Alpha Wolf brought the US leg of their “Let It Rip” tour to Town Ballroom last Friday, May 15th, delivering a night filled with relentless intensity and an impressive lineup of some of the best metalcore in today’s scene.
Resolve kicked off the night right with their mix of heavy breakdowns and melodic hooks. With seamless harsh to clean vocals from vocalist Anthony Diliberto, this France-based band immediately captivated the room. Playing songs exclusively from their latest album, Human (Extended Cut), Resolve showed the crowd exactly what their current sound is. By the end of their set, they undoubtedly walked away with many new fans, myself included, and I cannot wait to see what they do next.
A small but enjoyable detail of the night was how you could tell that the tour package likely chose their own between-set playlist. Not only did this keep the energy flowing from set-to-set, but it also gave some insight into the bands themselves. From Edith Piaf’s “Non, je ne regrette rien” leading into Resolve, to Sleep Token’s “Chokehold” seamlessly transitioning into Mugshot’s opening track, and the mix of country, rap, and metal before Gideon hit the stage, these transitions created a wonderful polyjamorous blended soundtrack for the evening.
Next up was Mugshot. Brutal and heavy all the way through, this California group owned the stage for their whole 25 minutes. Opening with “Die in Fear” from their latest album All The Devils Are Here and never letting the intensity dip, their set was a nonstop barrage of punishing breakdowns, frantic energy, and cathartic release, keeping the pit in constant motion with waves of moshing and two-stepping from start to finish.
By the time Gideon took the stage, the crowd was fully amped up. Everyone went wild as vocalist Daniel McWhorter took the stage, donning his signature Stetson, effortlessly commanding attention as the band launched into one of their newest singles, “Wrong One.” Gideon’s raw and aggressive hardcore brought an intense atmosphere to the room, which was only amplified when they called for crowd surfers a few songs in. From the opening moments through the closing notes of “No Love/No One,” Gideon set the room ablaze with an unrelenting barrage of mosh-ready riffs that left the floor in complete disarray while perfectly setting the stage for the headliner.
After a night of nonstop energy from every band on the lineup, Alpha Wolf closed things out with the most explosive set of the evening, both sonically massive and visually striking. The production alone was a standout, driven by pulsing lights, an enormous boombox looming behind the band, and their large banner with a graffiti-style logo. Guitarist Sabian Lynch immediately ignited the room as the first member to storm the stage, sending the packed Buffalo crowd into a frenzy before the rest of the band joined him for a crushing opening run of tracks.
Opening with “Sub-Zero,” Alpha Wolf wasted no time throwing the venue into chaos before tearing through fan favorites, including “Sucks 2 Suck,” and “Pretty Boy.” The band maintained an overwhelming level of intensity throughout the entire set, keeping the pit in near-constant motion. Every breakdown felt heavier live, amplified by the band’s chaotic stage presence and the crowd’s nonstop energy.
One of the night’s highlights came during “60cm of Steel,” one of my personal favorite Alpha Wolf tracks and originally a collaboration with Holding Absence. Live, the clean vocal sections were handled by bassist John Arnold, whose delivery captured the emotional contrast of the song perfectly while still fitting seamlessly into the band’s crushing sound.
Another memorable moment came during “Bleed 4 You,” when Alpha Wolf’s photographer, Olivia, joined the band onstage, adding an extra layer of excitement and personality to an already unforgettable set. From there, the band launched directly into “Bring Back the Noise” before closing the night with the unmistakable opening of “Akudama,” sending the packed Town Ballroom crowd into one final eruption of chaos.
Each band brought something distinct to the lineup, but together they created one of the strongest heavy tours currently making its way across the US.This is a show you do not want to miss. Check out the remaining dates here!
Words and photos by Kayla Kreller