A four-band bill like this doesn’t leave much room for downtime, and the March 25 show at Nevermore Hall kept a steady pace from start to finish. With Drain, No Pressure, Haywire, and Secret World sharing the lineup, the night moved anchored by a crowd that stayed engaged with all the bands.
Secret World
Secret World opened and set the tone early. Their set leaned raw and direct—short songs, minimal breaks, and just enough space between tracks to reset. The room wasn’t full yet, but the response was immediate, with the first pockets of movement starting near the front and gradually pulling more people in.
Haywire
Haywire followed with a tighter, aggressive style. Their pacing gave the set a different shape— frantic and almost out of control. By this point, the floor had filled out, and the pit started to hold consistently rather than breaking in and out. When they played tribute to Baltimore's heroes, Trapped Under Ice with "Please to Meet You", the venue almost came down. Total chaos, but beautiful to see.
No Pressure
No Pressure shifted things again. Their set drew a different kind of reaction—less chaotic, more collective. The sing-alongs were loud and sustained, and the crowd stayed locked in throughout. It was one of the more balanced moments of the night, where energy came as much from familiarity as from impact.
Drain
By the time Drain went on, the room was fully settled into the rhythm of the show. Their set was the most physical of the night: the pit stayed active, and the band kept things moving without overextending between songs. There’s a clarity to how they structure a live set—no wasted time, no unnecessary buildup. Last November, the Revolver magazine called them "the most fun band in hardcore," and that title fits the band very well.
The tour goes until April 18th: do yourself a favor and go see them live. They are putting out one of the best shows of 2026!
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UK disgusting death metal fiends Cryptworm have been quite prolific since 2022. Featuring members of Cryptic Shift and Rothadas, their Spewing Mephitic Putridity debut was a nauseating dose of raw sewagecore that made Autopsy seem hygienic by comparison. They followed that up barely a year later with Oozing Radioactive Vomition, and things felt a bit rushed and less impactful. They wisely took some time off thereafter, and now they return with third outing, Infectious Pathological Waste. While their overall approach hasn’t changed much from album to album, the quality of the writing has varied. This time, it feels like they put a bit more thought into the compositions, and some of the vile charm of the debut resurfaces through the slime and scuzz. Nothing does the heart good quite like seeing a happy Cryptworm!
On “Drowning in Purulent Excrementia,” they go extra slammy, and kitman Jamie Wintle starts to hit something that should be the pong snare, but it sounds like he’s beating on a skull or a femur. It’s weird, but I kinda like it, and it’s way better than that godawful PONG-PONG-PONG sound some tech and slam bands foist on you. Not every track is a sure-fire hit though, with “Gastrointestinal Seepage” feeling a bit too leaden and lethargic, though I appreciate Tibor’s extra nasty vocals where he seems to be coughing up a hairball full of razor blades and asbestos. I could complain that this feels like a very one-note album, but what death metal album isn’t really? At a tight 32 minutes, it goes by fast enough, though several tracks do have bloat issues that crimp enjoyment. The style Cryptworm opt to play necessitates keeping things in a 3-4 minute window, and when they push further, things get ropey and dopey.