Thornhill + Ocean Grove + Bloom @ Rebellion, Manchester – 07/11/2025

Rebellion is one of Manchester’s dankest venues for a metalcore show on a good day. On Friday, the air felt dense with sweat and anticipation for an all-Aussie line-up. On tap this night was Thornhill, whose return to UK stages feels like a victory lap for a band, as well as post-hardcore band Bloom, nu-metal disruptors Ocean Grove (or “OG” as they like to brand themselves). The show was unsurprisingly sold out, and just the general level of warmth from people packing themselves through the doors for a pre-show beer was an easy indicator for what the rest of the night had in store.

Bloom

Bloom opened the night up with a set that’s both melodic and thumping. They wasted little time coaxing the first mosh pits of the evening. Tracks like ‘Out of Reach’ and ‘Bound to Your Whispers’ had vulnerable moments, before going off like bombs into cathartic breakdowns that opened the floor. By the time ‘You & I’ fills the room, singer Jono Hawkey and guitarist Jarod McLaren share the spotlight, urging the crowd to clap in unison as the room sways together. The frontman’s joke of “hands up if you like sad songs” earns a wry cheer, and they dedicated the closing track ‘Siren Song’ to the audience. The short but sweet opening set cements their place as a band destined to rise beyond opening slots in the very near future; it’s just a question of where next, not “if” they’ll be back.

Ocean Grove

Another 40 minutes sees the room truly packed to the brim in time for Ocean Grove. The Melbourne collective has been on many fans’ radar since their tour with The Devil Wears Prada back in February. Their set is pure (yet organised) chaos, with a sound that blends nu-metal with metalcore, hip-hop, hardcore punk, and grunge, almost like it’s science. ‘Last Dance’ turns the venue into a sea of phone torches as frontman Dale Tanner instructs the room, “Tell the people closest to you that you love them”. The moment is heartfelt, but short-lived, as it’s back to mayhem with ‘Guys from the Gord’. Bassist “Twiggy” Hunter and Sam Bassal on drums trade some very knowing grins as the group baits the crowd into more chaos. ‘Raindrop’ sees Tanner and Hunter swap places, and Twiggy’s first demand is a full circle pit, screaming “it’s Friday night. Fuck shit up!” before ‘Sunny’ and ‘Fly Away’ have everyone bouncing completely unprompted. Their closing track, ‘JUNKIE$’ splits the room for a wall of death as though they were trying to wring the last bits of energy from the crowd. And there was still the headliner to come.

Thornhill

When Thornhill finally emerged, the atmosphere flipped from chaotic to something darker, both in mood as well as lighting. The Aussies shoot for a cinematic atmosphere, with minimal front lighting throughout the set, combined with deep red washes. The band are cast in silhouettes, in an almost club-like aesthetic that matched the sexy vibe of their performances on stage, but also clashed with the powder keg that was the rest of the room. Almost exactly a year ago, they were supporting Bury Tomorrow’s show down the road at Academy 1. Just judging by their opening tracks ‘DIESEL’ and ‘Revolver’, it’s clear that Thornhill have levelled up even since then. Having seen them previously at RADAR Festival back in 2023, they’ve come leaps and bounds, with frontman Jacob Charlton still being as suave and theatrical as ever; his vocals have shown unbelievable improvement. Their new album, Bodies, really cuts through any claim that they are new blood, with this show rivalling the many prolific acts that have played the same stage. Moments of calm were rare, but awfully powerful. ‘Mercia’ bathed the room in a short-lived calm before ‘Lily & the Moon’ and ‘Where We Go When We Die’ pulled it right back into chaos, as Charlton asks the room “, Where my dogs at?” where the crowd responds with literal barks. There was a brief respite of being able to see, but the latter track drenches the room in a deep red light and guttural screams. ‘Only Ever You’ sees Jacob strap on a guitar to share duties with Ethan McCann, before ‘Under the Knife’ sparks another circle pit, complete with some impressive range on Charlton’s vocals straying into squeal territory.

It’s a set that feels meticulously structured; each lull is followed by an eruption. ‘Arkangel’s synth-driven pulse echoes club culture and the same kind of vibe as Bad Omens, while ‘Silver Swarm’, a fan favourite from the Bodies album, fires up the crowd, akin to the chaos former tourmates Bury Tomorrow inspired, and had the crowd feral. Between songs, Thornhill are humble and genuine. Despite their long tour and what seems like endless travel, they remember the little things. Charlton even shouts out Bloom, Ocean Grove, and their merch guy’s birthday before the delicate ‘For Now’. The delicate nature is very short-lived as the band rolls into the closing stretch, with ‘Obsession’ and the very foreboding ‘nerv’. Though they save the real attitude for their encore, ‘Casanova’, which they say isn’t worth “fucking about” and walking off stage. The room erupted one last time, with bodies surfing onto the stage, and even when a stray boot connected with Charlton’s head, he laughed it off and looked completely unfazed before finishing the track. It’s that cool demeanour, even when they bring madness into the room, that felt like a defining moment for the all-Australian line-up. All three bands came a hell of a long way, and all three bands received a hell of a lot of love in Manchester.