Photo Credit: Caitlin Mellors

In support of their EP ‘Heaven Let Them Die’ Hamilton hardcore quartet Counterparts made a swift return to the UK for a run of shows in major cities, bringing along three heavyweight supports to create one of the heaviest line ups of 2026.

Opening the show were UK based outfit God Complex. Loosening up the crowd, the band made sure they packed a punch early in the night. Tracks such as ‘Death Trip‘ and ‘Flooded Lungs‘ were enough to get the crowd involved from the start, and setting up the night for the remaining bands to feed off the rooms energy.

No strangers to the UK since their debut across the pond back in 2024, Pennsylvania melodic hardcore band One Step Closer bring energy wherever they go. Kicking off with ‘Leap Years‘, vocalist Ryan Savitski made sure to do plenty of leaping on stage. The Wilkes-Barre quintet covered all basis’ of their releases. ‘I Feel So‘ from their debut album ‘This Place You Know‘ served as the only track from the record, with five from their 2024 sophomore release ‘All You Embrace‘ taking up the majority of their set, the band are still riding the wave of their progressive record that has become one of Run for Covers’ stand out releases over the 2020’s. Ending their performance with ‘The Reach‘, OSC walked away from their return to Leeds with a roaring cheer.

Ahead of the headliner were San Jose hardcore band Sunami. Having performed at Boom during their last visit, they have equipped a much bigger fanbase in a quick turnaround since that show. The Californian’s made their mark on the night, with a room almost triple the size of their previous appearance in the city, they ensured to give the crowd something to shout about. From the moment they walked on stage, to the second they left, it was an all out brawl in the middle of the room. Arms were swinging, feet were kicking and people were flying the barricade, a perfect display of what a solid hardcore band can do to a crowd. ‘Step Up‘ and ‘Weak Die Fast‘ rounded off Sunami‘s performance, and despite their fast paced guitars and blast beating drums that made their set fly by, they still made it a memorable show.

With just over an hour to play with before curfew, Counterparts made their way onto the stage. Unleashing with the heavy hitting ‘A Martyr Left Alive’, the packed Leeds crowd still had plenty more energy to give. Wasting no time in powering through their set, the band brought out all the big hitters. ‘Bound to the Burn‘ ensured that the carnage that unfolded during the opener continued, with ‘Choke‘ and ‘Thieves‘ being the strongest contenders for the most people throwing down on the night.

Vocalist Brendan Murphy voiced his appreciation for the Leeds crowd, which was met with a roaring cheers before service quickly resumed. Tracks from their latest EP continued to feature, as ‘To Hear of War’ and ‘No Lamb Was Lost‘ making four of six at the midway point. Fan favourites ‘Witness‘ and ‘Stranger‘ both serving as the oldest tracks delivered on the night, and still remain two of their strongest as the Leeds crowd belted out the lyrics as loud as they could. Edging to the final stages with ‘Monument‘ and the EP’s title track ‘Heaven Let Them Die’, Counterparts exited the stage to build up the excitement of an eventual encore.

Returning to the stage for two final songs, ‘Love Me‘ kicked off the encore before concluding with the sixth and final track of their EP, ‘Whispers of Your Death‘ to round off their biggest headline performance in Yorkshire to date, and easily their most triumphant by a country mile.

Photo Credit: Caitlin Mellors