Fear Factory / The 1865 / Southampton

Fear Factory are a band I’ll never tire of seeing live. Their heavy , repetitive mechanical beats always hit hard and deliver. They’re coming to the end of their 2026 ‘Cybernetic Domination Tour’ which concluded in London. Tonight we’re at Southampton’s 1865 to see them in action, along with a truly international support cast, with Las Vegas’s The Nocturnal Affair, Poland’s Hate and Japan’s Crystal Lake.

Let the chaos begin !

Formed in Sin City, The Nocturnal Affair deliver a powerful set of heavy rock, mixing dark emotions, moody atmospherics and cinematic energy, to create an explosive sound, packed with life and energy.

Singer Brendan Shane is in excellent form delivering some impressively loud and clear vocals. Alongside the overall heavy rock feel, there are definite industrial and gothic overtones in the mix too. The dark brooking emotions come to the fore in tracks like Cross Me Out and Oxygen which hit hard.

The Southampton crowd are loving it, and it’s a great intro to the night. Brendan tells us they’ll be at the merch stand after,m and they want to meet and get to know as many of the fans as they can. He smiles and tells us we can let him know what we thought of the final, and controversial track ! Then, to the crowds surprise they rock into a blisteringly heavy cover of Haddaway’s hit What is Love. Of course EVERYONE knows the words to the chorus, and Brendan demands the crowd take over and sing it. And they do so heartily ! I’ve seen it before, and I don’t think there’s anything controvertial about it. A heavy band covering an iconic hit, but turning it into a rock anthem ? Whats not to love ?!

A crazy good end to the first set.

Next up is a real treat. Hate are a Polish blackened death metal band, formed in 1990, formed by Adam ‘ATF Sinner’ Buszko who is the only original band member left. Theior thirteenth and latest album “Bellum Regiis” came out last year.

In true balck metal style, the fancy lights are replaced with red, and the skulls and ornate mic stands are positioned ready for the bands arrival. There is little in the way of interaction, it’s straight to business, and that business is some of the heavilest black metal about !

The intensity is relentless right from the off and the opening track Bellum Regiis from the latest album. Crushing riffs and eardrum bashing drums hammer the audience right from the off. A real highlight for me was Erebos taken from 2010’s album of the same name. The vocals are raw and visceral throughout but especially powerful in the likes of The Vanguard from the latest album.

We also dipped into 2019’s “Auric Gates of Veles” for the incredible Sovereign Sanctity, where the riffs are delivered with raw intensity. Adam, a solemn figure behind the ornate iron mic stand, delivering some gut crunching lyrics. But what I love about Hate is there is a distinct melody in their sound, which I think helps bring the darkness to life with some incredible guitar solo sections.

I think some of the audience maybe weren’t expecting something so dark.….. But I loved every note !

Finally, before Fear Factory we have one last band, and it’s the turn of Japanese metalcore band Crystal Lake from Tokyo. Formed back in 2002 they have released five studio albums the latest “The Weight of Sound” coming out in January this year.

All dressed in black Crystal Lake take to the small Southampton stage. Led by vocalist Park Kang-hyun, they are a mass of energy on stage ! Park Kang-hyun throws himself around the stage, like a Duracell Bunny stuck on overdrive lol. Several times, he climbs down from the stage onto the pit wall, to throw himself into the crowd, at their mercy, to be carried around whilst screaming out some of the most intense metalcore vocals you could hope to hear.

Six Feet Under from 2016’s “True North” has a vocal intensity like nothing else, the lyrics come fast and furious, delivered with anger and intensity and raw emotion. The guitars pound away delivering some solid deep and dark riffs. 2015’s “The Sign” gives us

Perhaps track of the set, in Prometheus which is spat out at us. Crystal Lake are a real find, and something special

Blüdgod from the new album “The Weight of Sound” demonstrates that Crystal Lake have lost none of their intensity or energy over the years. There is an industrial edge to this one, and the lyrics become even deeper and darker. It’s the perfect track to showcase the talents of drummer Gaku Taura who pounds the drumskins relentlessly, standing to deliver killer blows. Visually, and technically an impressive performer.

I love metalcore live, especially bands like Slaughter to Prevail, and having now seen Crystal Lake, I’;’ definitely be heading down to see them next time they head to the UK.

Smashed it !

Setlist

Everblack

Blüdgod

Hail to the Fire

Six Feet Under

Aeon

Prometheus

The Weight Of Sound

Apollo

And now it’s time for Fear Factory. Formed in Los Angeles back in 1989, they have released ten studio albums, and the line up have evolved over that time. Long term vocalist Burton C. Bell left in 2020 and has been replaced by Milo Silvestro. Guitarist Dino Cazares is the only remaining original member and they are joined by drummer Pete Webber and Tony Campos on bass (Static X).

The lighting changes again, and is bright and intense whites and blues, adding to that industrial vibe. The eighteen song set is a run through the highlights of their entire career, with classic hits mixed in with newer material from the latest album “Aggression Continuum” from 2021.

The set opens with Acres of Skin from 2001’s “Digimortal” and the intensity is evident from the off. Bright flashing lights pulse and mirror the rhythmic punching basslines. Milo is on fire. The newest member of the band, he has made the vocalists role his own and gives the tracks his own unique take.

“Digimortal” also provides track of the night for me in Linchpin with it’s incessant pounding rhythm. I always recall the video with the heavy metal industrial press sync’d in time to the track and the industrial metaphor is perfect for this one. For me, perhaps the archetypal industrial metal track, and delivered perfectly.

Their latest single Roboticist is included, and goes down a treat with the crowd, and bodes well for the new album that’s in the works. Throughout the set, the energy levels from Milo who is up on the risers reaching out into the crowd as he launches the vocals with raw emotion and passion.

The 1865 isn’t a huge venue, maybe around 750 capacity ? But the circle pit is in full operation, particularly during tracks such as Edgecrusher (from 1998’s “Obsolete”) with some fantastic prominent bass lines from Tony, under pinning some fierce and brutal vocals from Milo.

The close the set with another track from “Obsolete”, their incredible cover of Gary Numan’s classic Cars. The crowd go wild and the pit is swirling. It’s a great cover, it pays homage to the original, but the addition of that heavy, intense metal industrial styling gives it a new and modern edge.

Fear Factory were as incredible as ever, and delivered a performance that sent the Southampton crowd out into the cold night air with smiles on their faces. What particularly impressed me tonight was the selection of support acts. Quite often bands are fairly similar, but Fear Factory put together a truly internation line up mixing it up, with four very distinct metal genres. Good old Heavy Rock, followed by Blackened Death Metal, Metalcore and finally Industrial. Maybe they weren’t all for everyone present, but I loved it, and it showed the rich diversity in the metal genre.

A great night all round.

Setlist

Acres of Skin

Industrial Discipline

Powershifter

Shock

Edgecrusher

Linchpin

No One

Invisible Wounds (Dark Bodies)

Soul Hacker

Roboticist