Live Review: No Peace In Death EP Release Show | Green Door Store, Brighton, 22.08.26
Saturday the 22nd of August, 2026, saw the hometown celebration of the BN1 heavies, Tempers Fray, and the release of their new EP “No Peace in Death”. An all day affair, with friends and family travelling far and wide to witness the occasion. Making the legendary Green Door Store their home for the day, Brighton Hardcore and those beyond the borders joined forces to give love to the local legends and their hand selected entourage. A legendary bill; all killer, zero filler. Immaculate energy filled the space from beginning to end, with egos well and truly left at home. 10 bands joining together for one cause: hardcore.
Opening the running was Brighton newbloods Abscission. Known faces filled the ranks, with members of bands such as Dandelion and Burn It All, and they set the day off strong. Evil metalcore, mosh ready floor fillers. A Shattered Realm cover that set the fire alarm off. It was a great start to the day, and the future of the band is exciting. Supposedly a demo will be released by the end of the year, so keep your eyes peeled for that. It was only their second or third show, so the days are still young, but the potential is plentiful.
Second up, Hampshire’s Hardest. The Big H. Hypnotize. Something of a Southampton Hardcore supergroup, with members of Not Without Punishment, Concrete Jungle, and Eatboys, the band plays a NYHC influenced brand of Real Deal HC. Fronted by Connor Rogers, undisputedly the best drummer in UKHC, the band oozes swagger. The mosh is stylish and full of charm. Then Con gets off stage, and it’s suddenly a lot scarier. Primarily a six piece, not even being a guitar down can dampen their sound. The tone is beginning to be set, and the mood is clear. Today is going to be a lot of fun. A release is scheduled for around the Halloween mark, proper hardcore for your earholes. Put on your dancing shoes, Hypnotize is in business, and business is good.
Southampton Hardcore’s biggest and best of the current crop, Not Without Punishment, took to the stage third. Double duty for members of Hypnotize, and a much earlier billing for them than is usual. Bringing forth an array of Hatebreed influenced floor fillers, their set is as fun as it can get. The band thrives in the live environment, and it is difficult for anyone in attendance to not be won over. Another band with a reduced line-up for the day, and yet the impact remains the same. Bouncy riffs, hard mosh, pile ons. NWP are a force to be reckoned with, and it is thanks to them that Southampton Hardcore even exists in the way it does today. Watch them as often as you can. You deserve it, and they do too.
BN1 beatdown merchants Outlive followed. Following NWP is no easy feat, but they held their own. The crowd response was lively but muted by comparison, with a spattering of reliable faces holding down the dancefloor. A family affair, really, with vocal features from friends amongst the scene to sugar their set. The band deserves more love, and it will come in time, but for now they remain favourites in the hearts of the chosen few.
Still In Love took to the stage next. Changing up the pace somewhat, and with some of their most recent shows being part of the recent Count Your Blessings anniversary celebrations, they brought a welcome sense of emotion to the shindig. Heartfelt emotional hardcore springing tears on stage and on the floor, yet remaining danceable. Undeniably hard, yet not for everyone. It’s nice to see them in a setting such as this, serving as a pleasant reminder that despite their growing size they are still very much for the core. Take advantage of moments such as these, and hold tight to the spirit of DIY hardcore, for you may not get them in rooms still small very often.
Violent Offense brought a bit of Welsh flair to the party. Straight up HC by way of Ruction Records, by the moshers, for the moshers. By this point in the day people were beginning to tire, with some of the most lively dancers taking a moment to go and get something to eat and rest up for the final stretch. With that in mind, their set was solid. Whilst the floor could have been fuller, the room was still packed out. A couple of proper hard bastards were killing as intended, but from where this writer was standing it seemed as though the band had hoped for slightly more. No hard feelings, however, as the set rattled on with precision. A hard band for hard dancers, and on any other day, they would have been greeted as kings.
Mindless brought a dose of punk. The Kent stompers served as the final course before the end run, the big three of the day. Politically charged, beer soaked skank tunes. You can’t go wrong with Mindless, and as they spoke about stomping on Nazis and making racists afraid again, the importance of community action felt reinforced. It’s one thing to talk the talk, but to walk the walk is far more important. Look to your peers, and look out for your marginalised community members. In a time such as this, community is increasingly important, and in times such as this, bands such as Mindless are a rare few. Speaking out takes nothing, yet very few take the moment to do so. With a cover of The Rival Mob to see the set out, they wore their influences on their sleeve, and their message was clear. Keep racists out of hardcore, and look out for each other.
