Live Review: Paleface Swiss - Academy, Manchester
15th January 2026
Support: Static Dress and Stick To Your Guns
Words: Oli Gonzalez
Photos: Rich Price
January 15th. Thursday night. Halfway through the longest month of the year. It was cold, wet, and Christmas was now very much a distant memory. Yet there was a reason to be joyful! It was the first gig of the year for many, and what a way to start off gig season 2026! Headlined by one of the brightest rising stars in the world of metal, a band who have sold out venues across the globe and secured huge festival slots at such an early stage in their career... Paleface Swiss.
They got their year off to a flying start with the release of “The Wilted” EP, and headlining the huge and esteemed Manchester Academy seemed like a statement of intent for the band. Would they be able to pull a large enough crowd on a weeknight, in January, and also with Beyond The Black playing 10 minutes walk away on the same night? Well, clearly neither were factors, with a crazy long queue forming an hour before doors. Observing the demographic of attendees made for an uncomfortable realization; I was one of the oldest here! One of the few to have experienced the horror of finding a grey beard hair (or to even have facial hair!). What kind of energy would the younger and assumingly younger demographic bring to tonight's proceedings? Let's see…
The venue was already filling out nicely before our first band of the evening, Stick To Your Guns, took to the stage. Look in any direction and you were guaranteed to see a piece of Paleface Swiss merch, making it obvious who the main draw was. Though once STYG were up, it was also clear that they weren't here to make up the numbers! Countless others were passionately singing along (especially to ‘Spineless’ later in the set) and just two songs in, we could see the first pits of the evening.
“They gave life to this corpse of a band”
said frontman Jesse, in reference to Paleface Swiss' invite to the tour and paying great homage to them in the process. Was the bass supposed to be so high in the mix though? Because that was muddy, and straight up uncomfortable at times, all but eliminating any sense of melody from the mix! Those throwing their bodies into the wall of death, or our first crowd surfers of the evening didn't seem to care though and the energy made you forget that it was a Thursday night! Save that energy kids! Two more bands were to come!
The lights went down for a second time this evening but the roars of joy were the loudest yet for a band ‘only 45 minutes up the road’, in the Static Dress vocalist Olli’s own words.
“Open this shit up!”
No formal or warm introductions, just a simple straight to the point command! Their music was just as on the nose too; bullish, sharp, aggressive, yet with soaring choruses which many needed little encouragement to join in on. The bass heavy issues that seemed to plague the previous band had all but disappeared too, making for a much better auditory experience.
Static Dress made much better use of the visuals on offer to provide a much more rounded performance. That was my take, from the ‘safe zone’ on the fringes of the venue. Those who continued to throw their bodies around in the pit or those who decided to go airborne and over the barriers may have had a much different point of view. Vocalist Olli was not satisfied and was constantly demanding more though!. Ask and ye shall receive, and the chaos continued. Though the pace came down drastically and the room was illuminated with mobile phone light for one song in a set highlight. A much needed breather for many, and just enough time to recharge the ol’ batteries for the final band of the evening…
Decision time. Save your good spot at the front, or head to the bar for much desired liquid refreshment? Many stayed put, whilst some sent their friends or partners to do the donkey work and navigate through a sea of bodies whilst holding said refreshments. Not that there was much time for a drink as a quick turnaround meant that Paleface Swiss were on stage at 9.30pm, prompt.
In a city where vocalist Zelli says he gets more compliments on his nails than any city anywhere else, and which he also described as ‘the best city in all of the UK’. Was this cheesy pandering or genuine. We'll come back to that later; hold that thought.
It feels like we’ve seen so many bands in this hardcore/modern metalcore style that Paleface Swiss brought to the stage. What makes them different though? Sure, the guitars were low and heavy, and the vocals fierce. Though the emotional output was staggering and the delivery raw and very much believable. Every single note mattered and was played with the utmost conviction. You’d think Zelli's life depended on every single vocal utterance he delivered! You feel as though this delivery has resonated with, and has forged a deeper connection with the younger generation of metal heads. This was evident when the crowd threatened to drown out Zelli at some one point in the set whilst singing along!
How to almost incite a riot? Play a song for the first time in 7 years, ‘Go To Sleep’, and threaten to never play it again if there wasn’t enough carnage! There was enough. This worked. Maybe they WILL play it again. Of course, some new tracks from “The Wilted" made their way into the set, and things slowed down for one of those songs; ‘Everything Fine Is Fine’. This was a chance to throw your arms in the air and sing along to a ridiculously infectious number that could have worked equally well as a show closer. Though it worked here too...and it was wonderful.
So, why does the city of Manchester mean so much to the band? Simple; Zelli explained that the city was where they played their first ever international show, when they played ‘in front of three and a half people in Rebellion’. To witness him say that in front of maybe 3,500 people shows far they’ve come and really makes you understand that sentiment. Will they ever play in front of 35,000 people?
Photo Credits: Rich Price Photography
