A Ferocious Farewell to the ‘Cursed’ Tour
Few bands can orchestrate absolute carnage quite like Paleface Swiss, and as the ‘Cursed’ Tour reached its brutal climax at Electric Brixton, the Swiss juggernauts ensured their farewell was as punishing as it was unforgettable.
The night was already set to be a warzone with Desolated and The Acacia Strain priming the crowd for destruction. Desolated, the UK’s own purveyors of beatdown hardcore wasted no time in igniting pure pit violence with their relentless breakdowns and primal fury.
The Acacia Strain, veterans of sonic devastation, took things further—Vincent Bennett’s guttural roars echoing through the venue like an omen of the chaos to come. By the time Paleface Swiss were ready to take the stage, Electric Brixton was less a concert venue and more a battlefield.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy from the moment ‘Hatred’ detonated through the speakers. The Swiss quartet—led by the force-of-nature frontman Zelli – was a relentless machine, delivering each note with crushing precision. The weight of the guitars, the hammering drum blasts, and Zelli’s throat-shredding vocals felt less like a performance and more like an assault on the senses.
The setlist was a masterclass in controlled violence. ‘Suppressing Times’ and ‘My Blood On Your Hands’ saw the first waves of bodies surf over the pit, while ‘Youth Decay’ pushed the energy levels to pure bedlam. At times, the intensity was almost suffocating—especially during ‘…and with hope you’ll be damned’, where the crowd chanted along like a congregation at the altar of destruction.
Yet, amidst the savagery, Paleface Swiss are showmen. Halfway through the set, Zelli vanished backstage for an outfit change while a scorching guitar solo held the crowd in a state of hypnotic awe. When he re-emerged for ‘Don’t You Ever Stop’, it was with renewed ferocity—dripping in sweat, fists clenched, voice raw with conviction.
If there was ever a moment of respite, it came during ‘River of Sorrows’, a song that swayed between melody and fury, allowing just a breath before the final storm. The band paused to thank their crew, a rare moment of calm, before diving straight into ‘Please End Me’—a closing statement that felt like the last, gasping breath before the plunge into darkness.
Of course, the night wasn’t done. The encore was the ultimate coup de grâce. The apocalyptic energy of ‘666’ turned Electric Brixton into a hellish inferno, while ‘Pain’ crushed whatever was left of the audience’s resolve. And just when it seemed like there was nothing more to give, ‘Love Burns’ arrived like a funeral pyre, setting the night ablaze one final time.
The ‘Cursed’ Tour may have reached its end, but Paleface Swiss made damn sure it left a permanent scar. It wasn’t just a show—it was an obliteration, a ritual of catharsis, a communion in violence and sound. As the lights flickered back on and the exhausted, sweat-drenched masses stumbled toward the exit, there was only one certainty—no one would forget this night. It was a brutal, breath-taking farewell.
Review & Photos By Rebecca Bush
https://www.instagram.com/beckybphoto/
The Acacia Strain
Paleface Swiss
