LIVE REVIEW: Paleface Swiss @ Manchester Academy, Manchester
For PALEFACE SWISS, domination was never meant to be this easy. In a brief, reflective moment between songs, frontman Marc ‘Zelli’ Zellweger remembers the “three-and-a-half” people that caught their Satan’s Hollow headliner back in 2019. Underdogs by design, their wicked charm has only fuelled the band’s reputation as one of the hardest-working acts in heavy music right now. As they cultivate their signature beatdown-infused sound to conquer the mainstream, they deservedly take on Manchester Academy with supports STICK TO YOUR GUNS and STATIC DRESS, as a domineering display of metal pushed right to its sharp and uncompromising edge.
“We’ve been around for a long, long time, maybe longer than some of you have been alive,” admits STICK TO YOUR GUNS frontman Jesse Barnett. For him, with the start of this tour, the “reanimated corpse” of this era-defining melodic hardcore band has been brought back to life. An unlikely, but endearing friendship built from booking PALEFACE SWISS on their first major shows has revitalised the Orange County outfit. In the UK, they prove their mettle with electrifying tenacity. An unexpectedly energetic set, built from the foundations of favourites Against Them All and Amber and spin-kicked into the present with new hits Spineless and Invisible Rain, sent the opening crowd into a headbanging flurry. Here, STICK TO YOUR GUNS make an early play to be one of the best comebacks of 2026.
Rating: 8/10
Debuting an electrifying era early that day with new single, human props, STATIC DRESS infuses Matrix-inspired post-hardcore with all the thrills of modern screamo. At Manchester Academy, they inflict a sound that’s incredibly cool to the touch, but white hot in a live setting. As an early supporter of PALEFACE, it’s clear they’ve understood the magnitude of the opportunity – it’s not every day beatdown breaks out into the metal mainstream.
STATIC DRESS‘ set feels like a headliner in its own right. Dazzling, energetic bursts match the beguiled energy of the crowd. Whilst the vocals may have been hard to hear in the mix at times, Olli Appleyard matches the abrasive clamour of their textured soundscape with ease. Playing tracks like Face, Clean and Death To The Overground is aggressively explosive and truly felt in contrast to the Smoking Lounge Redux version of Such.a.shame. Whilst it feels like the band already has nothing to prove, it begins to chart the meteoric trajectory of STATIC DRESS‘ next era and the dangerous contributions the band will add to the UK music community.
Rating: 10/10
Throughout the evening, it is clear that PALEFACE SWISS‘ story is intertwined with the UK. In Manchester, venues like Satan’s Hollow and Rebellion have defined the band during their early career, cited by vocalist Zelli as the first to book the band outside of their native Switzerland. Their dominating grip on the Bloodstock Main Stage last year was the telltale sign of a band on a monumental rise. In some ways, Manchester Academy feels the golden gateposts to the front of the metal scene, where acts like KNOCKED LOOSE, POPPY, and confessed band-favourite BILLIE EILISH, have all made their mark. This is not an opportunity to prove themselves, but rather to consolidate the electrifying connection with their fans. This is a show dedicated to them, after all.
Here, playing to their strengths as metal ambassadors to Switzerland, neutrality does not manifest within PALEFACE operation. The band indulges in this greatly as an integral part of their design, spinning explosive messages of pain and defiance into their harsh sound. Seemingly, they’ve cracked the code on killing with kindness, as the crowd feasts on every fast-spoken syllable. In deep-set rhythmic verses, vocalist Zelli carves deeply into tracks with an unmatched camaraderie, a mesh-clad maestro to the greebo masses. Lingering on every resilient message, they are a testament to getting through every bitter day, as these words – once written in private – are now sensationally realised in front of two thousand people.
Zelli’s vocals are sharp, short rap that oozes with nu-metal groove. The result is immeasurably accessible, reminiscent of KORN and SEPULTURA. Double-kick deathcore tempo’s PALEFACE brilliantly, running like fine, brutal clockwork. There is immeasurable power in the moments they let loose, showcasing their immense technical capabilities on stage, as air cannons push their performance to the extreme. Opening trio I am the Cursed One, and with hope you’ll be damned and Hatred, are sensationally powerful. Later on, in moments where their hardcore-infused throwback The Gallow, demands the crowd’s attention, that impossible bar is raised with intense fury.
Whilst the pits weren’t pushed as wide as some of their metal predecessors playing the venue before them, the show was a spectacle, overwhelming with tender, triumphant feelings and soundtracked by Yannick Lehmann‘s soaring guitar solos. In a moment of unparalleled emotion, the set reached its heights with an acoustic rendition of River Of Sorrows, as a single tear cinematically rolled down Zelli‘s face. Everything Is Fine, their other slower track of the evening, may have missed the mark in mood, but you can easily see the intense passion the band has for their music.
PALEFACE SWISS are a band intent on causing the most chaos possible. Setting the standard, for the past two years, they have started their year by releasing records back-to-back. 2025’s Cursed is raw and uncompromising live, whilst their recently released EP The Wilted meshes their unmistakable charm with their signature fury. But the band are more than just beatdown boyfriends, schmoozing the audience with admiration and respect for their community. Their warmth and presence on stage are completely refreshing, especially in comparison to their contemporaries like SLEEP TOKEN and BAD OMENS. This live show proves that kindness will take them incredibly far.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here:
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