What were you doing last Wednesday night? Buried in homework or drowning in year-end deadlines? For most people, it was just another stressful hump day in the middle of the grind. But for a specific crew in the Saigon underground, ‘normal’ wasn’t on the agenda. It was supposed to be an intimate gig, a small gathering to celebrate a brother’s birthday. But don’t let the size fool you. Packed into a cramped courtyard that felt less like a venue and more like a fighting cage, everyone showed up ready to burn. There was no space to breathe, only space to square up, as the night turned into a violent sparring session for the faithful.
SHIV CRUSHING RIFFS MEETS GUTTERAL SQUEAL
The violence started early with Shiv. Though a new name, the lineup featured some very familiar faces in the community. They wasted no time introducing a brand of heavy, sluggish beatdown that felt suffocating in the best way possible. The drumming was slow and calculated, with every hit punching the audience square in the face. But it was the vocals that cut through the mix. The pig squeals were visceral, sounding like a piercing blade, alternating with ear-splitting screeches. It’s a rare and welcome flavor of brutality for this city. Can’t wait for their future project.
BORN IN HATRED FUELED BY UNAPOLOGETIC RAGE
Then came Born in Hatred, bringing a metal assault that leveled the courtyard. The vocalist was a maniac, moving like a human grenade and whipping the crowd into a frenzy with every growl. The drums? A non-stop machine gun of blast beats that gave us zero time to recover. The highlight was the collision of energy when Chơn joined the chaos. Together, they unleashed a scream that tore through the roof, pulling every single person into a violent session of headbanging and mic-grabbing. Fast, furious, and completely disrespectful to the concept of personal space.
HAPPYCO. STABBING MELODIES RIGHT TO THE CHEST
Bringing a change of pace, Happyco. stepped in with their signature melodic post-hardcore sound. Their set felt like a wave of anguished rage, washing over the crowd with razor-sharp riffs that were aggressive yet deeply immersive. The rhythm section was locked in, delivering crispy, tight drumming that drove every song forward. The vocals were the perfect counterweight with an addictive, slacker-style delivery that added a layer of raw authenticity. The energy peaked when they dropped a surprise cover of Title Fight “27” in Vietnamese, transforming the familiar melody into a raw, emotional anthem that the whole crowd felt in their bones.
UNDER PRESSURE DRIVING THE AUDIENCE TO THE BRINK OF CHAOS
The night reached its absolute boiling point with Under Pressure, bringing the birthday boy front and center for a set that felt less like a performance and more like a riot. Their sound was a masterclass defined by guitar work as sharp and lethal as a knife’s edge. The vocals acted as a ferocious call to arms, commanding the jammed courtyard to lose all control. The tiny venue instantly transformed into a suffocating fighting pit. Packed shoulder to shoulder, the crowd held nothing back, turning the floor into a sea of flying bodies and pure, unhinged chaos. It was the perfect, violent celebration.
EMPATHIZE DELIVERING THE KILLING BLOW WITH HEAVY BEATDOWN VIOLENCE
Keeping the fire of destruction burning, Empathize took the stage and refused to let the energy drop. They brought a lethal dose of violent beatdown, but the real weapon was their guitar work, hypnotic, addictive riffs that put the room in a trance before crushing them with heaviness. Feeding off the chaos left by the previous act, the crowd morphed into a tireless wrecking crew. There was no sign of fatigue, only adrenaline. Everyone continued to smash and collide as if the night had just begun, completely possessed by the band’s relentless groove.
KNIFE STICKING HEAD: DRAINING THE VERY LAST DROP OF ENERGY FROM THE CROWD
Closing the night was Knife Sticking Head, a household name in the hardcore community. Returning with a new member, they proved why they are legends, delivering a classic old-school sound that felt timeless rather than outdated. Their set moved with uncompromising speed, firing off tracks like scattered gunshots that sent the room into a frenzy. The energy reached a fever pitch as the barrier between band and audience completely vanished. Members of the previous bands and the crowd alike rushed in, hooting, grabbing the mic, and wrecking the floor in a non-stop cycle of chaos. Despite the physical exhaustion visible on the band’s faces, the adrenaline only spiked higher. By the final note, there was no ‘band’ or ‘crowd’ anymore, just one unified entity, screaming together until the very end.
On paper, this was just a random Wednesday. It was supposed to be a modest gig. But what unfolded tonight was arguably one of the most explosive shows in recent memory. There was no holding back. Every band played with all they got, and every person in that crowd gave 100% of what they had, leaving nothing but sweat and passion on the floor. Standing there amidst the chaos and the noise, we are incredibly proud to be a part of this community. It wasn’t about the size of the stage; it was about the size of the heart. And tonight, this scene proved it has the biggest heart of all.
