As the summer turns to autumn, so we see the festival season give way to the return to touring gigs. It’s a welcome return indoors as the weather turns nasty and we seek our heat and kicks in sweaty, dimly lit venues that we know and love only too well. Tonight brings us back to the O2 Ritz and while it’s not packed to the rafters, it’s filled with genuinely eager fans for the seminal metalcore legends Poison the Well.

First up we have the first of two Leeds hardcore bands – Killing Me Softly. Fans of Knocked Loose and The Locust will find plenty to enjoy in the raw style and musicality on display. Their frontman strides up and down the stage front, hood up and mic cupped to his mouth, as his high pitched yelled harsh vocals cut through the pummelling instrumental backdrop. Both guitarists rock in time with every discordant guitar stab.

The jagged song structures keeping the crowd on their toes, almost never knowing whether a moment’s respite is a pause within the song, the end of the song, or indeed the end of the set, which seems to jump out of nowhere. They leave the punters nicely warmed up for the remaining acts and with the seed planted to catch these guys again soon.

Main support comes in the form of Bodyweb, another alternative genre-melding band from Leeds. They hit the stage with a raw, grungy post-hardcore metal sound that’s as hard to pin down as it is compelling. One minute you’re hearing shades of Higher Power and Split Chain, the next they’re channelling nu-metal through early Korn and Deftones, with even a dusting of Incubus-esque melodies. It’s a swirl of styles and influences, but somehow, they stitch it all together into a cohesive, engaging whole.

What really seals the deal is their presence. Each member commands the stage with a natural charisma, and their connection with the crowd feels effortless. The addition of a live effects player adds a unique texture, amplifying those nu-metal undertones running through their sound. Vocally and structurally, there’s more than a vibe of Glassjaw — those sudden, almost schizophrenic shifts in genre and rhythm that keep you constantly on edge, never quite knowing what’s next.

And so, we get to our legendary headliners, Poison The Well. They strut onto stage without any pomp or razzmatazz - there’s no need to when you’ve got the reputation, following and experience of a band like this. Tonight’s main draw is that we’re treated to all the tracks from their debut album, 1999’s “The Opposite of December... A Season of Separation”. The crowd is eager and knowledgeable and erupts in deafening cheers as the band dives straight into ‘12/23/93’ and ‘A Wish for Wings That Work’ immediately filling the venue with their genre-setting signature blend of hardcore fundamentals and melodic metalcore sensibilities. It’s like a Every Time I Die’s more sensible and less chaotic big brother. The rhythm section drives like a finely greased engine, with drummer Chris Hornbrook and bassist Noah Harmon locked into a thunderous groove, creating a dynamic backbone that pushes the entire performance forward. Hornbrook stands out particularly, his intricate but solid work and emotive fills adding layers of complexity to the otherwise unrelenting driving percussion.

Guitarists Ryan Primack and Vadim Taver deliver a lesson in how to seamlessly fuse melody and brutality. Their riffs are tight and precise, effortlessly shifting between screeching, gnarling harmonies and crushing breakdowns. Primack’s lead work stands out, his lightning-fast jagged riffing cutting through the otherwise predictable harmonies with melodic flair, contrasting beautifully with the more brutal sections.

Front and a centre of it all is Jeffrey Moreira, the band’s commanding frontman. His vocal range isn’t necessarily that diverse but what he does deliver is bang on-point as is his stage presence. There’s the effortless mid-screams to low-mixed delicate cleans, emotive singing. Vigil uses his voice to inject life and urgency into the band's lyrics, each word carrying weight and emotion. The set perfectly highlights the band's ability to blend the technical intricacies of metal with the raw intensity of hardcore, while also creating moments for the crowd to join in on with those massive, anthemic legacy-filled choruses. It’s a triumphant night, celebrating an important band, and every single punter is left beaming for it.