Palm Reader have been kings of the underground heavy music scene for many years, and tonight they prove why they deserve that title, with all seven current members throwing themselves wholeheartedly into their support slot for post-hardcore legends Thrice. Opening with the powerful âHold/Releaseâ, Josh McKeownâs voice cuts through the melee of instruments with a stunning mix of impassioned screams and beautiful clean vocals. At times a static figure centre-stage mid-scream, the stillness juxtaposes the fierce energy of the rest of the band who are collectively swinging, spinning and throwing their bodies around with vigour.
This intensity never waivers, with Sam Jones on keys/synth and Heck/Haggard Cat guitarist Matt Reynolds adding additional layers of sonic complexity and balanced aggression to an already accomplished and hard-hitting sequence of big riffs and note-bending melodies. McKeown introduces âStay Downâ from 2021âs âSleeplessâ by telling the crowd âThis oneâs for the ageing hardcore kids â weâre right here with you,â and itâs doubtful thereâs a soul in this venue that doesnât believe him.
Palm Reader tread the line perfectly between the reckless abandon of hardcore fury and slower, Deftones-esque moments of atmospheric doom showcased brilliantly in âInertiaâ and closer âA Bird and Its Feathersâ. This band have toiled for over a decade to hone and develop their sound into what it is today, and whilst McKeownâs chat to the crowd remains humble, the music speaks for itself, loudly and with an air of refinement that demonstrates the bandâs ever-growing skill and dedication.
Tonight is the last date of the 20th Anniversary tour celebrating 2003 album âThe Artist in the Ambulanceâ, and huge cheers erupt from the crowd as Thrice explode into opening track âCold Cash and Colder Heartsâ. Backlit by tubes of neon dotted around the stage, vocalist Dustin Kensrue utters only the words âWeâre Thrice and this is The Artist in the Ambulance,â before steaming ahead into âUnder a Killing Moonâ. Judging by the age of the crowd assembled in Londonâs sold-out Forum, most in attendance have followed Thrice since the albumâs release, and at times you can feel the angst seeping from every ageing pore in the venue. Fists are thrust into the air and by the time we reach fan favourite âSilhouetteâ, collective voices are pelting the lyrics back at the band from every level, faces contorted with impassioned emotion.
Thereâs always a risk with anniversary shows that a band might rely on nostalgia to support the tracks. This is not the case this evening, each emo-drenched post-hardcore track sounding as relevant now as it did during the genreâs heyday in the mid noughties. Musically, Thrice play every beat with pinpoint accuracy, balancing impeccable timing with emotive intensity and anthemic riffs. Brothers Eddie and Riley Breckenridge supply a sturdy backbone on bass and drums for the solid rhythms and deft picking of Kensrue and lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi.
The softer moments of the set are balanced with measured brutality on tracks like âPaper Tigersâ and âThe Abolition of Manâ, proving that Thrice can deliver the heavy material now with just as much ardent energy as they did twenty years ago. Thrice have maintained the same lineup since their inception, and they exhibit a synergy that can perhaps only exist after such a lengthy time together. Thereâs an unspoken cohesion to their performance, theyâre tight without sounding predictable, confident without a shred of arrogance, steeped with emotion but always in control.
Thereâs barely a moment for everyone to catch their breath after the final track of the album, âDonât Tell and We Wonât Askâ before Kensrue announces âWeâre gonna play some more tunes â this is a B sideâ and launches into âMotion isnât Meaningâ to more rapturous applause and cheers of delight from the crowd. The second half of the set delivers a selection of tracks covering most of Thriceâs back catalogue, from 2002âs âDeadboltâ to 2021âs âThe Dreamerâ and a fair few in between. The delicate opening bars of penultimate track âOf Dust and Nationsâ from 2005 release âVheissuâ are met with a roar almost as huge as when the band first took to the stage, the chorus of fan voices once again accompanying Kensrueâs dulcet tones pouring out of the speakers.
It’s testament to Thriceâs enduring popularity that they captivate the audience until everyone in the room has belted out the very last note of âThe Earth Will Shakeâ. If the first half of tonightâs show paid homage to the bandâs sound at a specific point in time, the rest of the night celebrated their evolution and cemented their place as pioneers of the post-hardcore scene.
ELLIE ODURNY