LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: Stray From The Path – Academy, Manchester – 27/11/2025

It was a bittersweet night at Manchester’s Academy, as Stray From The Path bid their final farewell on this tour. Calva Louise, Graphic Nature, and Alpha Wolf were the opening acts that set this unforgettable night in motion.

The night may have looked young, but you could feel the energy building in the room before the first band, Calva Louise, made their way to the stage. Calva Louise are an interesting band in the sense that they are multicultural.  They use this to their advantage by blending a wide array of influences, from metal and punk to electronica and alternative rock.

The band started with an atmospheric intro before diving into their first song, Tunnel Vision, which instantly made for a dramatic opener. It was equal parts heavy, glitchy, and cinematic. I liked how it created a soundscape of distorted electronics paired with sharp, electrifying riffs, especially as the song built up to its dramatic breakdown before the final chorus. The track pulled the audience straight into the sci-fi universe that Calva Louise have built with their music, feeling like a game loading screen that set the rest of the set to be intense, immersive, and intriguing. Third Class Citizen carried on this intensity, kicking the crowd with a sense of defiance and a confrontational, politically charged tone, reinforced by the repeated feisty lyrics: “I’m not a fucking third class citizen.”

El Umbral shifted the tone as vocalist Jess Allanic sang in Spanish, bringing texture and mystery to the performance while giving the set more narrative depth. It was also the first time Allanic played piano, creating a darker, more surreal mood. Impeccable was full of electronic soundscapes and felt tight, almost mechanical in its precision and intensity. Oportunista closed the set perfectly, fast-paced and sharp in both instruments and vocals, leaving the audience on a defiant note.

Up next was Graphic Nature, a band blending drum and bass with nu-metal influences from the ’90s and early 2000s, layered with electronic and industrial tones. Headstone opened their set with blue flashing lights that matched the song’s dark, brooding atmosphere, feeling like a warning siren. The claustrophobic intensity created an anxiety-driven, introspective mood for the audience. Before the next song, vocalist Harvey Freeman demanded the crowd open the pit, saying, “I wasn’t asking, I am telling,” and a circle pit erupted.

Locked In saw the energy spike, aggressive and frantic, with industrial influences punching through, creating a cut-throat, suffocating sense of being trapped inside your own head. During their performance, the first crowd surfer of the night appeared, fuelled by Graphic Nature’s surge of adrenaline. Killing Floor brought a darker, punishing weight to the set, keeping tension high and making the audience feel swallowed by the atmosphere. The song’s harsh, relentless instrumentals and lyrics amplified this unease.

Bad Blood shifted the room into a burst of groove and ferocity, drenched in nu-metal sound. Freeman’s vocals conveyed sensory overwhelm and mental overload, complemented by his speeches on the struggles of mental health. Graphic Nature closed with Fractured, a song about neurodivergence, exploring mental strain, self-destruction, and inner chaos. It made for an explosive and cathartic closer.

Before the headliners was Alpha Wolf, hailing all the way from Australia. They are a band known for their heavy-hitting sound that blends metalcore, nu-metal, and beatdown hardcore. I had been wanting to see them live for a while, so when they were announced as openers for Stray From The Path, I was genuinely stoked.

Alpha Wolf started their set strong with Ultra-Violet Violence, immediately creating an insane and chaotic atmosphere. The explosive vocals from Lochie Keogh and stuttering riffs were the perfect opportunity to ignite the mosh pit. The song’s downturned breakdown was meaty, with rhythmic simplicity emphasizing the heavy riffs, making everyone in the audience head-bang in unison. Creep brought a moodier tone while still carrying heaviness. It was full of groove and seething energy, with harsh vocals and “blegh”s from Keogh. Pretty Boy added attitude, with a bouncy rhythm and drum solo before the final chorus, shifting between rage, groove, and momentum.

The song Acid Romance combined emotion with brutality, exploring themes of emotional turmoil, self-reflection, and guilt. The song showcased the darker sides of the human experience, with a slight melodic undertone adding emotional weight without dropping the overall sense of heaviness. Sub-Zero delivered mid-set devastation with its drilling nu-metal soundscape. The crushing instrumentals felt like a gut punch to the audience. 

Their most popular song, Akudama, closed the set with groove-laden, hefty riffs. As soon as it started, the room erupted in energy and chaos, making it the perfect closer and setting the scene for the nonstop exhilaration and adrenaline that Stray From The Path would bring.

Finally, it was time for Stray From The Path to dominate the stage for one last time in Manchester. As one of their final shows, it was clear the band wanted to give everything to make it unforgettable. Drummer Craig Reynolds kicked the set off with Kubrick Stare, a fast, attention-grabbing opener with heavy riffs and a menacing undertone, a reference to Stanley Kubrick’s iconic stare. III continued the confrontational theme, a rap-infused track about police brutality, reflective of the band’s political discography.

First World Problem Child explored privilege and complacency with hardcore grit. Reynolds shone with dynamic drumming, while vocalist Drew York commanded the stage with nonstop energy. York called for 300 crowd surfers, exclaiming, “This is the part of the set where everybody gets to work” and “Let’s go, motherfuckers.” Shot Caller evoked dominance with distorted guitar riffs and groovy drumbeats.

Before Goodnight Alt-Right, York made a speech denouncing neo-Nazism and the alt-right, reflecting the band’s outspoken, politically charged stance. Chest Candy kicked in with a pounding, almost hypnotic rhythm, its heavy riffs paired with York’s commanding vocals keeping the crowd moving relentlessly. Clockwork followed, sharp and precise, with its mechanical drum patterns and intense guitar work giving a sense of unstoppable momentum. Guillotine brought a visceral punch, raw and aggressive, with crushing breakdowns that left the pit in chaos. The set maintained its relentless energy before Fortune Teller closed the night, leaving the audience in an electrifying, cathartic high.

Overall, while Stray From The Path may have put their torch down, their message and musical legacy will live on. The night was nothing short of electrifying, with all the bands delivering unforgettable performances.

Words by Zena Morris

Photos by Will Robinson (Instagram)