What is Paledusk?? Japanese Metalcore Takes Over Austin, TX

If there's one thing I've learned from attending concerts over the years, it's to expect the unexpected. And with a tour called What Is Paledusk??, I had a feeling we were in for one hell of a night. Japanese metalcore outfit Paledusk made their way to Austin, Texas, bringing along Headwreck and Slow Degrade, with local support from Texas' own Gloom. Unfortunately, my trip got off to a rough start when another vehicle sideswiped me on the way there. Not exactly how I wanted to kick off my evening, but there was no way I was missing this show!

Once I made it inside, I headed over to the merch tables. I joked with Slow Degrade about their CDs, asking, "What are those? You can put music in those round things?" I ended up grabbing a necklace from them and a Paledusk long sleeve featuring a creepy face and the words "Dive Inside Forever in the Dark." I also met Zackiri, Paledusk's tour manager, who designed their merch and happened to be from the UK. We got to chatting with him about everything from different parts of the UK to Buc-ee's and our appreciation for a good-quality hoodie. Not a bad way to start the night, especially considering how my drive went.

Kicking things off were San Antonio's own Gloom, a local metalcore band bringing some hometown representation to the lineup. Before their set, I caught up with Sam from the band and found out we actually grew up in the same hometown, just graduating in different years. Small world, right?

Now, if you've ever photographed a show at a venue with questionable lighting, you know the struggle. The stage was pretty dark, so I came prepared with my widest-aperture lens and said a little prayer to the photography gods that I'd walk away with some properly exposed photos.

Gloom came out swinging, wasting no time trying to get people moving.

"Do y'all like to dance?" - Mars (vocalist)

Well, you don't have to ask a metalcore crowd twice.

Between calls to "Get up! Get up!" and encouraging everyone to move, the band managed to get a circle pit going. Their set featured "Bloodrave," "Vixen," "A Place Called Home," "Mutilate," "Clarity," and "Sync," giving the early crowd a taste of what they're capable of.

Unfortunately, technical difficulties cut their time short. It's always frustrating when that happens, especially for a local band getting the opportunity to open a tour like this. Still, I was glad to catch what I could of their performance, and I hope to see them again under better circumstances.

Next up was Australia's Headwreck, and holy hell, these guys were HEAVY.

Combining metalcore with a healthy dose of nu-metal influence, Headwreck brought some absolutely filthy breakdowns, rap-influenced vocals, and enough energy to make you wonder how they weren't completely exhausted halfway through their set.

Vocalist Connor Hickman was all over the stage, swinging his arms, jumping around, and even dropping to his knees to scream certain parts. Guitarist and vocalist Jamo Benadie balanced things out with some incredible clean vocals, showing just how much range the band has.

Bassist Dayne Paix, rocking a pair of over-the-top Oakley shades, was screaming along while holding down the low end. And drummer Colby Horton kept everything moving behind the kit and even ran around and danced on stage during an EDM dance part.

One of the first songs that caught my attention was their latest single, "Raindrop." Between the wild pinch harmonics coming from the guitar and the aggressive vocals, I was immediately hooked.

The band continued with "Buzzsaw," but things really started getting ridiculous when they performed "LOW BLOW."

The combination of rapping, screaming, and those electronic synth sounds worked so well together. As soon as the heavier sections kicked in, the mosh pit opened up, and the crowd was more than happy to oblige.

"Fuck it up! Fuck it up!" - Connor said to the crowd.

And they certainly did!

They also performed "Filet-O-Fish," keeping the energy high and giving everyone another reason to throw down.

One thing I particularly enjoyed about Headwreck's music was the use of turntable scratches. It's such a cool addition to their nu-metal sound, and I'd love to see them eventually bring someone along to perform those parts live.

By the end of their set, I had managed to get my hands on a setlist, but I ended up giving it to a fan who wanted it. I figured it'd mean more to them than sitting in my collection.

If this tour is any indication of what's ahead for Headwreck, I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot more from these guys. They've got the sound, the stage presence, and the attitude to back it up.

If Headwreck brought the nu-metal chaos, Slow Degrade was about to send me straight back to the late '90s and early 2000s.

Their sound reminded me of afternoons playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, walking around town with friends until the sun went down, hitting up the arcade, and spending far too many hours playing Halo and World of Warcraft. You know, back when we could survive on Monster Energy drinks and honey buns without thinking twice about it. Throw in sneaking into an R-rated horror movie, and you've pretty much got the soundtrack to my younger years.

There's a certain nostalgia to Slow Degrade's music that I couldn't shake. Between the moody guitar riffs, melancholic synths, and heavy breakdowns, their sound felt familiar while still bringing something new to the table.

And they weren't about to let anyone stand around watching.

"I don't want to see anyone standing still! Jump! Jump! Jump!" - Shane Prickett

Hands immediately went up as the band encouraged everyone to get involved. They also took a moment to thank the crowd for showing up early and supporting the opening acts. To be honest, I never heard of any of the opening acts, and I'm so glad I got there early to support because I'm walking away with a lot of new music to listen to on the regular.

Their set included "BoxCutter," "Another Lie," "Eternal Rest," "Failing You," "Faithful Sin," "Who Will Fix Me Now?" and "Is This How It's Meant to End?"

My personal favorites were "BoxCutter," "Failing You," and "Hold On." The way the band mixes melodic sections with heavier moments scratches a very particular itch for anyone who grew up listening to alternative rock and post-hardcore.

