even appeared.
After the chaos stirred up by the openers, the room felt certainly ready for coldrain as the first notes of ‘FREE FALL’ hit. The night was about to become a full-force collision of sound, sweat, and pure adrenaline.
Frontman Masato owned the room instantly. Wild, fearless, and completely locked in, also commanding circle pits from the very start: ‘‘Moshpits, let’s go!’’. His voice tore through the crowd, shifting effortlessly from screams to clean vocals. Around him, the rhythm section, comprised of Y.y.C (guitar, vocals), Sugi (guitar), RxYxO (bass, vocals), and Katsuma (drums), unleashed an explosive performance, feeding off the same energy from the crowd.
The next song ‘INCOMPLETE’ sent the room into pure chaos. ‘PARADISE (Kill the Silence)’ and ‘The Revelation’ came next, each track pushing the intensity even further. Older favourites like ‘Revolution’ from 2019’s The Side Effects, ‘Bloody Power Fame’ and ‘Here With You’ from 2022’s Nonnegative all landed perfectly, and ‘Boys and Girls’ offered a brief, much-needed breath before the room was dragged back under.
coldrain have been grinding for well over a decade, but everything changed in 2013. That’s when their partnership with UK-based Raw Power Management catapulted them beyond Japan’s borders and straight into international attention. The deal opened doors quickly: some of the biggest being a tour with Bullet For My Valentine and Chiodos and festivals around Europe (Download, Rock am Ring, Rock im Park). They’ve been pushing forward ever since, steadily carving out their place on the global stage.
Between songs, Masato spoke with a sincerity that hit almost as hard as the music: “London, I feel the energy. It’s been a long time since we’ve been in the UK’’ he admitted. ‘‘It took us six fucking years to come back here. This energy is another level.”
Later, soaked in sweat and running on pure adrenaline, he added, “Promise me one thing: we’re gonna go home with sore throats. We’re gonna go home all sweaty, and we’re gonna go home with the memory that you headbanged to a Japanese band tonight.” The crowd answered with cheers, hands raised, and the kind of connection that only happens at a show like this.
Then came ‘UNINVITED, coldrain’s haunting reimagined version of Alanis Morissette’s classic, from their 2017’s record FATELESS. It was an absolute show-stopper: dark, emotional and beautifully arranged.
Next up, ‘Cut Me’, ‘Rabbit Hole’ and ‘CHASING SHADOWS’ set the venue on fire, with more crowdsurfers, moshpits and Masato wanting even more: “Is the mosh pit tired, do you still have power?”
The encore was pure mayhem, with the favourites ‘OPTIMIZE’ and‘ENVY’ bringing the energy to its absolute peak. The final song ‘VENGEANCE’ left the room shaking. By the end, no one even pretended to have energy left.
coldrain continue to prove why they belong next to giants of Japanese rock and metalcore like ONE OK ROCK, and BABYMETAL. The Electric Ballroom show was a ferocious storm of relentless energy: a reminder, in the most explosive way, of just how unstoppable they can be.
Words and photos by Julia Jevzikova