_{Review by Kayla Hamilton (@kaylazomboid)}

It was one of those nights in Bangkok where the beer doesn’t seem cold enough and it’s actually cooler in the main room than outside. It was my first time at Blueprint Livehouse, a venue with reputation for putting on some crazy shows. So crazy, that the wall often has to be repaired. Overlooking a manmade wave simulator, it’s one of those places who vibe just screams Thailand.

Tonight though, I wasn’t just there for the vibes. I was there to catch Australia’s most exciting upcoming metallic hardcore band Terminal Sleep, along with a stacked lineup of some of Bangkok’s finest.

Opening the show was local hardcore heavyweights NOTPROVEN. Not my first time catching this formidable act but every single time it is a joy. Despite a relaxed attitude to enjoying the music that the crowd brought to the room, NOTPROVEN ripped through their set like they were playing in front of thousands. A band that further argues the case that Thailand is becoming the new hot bed for hardcore music, their polished but aggressive style makes it almost impossible to not move. Mark my words, this band is one of the most slept on hardcore acts on the planet right now.

After them was another upcoming hardcore act, TBPH (Ten Baht Per Hour). Leaning towards the more hardcore punk side intertwined with a numetal bounce and briefly flirting with beatdown vibes, the rawness of this act was undeniable. A real in your face thematically and lyrically, they finally got the room to stop being so chill and to throw down. Nobody jumped higher than the members themselves and their old school vibe was a wonderful way to showcase the diversity that hardcore music has to offer.

Next up was DEPRESSED, a band that has the unique ability to incorporate samples and airhorns in a way that is somewhat comedic and bad ass at the same time. Disgustingly heavy and multifaceted instrumentally, their stage presence has a somewhat effortless coolness to it. Unless you are looking at their drummer, who is an absolute beast. DEPRESSED has everything you could want. Great music, good vibes and overall just a damn awesome band.

Circling back to slept on bands, the final opener takes the crown for being one of the most underrated acts in Asia. UGOSLABIER are an absolute wonder. Bringing to the stage their brand of metalcore/posthardcore goodness, their energy is off the charts. Earlier in the day, their frontman had an accident but this did not stop him. Taking the mic with bandages and all, the ferocity is unmatched. Eclectic and creative, first time listeners in the audience were stunned. From experimental synthesised noise music to straight up heavy goodness, Ugoslabier are a force to be reckoned with and this set solidified that.

Finally though, it was time for Terminal Sleep. Hitting the stage with only three hours of sleep but not missing the beat, a wall of sound washed over the room. While much of the crowd were a little shy, there was no denying the amount of jaws on the floor as they ripped through their set. Frontwoman Bec Thorwesten instantly became a hero to many of the people in the room, particularly the non-men in attendance. Opening with ‘Tried & True’, it took about a song or two for the Bangkok moshers to get moving. At the bands command, even the most reserved punters could not keep still.

Compared with the footage from their other shows in South East Asia, the Thai audience was a little less rowdy but in my experience at shows here, this does not mean they were not impressed. Far from it. There was an immediate atmosphere of awe and taking in what was happening as Terminal Sleep absolutely ripped. Once they got to their latest single ‘They Circle Below’, the trance was starting to lift and the mosh definitely had more life to it.

A Converge cover also went down nicely and as the band finished their set with their breakout track ‘Death Therapy’, the audience automatically begged for encore. Judging from that and lineup of punters looking to get photos with the band before they could even leave the stage, it’s safe to say that Terminal Sleep have some new found fans in the city of Bangkok.

_{Terminal Sleep finish their South East Asia Tour with one final stop in Singapore on the 19th of October.
Tickets and more information here.}