LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: TEN56. AT THE DOME, LONDON 10/09/25 (+ DALI, VCTMS, CABAL)
Full photo gallery for ten56. here
Full photo gallery for Cabal here
What started as a highly anticipated album release tour for French deathcore band ten56. became a full-fledged showcase of the genre's most promising talent. The night in London was a masterclass in the kind of on-stage camaraderie that solidifies a scene. From the moment the doors opened, it was clear that the future of heavy music is alive and well, led by a rising French wave.
Returning to the UK three years after their latest performance at the RADAR Festival, DALI (formally The Dali Thundering Concept) wasted no time making up for lost time and getting the crowd engaged. Their set showcased familiar songs like ‘Myth of Happiness’ and ’Tear Gas’, as well as a surprise unreleased song. Their latest release, ’Business as Usual,’ has been well-received online and live since last week, with the crowd eating up the frantic energy and intricate rhythms.
Sylvain's captivating stage presence effectively engaged the audience in The Dali Thundering Concept's exploration of dystopian futures and pressing societal issues such as global warming, right-wing populism, and wealth disparity. He swiftly captured the attention with a short speech before performing their powerful critique on performative capitalist activism in the song ’Greenwash me’. Right after this, we were introduced to an unreleased song titled ’Overton’, arguably the best song performed on the night, so keep an eye out for it once it's released! This is a song full of catchy riffs and a rhythmic section that will get stuck in your head right away, hinting at an even brighter future for the band. The ultra-fat bass on the last song, ’Realism‘, was a highlight, as was the visual of the vocalist making eye contact with fans and their phone cameras.
We also found out that a member of the band is getting married! Steve (bass) could not join the tour; however, his role was seamlessly filled by ten56.’s guitarist Quentin, also known for his previous work in the progressive metal band Kadinja. This was a powerful display of camaraderie that ran through the entire night. We wish Steve and his partner a happy marriage and a fantastic future together.
After their set, I had a little word with Sylvain to congratulate him, and he spoke with nostalgia of his last few times in the UK, including the legendary and sorely missed TechFest, and expressed a genuine sense of closeness with the UK audience. We also briefly covered the current healthy state of the French metal scene and how they, together with other bands including ten56., have been working hard to get the genre more recognised in the country and now with the rise of bands such as Novelists and LANDMVRKS to name a few, he seems positive that there is another big wave of artists coming into the mainstream soon. Who will be the next Gojira? Hopefully we'll find out soon!
We're also told that at each show, the band has a one-of-a-kind, bleach-brushed T-shirt, which adds a unique touch to their merch table! Definitely keep an eye out for that during their Tour!
Chicago's VCTMS made their UK debut with this tour, and they are determined to make an impression. I was told after the show that this was made possible by a chance encounter when the drummer and lyricist of the band Meredith, while working as a photographer, met ten56. and had a chat at a previous gig. It's a reminder of how small the music world truly is.
The crowd was introduced into the “Bad Luck Crew” with a relentless assault of energy, with powerful vocals by John. Tracks like ’Pull from the Hurt’ and ’Burn Victim’ had the crowd headbanging from the get-go. Despite the song title, ‘kill.me_please’ did not kill the crowd; to its credit, it was more like an adrenaline shot!
The band’s stage presence was a highlight, with Meredith (drums) biting on her drumstick and slashing her throat with it, and Zack (bassist) with a whirlwind of motion, a welcome defiance of the stereotype that bassists don’t move enough on stage. One of their most popular songs,’snuff.tape’, stood out live with its jarring rap vocals showcasing the band’s diverse discography.
The crowd-favorite (and my favourite) ’Carefully // Caged’ featuring Darius Tehrani (known for his work in Spite) did also not disappoint, living up to its reputation with now over 2 million streams on Spotify, marking the band’s biggest song to date. The show ended on a high note with the drummer’s commanding shout “London, move your ass!” before their last song ’Hell Is Other People’ and ending with her saying “Fuck yeah London!”, followed by John (vocals) thanking the crowd for giving them one of their best shows ever.
Self-proclaimed “one of the heaviest and most uncompromising metal acts failing from Denmark”, Cabal brought a distinct brand of heavy to the stage, encapsulated perfectly with a pinch of humour before they even stepped foot on stage by their merch, which read "Just End It" (a play on Nike’s “Just Do It”) and "Heavy music for sad people" text on their T-Shirts. Their set was a masterclass in synchronised chaos, with the guitarists’ headbanging and spinning in perfect unison. The guitarists' backing vocals felt much more present than the previous bands, adding a new layer of sound to the live performance. The band's vocalist, Andreas, was a force of nature, commanding the “British fuckers” to move and eliciting the first massive circle pit of the night with ’Hell Hounds’.