At one point, they shared that they'd written a song shortly before the tour began and that we were among the first audiences to hear it. There's something cool about knowing you're hearing new music before most people have had the chance to experience it.

And when the band asked for movement, the crowd delivered. During one of the breakdowns, they called for a circle pit, and fans immediately started running to show support.

Slow Degrade wrapped things up with "Who Will Fix Me Now?" giving Austin one final dose of their moody, heavy, nostalgia-filled sound.

And if you're someone who misses that era of alternative music but wants something with a modern twist, I highly recommend checking them out.

Now, for the moment we'd all been waiting for. Paledusk!

Earlier in the evening, Zackiri was also kind enough to let me photograph Paledusk from the side stage, as long as I didn't step onto the stage itself. I really appreciated the opportunity, especially knowing how chaotic their performances can get. He did give us one warning, though: watch out for DAIDAI's jump kicks and keep any drinks away from the stage!

Speaking of DAIDAI, can we take a second to appreciate this guy? Daisuke "DAIDAI" Ehara isn't just an incredible guitarist and producer; he's also worked with Bring Me the Horizon on songs including "Kool-Aid," "DArkSide," and "AmEN!" from their POST HUMAN: NeX GEn era. He's even contributed music to Fortnite! Talk about an impressive résumé.

While getting ready to photograph their set, I looked down and noticed DAIDAI's pedalboard was completely bedazzled. What really caught my attention, though, were the custom buttons shaped like donuts and hamburgers. I've seen plenty of interesting pedalboards over the years, but this one might take the cake. Or the donut, I guess.

The show had been running behind schedule, and while everyone waited for Paledusk to come out, Tomoyasu Hotei's "Battle Without Honor or Humanity," famously featured in Kill Bill, began playing over the speakers. It was a fitting choice, given the chaos we were about to witness.

Paledusk finally took the stage and launched into "I ♡ YOU BABY!!", and within seconds, all hell broke loose.

DAIDAI was throwing jump kicks, vocalist Kaito was bouncing around the stage, and the crowd immediately joined in. Hands were pumping up and down, and it wasn't long before a two-step pit broke out.

I'm not exaggerating when I say I spent a good portion of their set wondering how DAIDAI managed to stay on his feet. This man was jumping, spinning, throwing kicks, and somehow still playing guitar through all of it. I've seen plenty of energetic guitarists, but watching someone pull off triple spin kicks while playing technical guitar parts is something else entirely.

And this was only the beginning!

The band continued with "SLAY!!," and the crowd was singing along. When the song shifted into its trap-inspired rap section, fans started headbanging before the guitar solo brought everything back into the chorus, opening up another pit.

That's one of the things I love about Paledusk. You never really know where a song is going next. One moment you're listening to metalcore, and the next you're getting electronic music, hip-hop, and something that sounds like it belongs in a video game boss fight. Somehow, it all works.

They kept the insanity going with "SUPER NATURAL HIGH" and "I'm ready to die for my friends." During the latter, fans clapped along and shouted the song's title back at the band.

Then came a drum-and-bass break that gave everyone a brief moment to catch their breath.

"How are we doing tonight? We are Paledusk from Japan. I want to see you give everything. All of your energy. This song is called 'NO WAY!!'" - Kaito

And just like that, the floor opened up again.

A push pit formed, two-steppers started throwing down, and fans near the front were shouting along with the band. "No way! No way! No way home!" rang out as the music blasted through the venue.

I still couldn't get over how much DAIDAI was moving around. Between the jump kicks, spinning around, and playing guitar, I was seriously wondering how he wasn't exhausted by this point.

The band continued with "PALEHELL," "AFTER DUSK," "HAPPY TALK," "DIVE INSIDE FOREVER IN THE DARK," "GOOD DEATH," "AREA PD," "HUGs," and "RUMBLE." Every time I thought I had figured out where a song was going, they'd switch things up with another breakdown or some electronic sounds I wasn't expecting. I was having a blast watching it all from the side stage.

After "RUMBLE," the band walked offstage, but thankfully, they weren't finished with us yet. They returned for an encore with Eminem's "Lose Yourself" playing over the speakers. Of all the songs I expected to hear at a Paledusk show, this was definitely a fun surprise. Then again, should anything really surprise me at this point?

They followed with "GOLDEN GOAL" and "Lights," giving Austin one last taste of their genre-bending madness before calling it a night.

I've been to plenty of metalcore shows over the years, but Paledusk are playing an entirely different game. Their music jumps between genres without warning, their stage presence is unlike anything I've seen recently, and somehow they turn all that chaos into something you can't help but enjoy.

Between getting the opportunity to photograph from side stage, watching DAIDAI practically defy gravity, and seeing the crowd lose their minds throughout the set, this was one of those performances I'll be talking about for a while.

What a night! From photographing Paledusk from the side stage to meeting Kaito, taking a photo with him, and getting a signed setlist, this was one hell of an experience. But the biggest surprise? Zackiri told me DAIDAI had been performing with THREE BROKEN TOES! After watching all those jump kicks and spins, HOW?! Someone get this man some ice! The "What Is Paledusk??" U.S. tour continues through the Midwest and East Coast with Headwreck and Slow Degrade. If they're coming anywhere near you, grab a ticket, show up early for the openers, and prepare for absolute chaos. You won't regret it!

More Photos Below!