Thrown, Varials, No Cure, Heavensgate Unleash at St. Andrew’s Hall
On a freezing February night, Saint Andrews Hall became the epicenter of raw, unrelenting energy. A lineup built for destruction ensured that from the moment the first note rang out, there was no turning back. With relentless breakdowns, suffocating riffs, and a crowd ready to throw down, this was a night of pure mayhem.
HEAVENSGATE
Heavensgate wasted zero time setting the tone. The moment they stepped on stage, the pit opened wide, bodies flying as the first chords of “OBLIVION” hit like a sledgehammer. Their set was relentless—blast beats, chugging guitars, and a stage presence that felt much bigger than an opening slot. “RATKING” had fists swinging and heads banging, their crushing energy sending a clear message: they are here to make an impact.
NO CURE
As soon as No Cure took the stage, the atmosphere inside Saint Andrews shifted. The Alabama-based metallic hardcore act turned aggression into an art form, with “Forced Coagulation” hitting like a knockout punch. Their frontman, hooded in a puffer jacket with dark sunglasses, prowled the stage, delivering guttural roars with pure intensity while the pit churned without mercy; not even the mic stand was safe. Tracks like “Hang Me From the Bible Belt” and “Parasite (TWO SHOTS)” had the floor erupting with spin kicks and two-step rhythms, while the band’s unrelenting energy kept the momentum high. Their set may have seemed short, but it was nothing short of punishing, leaving no doubt that they belong on stages like this.
VARIALS
With the room already pulsating with chaos, perhaps with early physical signs of some pit involvement starting to show themselves, Varials took over and kept the intensity peaking. “Deadweather” pulled the audience in with eerie melodies before crashing into a wall of sound. Their ability to balance melody with sheer brutality was on full display as “The Cycle of Violence: Chapter 1” and “Anything to Numb” sent shockwaves through the venue. The band’s frontman savagely explored the stage, generating a raging presence from the audience and feeding off their energy, throwing it right back into the room. This was the necessary dive in the deep end to prepare for the night’s opener.
THROWN
At last, Thrown has taken the stage. Hailing all the way from Sweden, the quartet had the unenviable task of closing out an already insane night, but they delivered without hesitation. A trap beat with subwoofers every audience member could feel pulsating in their soul, the lone drummer takes the stage to stand amongst his throne of destruction (or should I say “thrown”?).
As he stands mostly still, slowly swaying and eyes closed and nodding his head to the beat ringing out, the remaining members fill the dimly lit stage. These were the few remaining safe seconds before the opening notes to “Backfire” led the night into the final plunge into pure carnage. Tracks like “Bloodsucker” and “On the Verge” had the crowd particularly vocal, which is a testament to their lung capacity in the wake of Round 4 of a sonic bludgeoning. Spirits were high and spin kicks were even higher. Even as exhaustion set in, the crowd gave everything they had left, turning the final moments of the night into one last surge of chaos.
From start to finish, February 28 in Detroit was a masterclass in hardcore culture. Catch Thrown and company on their North American 2025 tour until their final date in Philadelphia on March 23rd. Visit extendedpain.com for current and upcoming tour info, and check out @thrownband on socials for more information and to stay up to date with all things Thrown.