Their set was complete with engaging moments. The chorus of ’Still Cursed’ ft ten56. became a unified chant as the vocalist passed the mic to the crowd before asking for “carnage” on the breakdown section. Amidst the chaos, he injected a bit of levity, asking, "I know you like a bit of metal, that's why you're here, but what about a little disco?" before performing ’Snake Tongues’ which got everyone jumping. After this song, Andreas asked, “Are you warm yet? I’m sweating my ass right now.” – but he knew exactly what he had planned - a wall of death for a very fitting song titled ’Death March', proving their command over the audience.
"Last song is about dying, grab your friends and have fun" said the vocalist before ending with ’Magno Interitus’ and inviting the audience for “a final chance to dance with Cabal”. The vocalist's charisma shone through with his constant smiles, showing how much fun he was having, and his hilarious final line, "Come grab a t-shirt so I can convince my mom this is a real job", which earned loud chuckles from the crowd to end the show.
At a random point during their set, my smartwatch notified me that I was "working out for 17 min" during their set, which says everything you need to know about the energy they brought to the table.
ten56.’s set started with the atmosphere of their new IO track ’Friends’, setting a grim, theatrical tone amplified by the IO-themed light panels, adding a custom vibe to their performance. Aaron Matts was a magnetic frontman who entered the stage with a ten56. branded balaclava and one of the strongest vocals of the night, which filled the room with a raw power that transcended the slightly off sound mix. His engagement with the crowd was personal and constant, from initiating handshakes to fist-bumping fans and purposefully trolling the audience in an old-age hand gesture showdown, mimicking rock, paper, scissors, and enclosing their fist in his hand. During the performance, he took a refreshing approach I’d love to see again in the future by inviting the women in the audience to participate in a “girl pit”. This heartening display created a space for them to feel seen and actively join the action safely.
As Aaron introduced us to Night 2 of the IO Tour, he thanked the audience for making their way to the show, despite the strikes affecting the evening, and he continued to do that about 3 more times, showing his appreciation for the fans. He also let his humour loose with sentences like “Who’s grandma died, make some fucking noise” and “Come forward, I wanna smell you” before performing the chant-inducing track ’ICU’. A funny standout was also Steeves’s (bassist) audience death stares. It felt like he was staring into the fans’ souls. Just don’t piss him off, that’s for sure. Remember, he’s also a cybersecurity expert!
Their set was a journey through their unique brand of relentless aggression and personal trauma. ’Earwig’, a song which offers one of the best riffs on their new album, was received incredibly well and somehow sounded even better live than on record. The performances of ’Traumadoll’ and ’Pig’ also stood out, with Matts sitting down to meditate almost before delivering the emotional lyrics. The guitarists' expert swaps between songs, and the drummer's use of an electronic pad for samples and textures highlights the band's technical expertise. The use of theatrical poses, lighting, and soundscapes between songs was a powerful touch, creating a signature cinematic experience.
The night's most poignant moment came when all band members left their spots, and two chairs were introduced. This was the moment when Aaron shared that “he lost 9 years of his life to addiction but now he’s back” before playing the title track ’IO’. It was a vulnerable and inspiring moment that stripped away the aggression, leaving nothing but raw emotion. This is one of my favourite songs from their new album, and it is a song that is strongly encouraged to be experienced live. The night ended with a wall of death during ’Boy’, a final thank you to the crowd, and a hilarious moonwalk from Aaron in the closing moments.
This show was a powerful reminder of how hot the heavy music scene is right now. It featured an incredibly stacked lineup built on mutual respect and shared energy, with every band bringing their A-game. The future of deathcore is clearly rising, and the UK is ready for the wave.
Don’t miss the remaining dates of ten56.’s IO Tour.
14.09 – Manchester, UK – Rebellion
15.09 – Bristol, UK – The Fleece
17.09 – Haarlem, NL – Patronaat
18.09 – Köln, DE – Gebaude 9
19.09 – Berlin, DE – Hole44
20.09 – Warsaw, PL – Klub Mechanik (*no DALI)
22.09 – Hannover, DE – Musikzentrum
23.09 – Leipzig, DE – Conne Island
24.09 – Praha, CZ – Rock Café
25.09 – Vienna, AT – Flex
26.09 – Baden, CH – Werkk
27.09 – Epinal, FR – La Souris Verte
Words by Vlad-Paul Ghilaș (Platform ‘96)
Photos by Florelle Servageon
Full setlist below:
GOOD MORNING
Saiko
Diazepam
Doormat
ICU
Yenta
I Know Where You Sleep
Earwig
Pig
Sick Dog
Traumadoll
RLS
PTY FCK
Kimo
Ender
IO
Boy