Live Review: The Wilted Tour 2026 – Paleface Swiss with Static Dress and Stick To Your Guns at The Troxy, London (17/01/26)

The rise of Paleface Swiss hasn’t just been notable; it has been impossible to ignore. In a short amount of time, and with a ton of hard work put in, the Swiss beatdown and hardcore metal band have hit high after high and that doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. Not when they’re packing out shows like this, on a UK and Ireland tour that showed just how far they have come and how much further they aim to go. The sky is the f**king limit for this band and anyone who has seen them play will agree.

There’s just something so special about Paleface Swiss live, something that doesn’t quite connect on record in the same way. Now, as they continue to bolster their catalogue, become more confident on stage, and introduce more visual elements such as pyro, it is safe to say that they have become one of the best live bands in the modern scene. This night in London, any lingering doubters would have been converted.

The Troxy is a gorgeous venue, a couple of minutes’ walk from Limehouse station, and as Stick to Your Guns take to the stage, it had filled up nicely. For good reason as the American metalcore band are beloved by both young and old, respected for their elder statesman position in the scene and how they continue to remain relevant to this day. London was up for a Stick to Your Guns set, and hilariously, it took about ten seconds for the first pit to open up, and it didn’t close. London treated Stick to Your Guns like the legends they are and in return, they delivered a raucous set of metalcore heavyweight tracks that sounded immense.

Speaking of sounding immense though, Static Dress have come such a long way since I saw them up close in Leeds at Slam Dunk 2021 for the first time. The alternative/emo metal band were the most eclectic of the three bands playing tonight, and at times you can see that some of the softer, more emo-orientated efforts aren’t as well received by a crowd wanting to go nuts, but I thought this was brilliant. It all comes down to confidence and Static Dress have a ton of it. They also have the tracks to back up that confidence, and so many have become anthems for the band.

It’s a really powerful watch, as exciting as it is interesting, with my only complaint being some of the more disinterested people around me. Remember folks, if you don’t care for the band on stage, go chill at the back for a bit and have your conversations away from those who are into it.

Though I suspect anyone trying to have to conversation during Paleface Swiss would have struggled. It was a loud one, a fast one, a hot one (so much pyro), and a fun one. What’s your favourite track of Cursed? It was played here. For me, Hatred is such a beast and it being the second track dropped, following a riotous start with I Am a Cursed One, was insane.

That’s Paleface Swiss for you though, able to not just draw from an album like Cursed but the new EP, The wilted, where each track somehow sounds meatier and meaner in the live environment. It’s also very cool to hear the band go right back to the likes of Chapter 3: The Last Selection and Fear & Dagger for some early cuts that go down very well.

Banging track after banging track, fire erupting from the front (and sides) of the stage, carnage in the pits, and a strong sense of union amongst everyone inside the building made this a special night. The bar for 2026 has been set extremely high already. You’ve not lived until you’ve seen Paleface Swiss perform live.