Live Review: The Halo Effect - KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
Support: Pain, BloodredHourglass
23rd January 2025
Words & Photos: Tim Finch
KK’s Steel Mill has long been a cherished haven for metalheads, and Thursday night’s show featuring The Halo Effect, Pain, and Bloodred Hourglass proved why. The lineup promised an evening of diverse sounds, and each band delivered with a unique energy that kept the crowd enthralled from start to finish.
Opening the night was Finland’s Bloodred Hourglass, a band whose melodic death metal roots shone through in their tightly executed set. Kicking off with ‘The Sun Still In Me’ they immediately captured attention with their dynamic blend of aggression and melody. Tracks like ‘Leaves’ and ‘Drag Me the Rain’ showcased their knack for balancing soaring guitar harmonies with crushing riffs, while ‘Nightmares Are Dreams Too” brought a darker, atmospheric edge.
By the time they closed with ‘Where the Sinners Crawl’ Bloodred Hourglass had firmly established themselves as a band worth watching, setting a high bar for the evening.
Sweden’s Pain took the stage next, and true to their reputation, they turned the room into a party. Opening with the industrial-tinged ‘It’s Only Them’ the band immediately had the crowd moving. Peter Tägtgren’s charismatic presence and tongue-in-cheek humour added to the infectious energy, making songs like ‘Zombie Slam’ and ‘“Party in My Head’ irresistible.
The setlist was stacked, including the anthemic ‘Shut Your Mouth’ and the raucous ‘Have a Drink on Me’. By the end of their set, the room was buzzing, and the transition to the headliners felt perfectly timed.
The main event was, of course, The Halo Effect, a supergroup comprising former members of In Flames, current members of Dark Tranquillity and more. Their set opened with ‘March of the Unheard’, a fitting prelude to the melodic death metal mastery that followed. Tracks like ‘Feel What I Believe’ and ‘In Broken Trust’ highlighted the band’s ability to craft songs that are both heavy and deeply emotive.
The musicianship on display was nothing short of stellar. Jesper Strömblad and Niclas Engelin delivered riff after riff with precision, while Mikael Stanne’s vocals carried the emotional weight of every lyric. The mid-set inclusion of ‘Detonate’ and ‘Cruel Perception’ kept the energy high, with the crowd lapping up every breakdown and melodic passage.
As the end drew in ‘Days of the Lost’ and ‘Shadowminds’ served as the perfect climactic moments, with the audience singing along passionately. ‘Gateways’ and ‘Last of Our Kind’ cemented The Halo Effect’s status as a force to be reckoned.
Photo Credits: Tim Finch Photography
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