Live Review : Make Them Suffer + Resolve + Conjurer + If Not For Me @ Academy 2, Manchester on May 10th 2025

Genres like metalcore and deathcore actually cover such an eclectic range of bands that it’s sometimes hard to find a balanced bill. Tonight, we have as close as you’d get to that balanced bill, with four exciting bands that while slick and cohesive, are all different in their own way. Make Them Suffer have evolved from a deathcore band to something much more creative, and headliner tonight’s offering with a couple of ROCKFLESH favourites Resolve and Conjurer in tow. All the bands tonight have evolved but never skimped on passion and raw energy. 

If Not For Me are first on, and take to the stage with a sense of urgency that immediately invigorates the crowd. Hailing from Harrisburg, PA, this four-piece is rapidly rising through the ranks of modern metalcore, and their performance tonight shows us why. They’re very much in the vein of tonight’s main support Resolve, and other acts like Thornhill. They’re melodic but have they gritty metal edge to it all. Vocalist Patrick Glover commands the stage with a mix of raw aggression and melody, his vocal performance emotionally charged drawing the front row closer into his world with each lyric. His presence is engaging with equal parts of rage and vulnerability.

Guitarist Hayden Calhoun delivers dynamic musicianship that balances intricate riffing with crushing breakdowns. His tone is razor-sharp and melodic enough to let the emotion in the music breathe. The rhythm section lay a foundation that’s punishing yet groove-driven, with the drumming in particular impressing with precision, technical flair, and relentless energy that drives each track forward. The crowd react with similar passion throughout If Not For Me play like a band that’s not only talented but also destined to be headliners.

ROCKFLESH Towers favourites Conjurer are second on and immediately shift the atmosphere into something darker, heavier, and deeply immersive. The UK quartet conjure (no pun intended) a sound that feels more like a primal force than a specifically defined sound. Brady Deeprose and Dan Nightingale (Watch our 2023 interview with Conjurer here) deliver a vocal performance that’s guttural, gripping, and emotionally raw, each roar carrying a unique rasping individuality that cuts through the instrumental wall of sound. Their guitar work transitions effortlessly from sludgy, crushing riffs to eerie, melodic passages that offer haunting contrast.

Those riffs give us the mass and menace, while bassist Conor Marshall fills any spaces with low-end heft and dynamic movement. Drummer Noah See is tight, powerful, and expressive. His ability to shift tempos and textures with finesse brings an almost orchestral range to the band’s sound. Conjurer still refuse to be pigeonholed into a single genre. Their set spans doom, sludge, death, post-metal, and everything in between, making for a visceral, shape-shifting performance that is as emotionally impactful as it is technically impressive.

Main support tonight is the ever-outstanding Resolve (Watch our 2023 interview with Resolve here). These guys always low us away and tonight they take to the stage bringing with them a burst of even greater excellence, both visually and sonically. The French quartet perform their catchy metalcore with the assurance of a well-seasoned headliner, blending professional polish with heartfelt intensity. Frontman Anthony Diliberto is the standout element, with his vocal performance both powerful and vulnerable. His screams are raw and unrelenting, his clean vocals soaring and emotive, and his connection with the crowd sincere and passionate. The guitars elevate the band's sound with a blend of sharp technicality and catchy riffs. The lead work is defined and intricate, while the rhythm segments add punch and precision.

The Mariat brothers form a rock-solid rhythm section, anchoring every track with drive and nuance. Nathan’s drumming is particularly notable, with its control, power, and creativity shining through every transition and breakdown. The band’s stage presence mirrors their musicality - slick, expressive, and catchy. Every single track showcases the band's ability to balance melody and heaviness with songwriting maturity and intelligence. Resolve’s ability to command the stage, write catchy and memorable songs, and create moments of genuine musical emotion, make them one of the most exciting bands in metalcore right now.

Finally, we make it to our mighty headliners. Make Them Suffer take the stage with the weight and presence of a band that has grown into a self-assured and slick premium unit. From the first note, the Australian quintet are electric. They’ve evolved from their early deathcore days into something far more dynamic – engaging choruses, melodic electronic aspects, yet still deeply intense and heavily metal. Their 2024 self-titled album, written and produced in-house, reflected a band completely in sync with their identity, and it shows live too. Frontman Sean Harmanis brings a masterful presence, delivering guttural growls and barked vocals with precision and emotion. He commands the crowd through the chaos and beauty, and tonight he’s on top form.

Alex Reade, on keyboards and vocals, is nothing short of a revelation - her electronics add both emotional weight and atmospheric layers. But it’s through her vocal, sometimes angelic, sometimes raspingly harsh, that blend perfectly with Harmanis’, giving the band an expanded vocal array. The guitar work is sharp and expressive, laying down violent riffs, the bass a grinding low end, and the drumming technically flawless never missing a beat. The set flows effortlessly and the newest material really shines. The band continue to hit as hard as they ever have, but now they also reflect growth and a newfound maturity. It’s a cohesion of power and songwriting that elevates their offering to a new level. By the end of the night, Make Them Suffer stand tall as a band that has endured, evolved, and come out the other side stronger than ever.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Make Them Suffer + Resolve + Conjurer + If Not For Me