Year of the Knife and Chamber absolutely levelled Nottingham’s Rough Trade last night as the opening show of the Ultimate Aggression tour. Support came from UKHC bands Cauldron, Warheads and Intent 2 Kill. They all put on excellent displays which got the crowd warmed up and had the spin kicks flowing by the time Chamber took to the stage to cap off a first-rate showcase of the UK hardcore scene.
Despite being a last minute replacement after the original support band xServitudex were kicked off the tour, Chamber demonstrated why they are on so many hxc bills across the country with a short set that was half an hour of non-stop aggression. Displaying why they are thought of by many as the next big hardcore band to come out of Britain, and with previous performances at Outbreak Festival and supporting Code Orange, it is clear that Chamber are on an upward trajectory if these big US names think highly enough of them to invite them on tour.
However, the main event of the evening was Year of the Knife, and not only did they live up to expectations, but completely blew every single other band on the bill out of the water. The setlist was mostly taken from this year’s Ultimate Aggression, and the reason for that name quickly becomes apparent in a live setting with some of the most brutal pits I’ve ever seen at a show - including the photographer injuring himself with a mistimed kick to the knee when he ventured too close to a few moshers. Vocalist Tyler Mullen was doing his best to pull down the beam above the stage but unluckily for him it stayed up – although if given a longer set I’m fully certain that YOTK would have been able to completely collapse the Rough Trade ceiling with their sheer sonic power. Unbelievable in such a small venue, this band are surely destined for bigger stages soon.
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