Brutal, Melodic, Relentless - Of Mice & Men Turn the Electric Ballroom Into a Metalcore Pressure Cooker
- Desh Kapur
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Electric Ballroom, Camden, London 11th December 2025
IMAGES / WORDS DAVE BROOME
Somehow the weather in London tonight seems fitting for this evening’s gig. Like a scary movie where the weather closes in and the storm clouds gather just as the horror ensues. This isn’t horror though, but it is a smidgeon on the scary side, for me at least. As someone not used to Metal tonight’s Of Mice and Men gig feels a little daunting. OM&M, as they are often refered to is an American metalcore band formed in Costa Mesa, California, in 2009. The band's current line-up consists of drummer Valentino Arteaga, guitarists Phil Manansala and Alan Ashby, and vocalist Aaron Pauley. I say current because it has been a bit chop-and-change over the years. Both founder members, Austin Charlie and Jaxon Hall are no longer part of the band. Charlie left for a second time in 2016 due to a long-term health condition and since then vocal duties have been covered by Pauley. They are part way through a world tour promoting their latest album, Another Miracle, and playing four shows here in the UK. Tonight’s show at the Electric Ballroom is the first before heading to Manchester, Bristol and finally on to Glasgow.
The Electric Ballroom is an ideal venue for such a gig, mid-sized (capacity 1,500), compact, mostly standing and a heritage of rock bands spanning the best part of fifty years. The Clash, The Sex Pistols, U2, they’ve all played here. I have a feeling the bricks and mortar of this old place are going to get a proper testing tonight!
The opener for tonight is a band called Gore who I caught at Download Festival earlier this year. They are fronted by Haley Roughton who brings a vulnerable feminine perspective to heavy music. The band own the stage and command the audience as if they are the headliner. The crowd responds in kind. “You’re crowd surfing for us”, Roughton respectfully inquires as audience members topple over the front barrier. They finish with an epic track called Babylon.
Next up its Ghostkid. Theatrical in both dress and make up. Ghost faces and outfits befitting Halloween more than Christmas. The lighting is theatrical too with almost constant strobing. Second song in and the bassist, Stanislaw Czywil, has hopped down from the stage and over the barrier. He forms a wall of death around him as he plays. They mix up styles with some tracks such as “They Play Dirty” being introduced as a bit more “rock and roll”. The fifty minute set ends with “Heavy Rain” and after two support bands and a perfect choice of music played over the PA between acts, the crowd are now primed for what will be a relatively short but intense set by the headliners.
The lights dim and Of Mice and Men take to the stage with the energy of a coiled spring. They open with the title track from the album, “Another Miracle”, it’s a cacophony of guitars, drums and vocals. Tight, so tight as the drums, guitar riff and bass all sync perfectly in time. What a way to start a gig. The gruff throaty singing gives way to a tuneful chorus. This is some track. There is already so much energy in the room and we’ve barely got going, Pauley looks up for this and the crowd do too. Second track is “Feels Like Forever”, an older song with a guitar riff intro that sounds like it’s being played on a chainsaw. Its loud, VERY loud, I’m glad I remembered my ear buds.
The set continues in a similar fashion, old tracks mixed with new. “Troubled Water” is fresh and showcases their trademark balance of brutality and accessibility. Aaron Pauley’s dynamic range switching seamlessly between guttural growls and clean vocals helps with the accessibility and gives everyone a chorus or two to sing along to.
Tickets were in such high demand that resale values rocketed on the run up to the gig, so the crowd weren’t going to miss an opportunity to make the most of this evening. Crowd Surfing, sing-alongs, and walls of death, proved the band’s ability to ignite some well-tempered madness among the dedicated fan base and ensure everyone had a night to remember.
They close with a rousing rendition of “Second and Sebring”, an anthem from the self-titled 2010 album. This evening didn’t so much feel like a gig but a celebration of both OM&M leading the metalcore scene for the last fifteen years and of the genre itself. The evening was a masterclass in live, loud, abrasive music; brutal yet melodic, chaotic yet controlled. All three bands have an acute ability to connect with fans through their songs. For those lucky enough to have had a ticket tonight, it wasn’t just a concert, it was a communal release of energy, passion, and I dare say .. a reasonable amount of sweat.
Set List (Of Mice and Men)
1. Another Miracle
2. Feels Like Forever
3. Would You Still Be There
4. Wake Up
5. You Make Me Sick
6. Obsolete
7. Another You
8. Back To Me
9. Flowers
10. Troubled Water
11. O.G. Loko
12. Bones Exposed
13. Second and Sebring
FOLLOW OF MICE AND MEN