Live Review : Dogma + South Of Salem @ Club Academy, Manchester on May 1st 2026

Occult-themed metal playing nuns you say? Is that even a thing you say? Well tonight it is as Dogma come to visit Manchester as part of their first UK headline tour. We’re promised a night of curious lyrical themes, racy dance moves, guitar shredding and none of it without a pinch of theatre. Or should that be nun of it. Ahem. Support comes in the form of the ever-touring South of Salem together with their own brand of theatrical spooky metal.

There’s just the one support band tonight, which already gives the evening a slightly streamlined feel. Manchester Club Academy fills steadily, and South of Salem take full advantage of the breathing room, rolling out their carefully curated gothic hard‑rock aesthetic the moment they step onstage. Neon‑edged coffin designs frame the stage, immediately signalling what we’re in for. Visually, frontman Joey Draper feels like he wants to be Casey Chaos, all posture and presence, but musically this is very much not Amen. South of Salem deal in sweet, poppy hard rock with a spooky varnish, rather than danger or volatility. The sound lands somewhere between Queensrÿche and King Diamond in tone, but without the songs or the technicality. The Bournemouth-based band have a clear identity - melodic rock, gothic aesthetics, heavy metal and an arena‑rock sound with dark, theatrical, spooky themes.

They know how to perform, and their reputation for high‑energy live shows isn’t undeserved. But standing here tonight, it genuinely feels more like a musical theatre act. The set rolls along competently enough, but it struggles to leave a mark. When ‘Static’ kicks it up a notch with a rifftastic opening, there’s a brief flicker of interest, until it quickly dissolves into a mush of Def Leppard and Skillet. It’s very American hard rock, and while they arguably do that specific subgenre some credit, it leaves me cold. There’s no grit, no sense of risk, and crucially no power or signature to the lead vocals. Despite lyrics tackling mental health and personal struggles, the emotional connection just doesn’t land for me. Technically fine, visually consistent, but fundamentally emotionally distant.

Then headliners Dogma strut onto the stage with the crowd already in raptures. Their erotic tapestry banners hang behind them, and as soon as they appear it’s a sea of mobile phones - honestly, I’ve not seen anything like it for ages. Thankfully, most of them disappear before the end of the first song, but the message is clear - Dogma are here to be seen as much as heard. Anonymous, occult‑themed, and wrapped in ‘metal nun’ personas, Dogma are unapologetically theatrical. The drummer, Abrahel, sits behind the kit wearing sunglasses and quite literally looks like a blind nun, which feels unintentionally symbolic given how much of this set relies on spectacle. Everything is staged. Everything is choreographed. It’s all performance, and it doesn’t feel like real emotion. Musically, they inhabit (pun intended) a strange liminal space - Disney does erotic hard rock. Their sound is rooted in 80s‑influenced metal, with NWOBHM touches softened by modern hard‑rock sheen. The songs are simple but played ably, and honestly, they match South of Salem well. Lilith’s vocals, however, are inconsistent, being fine when she’s not pitchy, but noticeably weaker than on record. That raises a larger issue at hand - line‑up changes and version control. This doesn’t always feel like the same band that exists on streaming platforms…and that’s because to an extent it isn’t.

That said, credit where it’s due, the guys behind Dogma do know how to write some hooks. There are catchy, memorable songs, strong choruses, and vocal melodies that stick whether you want them to or not (although ‘Free Yourself’ lifts heavily from ‘I Kissed a Girl’). ‘Fate Unblinds’ is a good example of the band at their best, opening with a delicious recent‑era Parkway Drive guitar riff, before sliding through a forgettable verse into a Eurovision‑esque chorus. It’s catchy, cheesy, and unashamedly performative. But the music at its core is very simplistic, arguably dated and not technically impressive. The bands I was in 20-odd years ago were writing songs and performing songs very similar to these. Of course, my band didn’t dress like sexy nuns, which might explain why they’re on this stage and I’m making notes at the back of the room. The set culminates with ‘The Dark Messiah’, which neatly sums up both the lyrical content and the obvious songwriting progression points. It also gives them the opportunity, as if they needed one, to gyrate even more provocatively at the hips while shredding. The crowd eats it up. Dogma know exactly what they are, exactly who they’re for, and exactly how to present it. For me, it’s glossy, hollow, and over‑reliant on image, but undeniably effective. Whether that’s enough depends on what you came here for - substance, or spectacle. Tonight, spectacle wins.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Dogma + South Of Salem