Live Review: Vexed with InRetrospect and Kila Kosa at The Black Heart, London (25/02/26)

Sure, Foo Fighters might be playing the smallest show they’ve played in a long time across London, but who cares?! Vexed are in town and in a celebratory mood. Their first London headliner… finally (go read up to as why this has been a long time coming). Packing out the Black Heart on a Wednesday in Camden and all without having released new music since 2024. Even earlier if we’re just counting albums as the banger that is ‘Negative Energy’ came out in 2023.

Does it matter? Like fuck it does. We don’t get enough Vexed in London, and they should be playing in bigger venues then this already. Not just my view but the view of a near rabid crowd.

Before I get into how great a Vexed show this was, and it really was, let me talk about the support because Vexed didn’t come to the Black Heart alone. They have come with Kila Kosa and InRetrospect. The former, up first and with the challenge of warming up a crowd that really is here for the headliners. They do a good job, especially as the set goes on, and their heavy metalcore sound has plenty of infectious moments, but an invite to move results in a massive expansive opening up in front of the stage so one or two people can punch and spin kick the air. An expansive that they struggle to fill afterwards because, unsurprisingly, few people want to catch an ‘errant’ fist in the face.

I think the vocalist realised it too and tried to bring the crowd forward again, but people are, rightfully or wrongly, nervous. Even an attempt to get people dancing, results in a handful of two steppers. At least that was funny even if the actual song was the weakest part of their set for me personally. Overall, I liked them, but I didn’t love them.

Whereas I really dug what InRetrospect were selling. An exciting blend of nu-infused metalcore that reminded me, at times, of Malevolence. The vocalist of this band is phenomenal, and I can’t believe he kept up the intensity and power right up to the end. Everything about InRetrospect has a professional feel (aside from forgetting the merch) and for a Leeds band, they were treated like hometown heroes by a lively crowd that looked to be having fun in the pit. Ok, there were one or two tracks that fell just a little flat, but the high quality elsewhere throughly made up for the moments that didn’t quite vibe with me. I thought they were great.

Speaking of great though. Vexed. Holy hell, was this a dominating showcase of alternative metal/metalcore that heated the room up to such an extent, it felt like July and not February inside.

Not only on the form of their lives, but filled with a ton of vitriol that gives the whole show an ‘anti-scene’ feel, something given even more weight when a brand-new song is aired that is dedicated to the bands in the scene with a less than friendly message attached. Vexed speaking their minds and we love them for it, especially as the new track freaking slays.

The sound in the Black Heart was on point, and nothing was lost, at least where I was standing. Something that is really important because they’re a band with nuance, extending beyond big choruses and heavy breakdowns.

There’s one funny moment where vocalist Megan (who is on fire all night) starts to get the crowd down on the floor but before most people can even get halfway down, the breakdown kicks in and there’s a really awkward second or two when many don’t know quite what to do. Were Vexed in a rush? That doesn’t make sense as the show was wrapped up a lot earlier than advertised.

It’s not a problem, even if most in the room could have definitely gone longer. Vexed threw their all into each and every song and so many sound just as potent now as when they were released. In return, I think the crowd gave them plenty back. There’s a lot of Vexed love in the room and it hangs thickly in the air. Let’s hope they’re back sooner, rather than later.