Live Review: Thornhill - Stylus, Leeds
6th November 2025
Support: Ocean Gove, Bloom
Words & Photos: Martin Hingley
As the UK moves towards winter, Aussie metallers Thornhill bring a thumping all‑Australian lineup tonight at Leeds Stylus for their latest run of UK dates.
Opening the night are Sydney’s metalcore outfit Bloom, who waste no time igniting the crowd with Out of Reach, one of their most‑streamed tracks on Spotify. Their blend of growling verses and punchy choruses sets the tone perfectly and instantly gets bodies moving. Frontman Jono Hawkey commands the stage, and it’s easy to draw comparisons with the punk energy of Neck Deep or the metalcore heft of Parkway Drive. Bloom’s sound feels like the musical offspring of both. Songs from their new release The Light We Chase are met with huge reactions, but what makes their set truly stand out are the slower, more emotive moments in songs like You & I, which sees them shift seamlessly between moods while keeping the crowd in the palm of their hand.
Next up, Melbourne’s Ocean Grove take the energy to another level. This is a band I’ve been keen to see live for a long time. For thirty five minutes the venue is pure chaos, with Dale Tanner bouncing around like a nu‑metal icon from the 2000s as the band tear into Cell Division and blast out its high‑octane riff drop. Their stage presence is magnetic, balancing crowd interaction with relentless riffs. Across their ten‑song set, the near‑sold‑out audience moves along, reaching fever pitch by the finale. Closing with Fly Away and Junkies, the band delight fans by swapping vocal duties, with Dale and guitarist/vocalist Brent Hunter switching places proving why they’re one of the most exciting names in the nu‑metal/metalcore scene.
Fresh off being announced for next year’s Download Festival, Thornhill arrive in near darkness to deafening cheers, launching into Diesel. Vocalist Jacob Charlton struts confidently, while the rest of the band play with seamless precision. Bassist Nick Sjogren thrashes with punk‑like energy opposite Ethan McCann’s cool, precise guitar work. A fan‑led moment during Mercia sees the audience waving phone flashlights covered with coloured stickers, creating a rainbow sea of lights during the song’s melodic verses.
As the set nears its end, Jacob has the audience crouch down before exploding into Nerv, sending the room wild one last time. The classic “Yorkshire” chants ring out as the band exit, only to return for an encore. With a knowing grin, they tease the inevitable closer, Blossom. Fans leave exhilarated, and with the new year on the horizon, Thornhill have proven themselves to be a must‑see act for the 2026 festival season.
Photo credits: Martin Hingley
