The Fall Of Troy, Boneflower, meth. at The Garage, London, 12.08.2025

It takes a special level of dedication to go and see a show a day before departing for a 4 day festival, when all three bands are playing that same festival, but I am known for being a bit extra when it comes to music, and this is how I found myself at The Garage on a sweaty Tuesday night.

meth.

Opening the proceedings very soon after doors were meth. and the reason I was being extra to begin with. I first saw them at Electric Ballroom in London when they opened for Chat Pile in 2024, and I got instantly obsessed. I am a huge fan of visceral performances, music that kicks me right in the gut with emotions and a wall of noise – and meth. deliver on all counts, and then some. Their recent album SHAME, released in February 2024 on Prosthetic Records, leans into the confrontational side of noise and metal, with lyrics channelling personal trauma.

Their live performances are unmissable – harsh, crushing, intensely emotive and bathed in deep, red light. I am unashamed (pun unintended) to admit they were my reason for being at The Garage on that sweaty Tuesday night. The intimate venue lends itself perfectly to Seb Alvarez’s performance as it doesn’t take him long to climb the stage fixtures before jumping over the barrier and thrashing on the floor among the awe-struck audience. The last notes of the titular ‘Shame’ is just Seb, collapsed on the floor, screaming ‘SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!’ in between pin-drop silence, sending shivers down my spine. The band behind him unleash a seemingly never-ending wall of noise. Zack Farrar and Michael McDonald on guitars create claustrophobic soundscapes in perfect harmony. Andrew Smith on drums and Nathan Spainhower on bass are the perfect rhythm section to give bones to the cathartic noise.

They are one of those bands that I want everyone to witness live just as much as I want them to remain my best-kept secret. When I chatted with Seb for a moment after the show, I quickly left him to decompress because – in his own words – ‘It just hurts so much’. And you feel that pain seep through every single note. It feels as if with every performance some of the trauma that fuelled it gets shared among the audience and we all carry a piece of it in our hearts. It is filthy, it is heavy, it is punishing, but also I cannot wait to see them again – and I am incredibly lucky that I don’t have to wait long.

Boneflower

Second to take to The Garage’s stage were Madrid’s Boneflower. Fresh from releasing their third LP, Reveries, just ten days prior on Deathwish Records, to wide acclaim, the Spaniards brought their blend of post-hardcore with melodic guitars and a little seasoning of odd time signatures that made me think they would fit right in amongst the ArcTanGent crowd.

Seamlessly veering between guitar melodies and thunderous riffs and vicious vocals, just to dip into blissful, luscious, almost post-rocky territory, they command the stage and their set flies by quickly, with the crowd loving every riff and time signature change. The trio was visibly moved by the extra warm reception, remarking how they still have day jobs and take holidays to go on tour (relatable!), making this tour, in the company of great bands, feel extra special for them. If you like a fresh take on post hardcore with a math- and post-rock seasoning, Boneflower are a must.

The Fall Of Troy

The Fall Of Troy erupted onto the tiny stage to an absolute rupture of cheer from the crowd. This tour celebrates two decades of the post-hardcore trio’s sophomore album Doppelgänger and it was clear from the first riff how beloved that record is as the crowd sang along to every word, with “I’m telling you the truth I swear” from ‘Ac One, Scene One’ becoming a huge communal confession.

Playing the album nearly start to finish, you wouldn’t expect many surprises – and yet, after a quick introduction of the third track ‘”You Got A Deathwish, Jonny Truant?” as “the song about good, old fashioned fucking”, Seb Alvarez suddenly appeared on stage and promptly disappeared right amongst the crowd to scream along with them, just to pop back onto the stage, sing along with Thomas Erak – and disappear again as quickly as he arrived.

The band, hailing from Washington State and having played a pivotal role in the Seattle sound revolution, continued to flow through the cadence of their career, making an album with unbound energy. ‘F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.’ was the clear standout and the perfect finale, with its frenzied energy and an additional huge wave of nostalgia hitting the crowd – this song was a Fall Of Troy gateway to many as it featured on video games Guitar Hero and MLB 2k. Seeing them in an intimate setting of The Garage just whet my appetite for ArcTanGent – their energy, musicianship, and incredible song titles (‘We Better Learn To Hotwire a Uterus’ deserves a special mention) make them a must-see – their tour continues across Europe, so catch them if you can!