Last Wednesday, MetalTalk made our way to The Dome in Tufnell Park to witness the second night of the European tour for headliners ten56. With a stacked lineup including Cabal, VCTMS, and Dali, it promised chaos from the start and with such violent-sounding bands, carnage was inevitable.
ten56 – Cabal – VCTMS – Dali
The Dome, Tufnell Park – 10 September 2025
Words And Photography: Natalia Kasiarz
Dali
Dali opened the evening for those craving brutal sounds on a midweek night. Their full name, The Dali Thundering Concept, marks a band that began in 2010 and has since released three albums of Progressive Deathcore.
Observing their set unfold was a journey from the sleepy and shy first songs to the point where everyone, most likely stressed out from the Underground strikes, unloaded their frustrations in the mosh pit.
Their sound is truly unique. From the blasting beats, you could pick out delicious djent at times, following jazzy structures and tempos, making them the quirkiest band of the evening with a complex edge.
You really had to fine-tune your ears to catch the nuanced and elaborate riffs and meticulous drumming. It was smart, not just about making noise, though, of course, we got plenty of that as well.
This French quartet released a brand-new single on Friday, Business As Usual, their third standalone track that is hopefully foreshadowing something bigger.
VCTMS
This was VCTMS’s first-ever UK Metal show, and hopefully the first of many. Hailing from the underground US, Illinois scene, they carved their way up by supporting bigger bands until they became serious players in their own right.
Crossing the Atlantic is a testament to that hard work. Last year they released one of the coolest and grooviest albums, pain processing., filled with filthy breakdowns that are just so fun to bop along to.
I was so excited to see them perform those songs for the first time in our part of the world, though I secretly hoped for a cameo from Paleface Swiss on their joint track snuff.tape. However, they were busy touring Australia.
This did not dampen the mood. I was beside myself watching their drummer hit the kit with such insanity and intensity. By then, the crowd had thickened, and more people arrived at the venue, which livened up the atmosphere with extra two-stepping and some wild pits.
The way their vocalist screamed out the lyrics was first-class. I really enjoyed his voice as it shifted freely from rage screams to rap flows, borrowing some of the coolest aspects of Nu-Metal.
Cabal
The time came to take things up a notch with Cabal’s arrival on stage. The harshness of their sound was matched with equally abrasive backlighting and razor-sharp performances from each band member.
Always in top form and frequent visitors to London, this Danish Deathcore band is gradually stepping into worldwide fame. Earlier this year, they released their fourth studio album, Everything Rots, pushing their extremity even closer to ear-piercing levels.
From the first song, the intensity of their material is visibly aggressive, seen in every string pull and drum hit. Cabal are unique in the way that they layer rhythmic, almost djent-like grooves with filthy, abrasive filler sounds, leaving no space empty.
On top of that came vocals straight from hell, ranging from growls and screams to harrowing guttural howls. The crowd ate it up immediately.
Many looked to the stage in awe and admiration, but others did not need an invitation to mosh as they completely let go, allowing themselves to be carried away by the band’s visceral sounds.
ten56.
This evening would not have happened without ten56. The French headliners embarked on this tour to promote their newest release, their second studio album IO, which dropped on all streaming platforms and has been available for purchase since last week.
Their version of Deathcore is highly abrasive and sharp, like thousands of needles. Relative newcomers to the scene, ten56. started their journey in 2020 and in just five years have built a steady and impressive fan base that only grows with each release or concert.
Watching and listening to their rhythmic yet brutally assaulting songs was the highlight of the whole evening. Their hour-long set brought us an incredible 17-song list, fan service like no other. The mix was mostly tracks from their debut EP Downer, intertwined with songs from their fresh sophomore release.
The combination of Nu-Metal-like backing tracks and industrial soundscapes worked perfectly with the relentless breakdowns and impressive vocals, screaming out their vocalist’s personal demons. ten56 are fun live as they brew the perfect storm for fans to go wild.
They opened with Good Morning, starting their power hour with carnage that sounded like birthing something demonic and unholy within the vocal range. Enough to feel like someone had hit you with a sledgehammer.
The horror soundtrack continued with their newest single, I Know Where You Sleep, an atmospheric interlude that brought us to the halfway point of the show. Pig followed, sounding like it had been to hell and back, spiced up with vocal variations and erratic tempos that kept you guessing what was next.
Then came PTY FCK, a steadier track that lacks breakdowns but focuses on distortion and industrial effects, paired with some of their most shocking lyrics. It made me admire the vulnerability of their singer even more.
The encore, Bay, completely ripped the crowd apart with chilling instrumentals and violent bursts of rhythmic grooves. The perfect finisher, it left you craving more and already hoping for another London show in the near future.
I predict that the 2026 festival season will be big for ten56. But for now, catch them on their ongoing tour if you can.
