Support From – Pyroclast + Nothing Speaks
At the Banshee Labyrinth, Edinburgh
Date 19th April 25
Review by Linda McDermott
It’s Saturday night in Edinburgh and it’s my first time at a gig in the Banshee Labyrinth. This venue dives headfirst into Edinburgh’s haunted history. Built into the city’s infamous underground Vaults and once a haven for criminals and tragedy, as well as being in part the former home of a 16th-century Provost with a dark legacy of witch torture. Now running as Scotland’s most haunted pub, this dark seven-room labyrinth features three bars, live music, pool, and a 50-seat cinema, accompanied by the banshee and other lingering spirits that really give the place its dark edge.
I find my way to the gig room and it’s smaller than I expected but a perfect size for an intimate gig with a capacity of around 70-90. Tonight, up close and personal are three bands all of whom I’ve seen before and thoroughly enjoyed.
First up are Nothing Speaks. I caught this band live about two years ago and saw real potential in them. Fast forward to tonight, and they’ve seriously levelled up. There’s a new confidence to their performance, and it shows. They are tighter, more polished, and clearly more comfortable owning the stage as they encouraged the crowd to move forward and break through that all-too-familiar invisible line that always seems to hang in front of the stage.
What makes their progress even more impressive is that the singer was battling a sore throat on the day, but you honestly wouldn’t have known. He powered through the full set like a pro, hitting the notes and keeping the energy high throughout.
Their setlist was well-paced, their sound more refined, and there was a sense that they’ve really found who they are musically. If you haven’t heard them yet, now’s the time to jump on board and have a listen to their tracks on Spotify.
Video (CentralToneTV)
Secrets (live)
https://m.facebook.com/OmenScotland
https://www.instagram.com/nothingspeaksuk?igsh=dWxmZzlmbHhsdXRy
Sometimes a band needs to hit reset, and that’s exactly what Pyroclast have done. With none of the original members left of Tantrum, a name change could have been a risky move, alienating the fan base or losing the identity they’ve built. But honestly? They’ve pulled it off. What we get is a rebirth in the best way possible.
With Baz out the country the band had Ross Yildiz step in on guitar, but the band are
Mark Reid – Vocals
Baz Fitzsimmons – Guitar
Chris Horne – Guitar
Liam Barrie – Bass
Mark Riches – Drums
Leaning into a sound that wouldn’t feel out of place on an Iron Maiden tour, they tore through a sharp, hard-hitting set that had the crowd locked in from the start. Every song was greeted with nodding heads, and a solid wall of cheers once each song ended. Playing a set made up of songs from their previously released 2024 album ‘No Place for the Damned’ they nailed it. I love ‘The Judge,’ the riffs in that song are second to none and Mark’s tone cuts through the music with that perfect mix of grit and clarity giving the song the bite it needs. Finishing their set with ‘W.A.I.L’ saw Pyroclast at their best, it’s a punchy song that is fast and furious and unapologetically loud and has the crowd hooked, especially for one guy who played air guitar to Chris, I’m not sure if he was note perfect but Chris certainly was.
You can tell that Pyroclast have put the work in; everything’s tight, heavy, and confident.
Changing the name was bold, sure, but watching the crowd it’s clear the fans are here for them. I reckon a lot more fans will be joining them soon, as the band mean business going forward, with new songs forming for the next album are already underway.
Set list
Manifesting Destiny
Minotaur
The Judge
Hellbound Planet
Deepest Line
The Darkest of Times
W.A.I.L.
Video (formerly Tantrum)
The Darkest of Times
https://www.facebook.com/pyroclastrocks
https://www.instagram.com/pyroclastrocks?igsh=YnBxbGY0anM2Y3J2
Headliners Wildfire have been off my radar for about a year, so tonight I had high expectations of their first headline show of 2025, and I wasn’t disappointed. They kicked things off with ‘Against the Tide,’ and as soon as that drumbeat hit, all eyes were glued to the stage.
Their set was a well-paced mix of familiar favourites from their EP ‘Rapture,’ songs like ‘Scattered,’and ‘Blackened heart’ that I still have in my playlist, plus some old favourites and a handful of new songs that hinted at an exciting new chapter for the band.
Mikey Roberts-vocals
Liam Roberts-drums
Keir Ballantyne-guitar
Andrzej McCallum -guitar
Lewis Stanners- bass
I love the new song ‘Flushed Away’ as it set the tone for their new material. It has that extra bite to it and is a definite candidate for their next single release. It’s edgier and more confident, probably due to the addition of their new guitarist, Andrzej who has brought a real sense of balance to an already tight sound. The music just feels punchier with that second guitar, and I think they’ve really found their stride with the new songs.
Set list
Against the Tide
Flushed away
Gimme a kiss
Slide it Down
Rapture
To Die For
Scattered
Blackened Heart
Stronger
War pigs
A Old favourites got the crowd singing, songs like ‘Stronger’ sparked a full-on singalong, with the whole room joining in on the soaring “whoa whoa whoa” chorus. That connection between the band and crowd was on full display throughout the night, and it all came to a head during their cover of ‘War Pigs’ a choice of song they absolutely nailed, with every voice in the venue helping to bring it home, there’s nothing like a crowd getting involved with a bands set.
Just when it seemed the night was over, they did one more song, a brand-new track simply titled ‘A,’ and it’s another great song that has Wildfire written all over it with its intro, punchy riffs, deep bass and drums and Mikey singing the story, what a class way to end a brilliant night from a band clearly hitting their next gear.
Video
Scattered
https://www.facebook.com/WildFireScot
https://www.instagram.com/wildfirescotland_?igsh=bWtubmdrNmk4dXI1
What a great night in a great venue, and although I didn’t see the notorious resident banshee, I did see a lot of high spirits! I thoroughly recommend you catch any of the three bands playing tonight, so why not give them a follow and watch out for gig and tour dates.
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