The final three. This transition marked the beginning of the scariest section of the day. Up to this point, things had felt jovial, relaxed, maybe even subdued. All in attendance had been waiting for this point. Everyone knew what was coming. All were prepared. The hardest stepped forward.
Raiden, Essex’s most evil. As soon as they started, chaos ensued. Blending evil hardcore with evil metal, blast beats and tremolos filled the room. Andy Baz’s trademark screech. Easily one of the best vocalists in the WORLD, never mind UKHC. The room was packed, the dancefloor dangerous. At this point in their career they are almost definitely a legacy band, but the second they step foot on stage, you stop and you listen. Eyes glued to the stage, no fucking about. Only the bravest dare enter the fray, and with the inclusion of new material in their set, the future is exciting for Raiden. Who knows when it will come, but it exists, and we will wait patiently.
Tempers Fray didn’t even headline their own release show. Cool as hell. Playing the new release in its entirety, alongside a couple of fan favourites, they commanded the room. Big Conz runs Brighton Hardcore, and in times such as this, you can tell just how much respect he really carries, and yet the group remain some of the most humble and approachable individuals you could ever meet. The band are masters of their craft, the dancefloor terrifying at the best of times, but this is amplified tenfold on home turf. Choopsy of the band Bodybag took to the stage for Twice Your Size, uncharacteristically nervous for such a confident frontperson. He stood amongst hardcore royalty, and he knew it. But it was exceptional, and he deserves his place amongst them. Tempers Fray and Bodybag are soon taking to the mainland for a run of shows alongside Exhume, and if you manage to catch them, enjoy it. Three of Brighton’s best in one package. Money very well spent.
It is hard to understate the impact and influence that a band like Splitknuckle has had on UKHC over the last fourteen years or so. Culturally, creatively, as an example to others. They’ve forged their own lane, created a sound undeniably their own, and are rightfully regarded as UKHC’s finest. The Essex Kings. SKC, LBU, EBD. Blasting through a short and sweet set of unflinching hardcore, they held the Green Door Store in their hands. Headlining the release show of one of their closest peers, one of the few bands to even remotely rival their longevity and impact, the occasion felt special. Understandably, too, as who in their right mind would ever want to follow Splitknuckle? This was by no means the best Splitknuckle set you would ever see, but that’s like comparing one masterpiece with another. When have they ever been bad? Never. They will come around again, they will crush everything in front of them, and they will shake your hand afterwards. Cooler than nobody, cooler than everybody. Better than all, more humble than the worst local band you’ve ever seen. Splitknuckle are THE example to follow. Up and comers, new jacks, old heads alike. Watch and take note. The kings will show you the way.
Realistically, this was a show of the year contender. An all timer Brighton show. The BN1 as a scene is the envy of so many across UKHC, but scene beef divides many and shines a light on cracks often papered over. This was different. A few pit squabbles aside, this was perfect from start to finish. Friends and family everywhere. Everyone wanted to be there, wanted to make it what it was. It’s rare that you find yourself surrounded by such undeniably brilliant people. Community spirit was alive and well, and this show served as an example of just how it can be. How it should be.
Leave your egos at home, and come together for a shared goal. To celebrate your friends, good music, good bands. To celebrate DIY hardcore. Moments like these should be cherished. Those in attendance will remember it for years to come, and it will go down in history within the minds of those that made the effort. Long live Tempers Fray, long live the BN1. Bands come and go, scenes ebb and flow. But when the community comes together as one, it serves as a reminder for just how special hardcore really is. You simply do not get this anywhere else. Ten bands, donation entry. A day of laughing with your friends. Corporate hardcore be damned. In a world where Outbreak has become what it is, look to your surroundings. This is only possible because of those who dare to create it, and those who wish to support it. Support your community, represent your scene. Celebrate your friends and their creative endeavours.
Give, support, receive. DIY or Die.
Words: Ed Torode
Photos: Ben Leika