Live Review: Agriculture – Rebellion, Manchester
22nd June 2026
Support: Healing Wound
Words: Matthew Williams
Photos: Rich Price
At the start of what promised to be one of the hottest weeks on record in Britain, I expected the temperature inside Manchester’s Rebellion to be unbearable, so was pleasantly surprised when I got there and it was ok. After a chat with photographer Rich, I found my usual place in the venue and settled in to watch support act Healing Wound.
The hardcore/sludge metal crossover quartet from Brighton seemed to have a few technical issues which resulted in a later advertised start time, but when the piano intro ended, drummer Max hits hard and fast, which mixes well with the slow, chuggy riffs from guitarist Joey. Vocalist Harry is animated and offers a variety of grunts as they play fast and furious songs like “Your Cross to Bear” and “As the Choir Began to Weep”.
“We released out debut album a few weeks ago, so here’s a few off that” and we get the trio of “Obelisk of Grief”, “Flesh Ridden” and The Loss of Lightness” which sees the music flow from slow, moody guitars to utterly chaotic basslines from Dudley. Heads start to move during “Currency of Pain” before the menacing “In The Shadow of Your Absence” follows with a furious pace and venomous vocals. They mix their tempos well, and I like the stage presence of Harry, as he occasionally faces the drums whilst singing. They finish with “Fear of Silence” and the heavy “Purging Visions” and will have left a lasting impression on all inside the venue tonight.
There’s been a bit of a social media buzz surrounding LA-based black metallers Agriculture, so I was really intrigued about seeing them live. I’d been listening to them in the build up to the gig and couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was I liked most about them. The band appeared on stage, and we weren’t quite sure if they were still sound checking or not, as their intro was just one big crazy jam session, more of which was to follow.
One thing was for certain though, drummer Kern Haug, is a sight to be seen. I always watch the drummers more intently and he is nothing short of incredible, a human dynamo unleashed for 75-90 minutes and he was a pleasure to watch. I had a quick word with him afterwards and he said that the band just seemed to “really click tonight” as he led the way.
What followed throughout was an evening of extraordinary music from 4 talented musicians, as they play songs from last years album, “The Spiritual Sound”. They go from abrasive bast beats to anthemic guitar peaks from Richard Chowenhill, as the dual vocals of guitarist Dan Meyer and bassist Leah Levenson range from pure rage to folk inspired softness. The juxtaposition across songs like “My Garden”, “Flea” and “Micah (5.15am)” are nothing short of breathtaking and the crowd are transfixed and fully immersed in their performance.
With no setlist available for me to take a photo of, their set meandered between gentle rhythms, jazz inspired drumming, spiritual black metal enlightenment and melancholy vocals that were emotional and heartfelt. “The Weight” was eerily impressive as was “The Well”. At one moment, Levinson is at least two foot away from the mic as she screams relentlessly as the drum fills gets quicker, the solos get more intense and the bearded Dan Meyer just plays and smiles in the most frantic of ways.
It is one of the most captivating shows I’ve been to in a while, and we get treated to what feels like a 5 – 10 minute improvised, but clearly well-rehearsed jam session, where Haug demonstrates his phenomenal drumming prowess. “How’s it going? We always have a great time here in Manchester. We have two songs left” announces Meyer, as they begin “The Reply” and you could hear a pin drop in the quieter sections, as the crowd stood in awe of what they’ve witnessed tonight, before Meyer introduces “Living is Easy” which is “a song about hope”. He paused briefly and spoke again getting a big round of applause for “that Nigel guy is a fucking idiot” as he spoke about the rise of fascism and an end to all oppression. The finale was nothing short of spectacular and a phenomenal song to end what was a truly memorable night of music.
Photo credits: Rich Price
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