Montreal’s Fairmount Theatre has seen its share of unforgettable nights, but Saturday’s lineup featuring Better Lovers, Full of Hell, Spy, and Cloakroom raised the bar with a blistering display of controlled chaos and sonic diversity.
Better Lovers—formed from the smouldering wreckage of Every Time I Die and The Dillinger Escape Plan—stormed through their headlining set, proving that chaos and melody can still hold hands without strangling each other. With a powerhouse lineup of openers, the evening had enough sonic variety to satisfy even the most cynical hardcore lifer.
Cloakroom kicked things off with their dreamy blend of slowcore and doom, turning the intimate venue into a space where shoegaze met sludge in a dimly lit handshake. Their set felt like watching a storm roll in—beautifully ominous and just a little unnerving. Spy followed, injecting a jittery energy that bordered on anarchic. Their punk-on-speed approach was a short, sharp, shock after the openers, but for those craving chaos, Spy hit the mark.
Full of Hell, however, were the night’s wild card. If Spy was chaos, Full of Hell was the apocalypse. Their blend of grindcore and noise doesn’t so much invite the audience as it does demand submission. The pit erupted within seconds, as bodies flailed and Montréal’s collective hearing took one for the team. Their set served as a reminder that, yes, volume can indeed be an artistic statement.
And then came Better Lovers, stepping onstage to the kind of roar reserved for bands that have already proven themselves—despite this being their first tour. With their debut Highly Irresponsible still fresh, their set felt like a celebration of new beginnings. Tracks like “Your Misplaced Self” and “God Made Me an Animal” showcased their knack for fusing technical precision with gut-punch emotion, while “Lie Between the Lines” had the room chanting like a sweaty cult. Vocalist Greg Puciato’s presence was magnetic, balancing theatricality with raw intensity.
In a scene where supergroups often collapse under the weight of their own hype, Better Lovers have carved out something vital. Montréal, it seems, is more than ready for the ride.
Photos – Steve Gerrard
Share this :
