Live Review: Devil Wears Prada, The - Cologne 2026

E-Werk, Cologne, Germany
16th October 2026
The Devil Wears Prada - “Flowers EU & UK MMXXVI” - Special Guests: Oversize, 156/Silence, Novelists

The kings of experimental Metalcore have returned to Germany! After the massive success of their latest album, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA was scheduled to bring their “Flowers Tour” to Cologne for a headline performance that promised to be an absolute “Abriss”, not only because of the main act, but also due to the massive support line-up.


Oversize

OVERSIZE are a British alternative band originating from the West Country, sitting at the forefront of the contemporary “Grungegaze” and “Nu-Gaze” revival. Fusing Shoegaze wall-of-sound textures with aggressive Post-Hardcore dynamics and Emo sensibilities, the band broke onto the scene with their 2021 EP ‘In Balance’ before honing their crushing, reverb-soaked style on 2022’s ‘Into the Ceiling’ and their 2025 SharpTone Records full-length debut ‘Vital Signs’. Their heritage lies in the UK underground, bridging the gap between heavy touring circuits and ambient soundscapes with standout tracks like ‘Drive’, ‘Taste’, and ‘Vacant’. https://oversizeuk.com



Music & Performance
Being the first to grace the stage, OVERSIZE set a remarkably textured tone for the evening. Their set was defined by lush, ethereal guitar tones that constantly teetered on the edge of devastating fuzz. The highlight of their performance came during one of their slower, dreamier compositions, where one of their guitarists casually collapsed onto the stage podium, continuing to play while lying flat on his back. It was an effortlessly cool moment that encapsulated their laid-back yet heavy visual ethos. The crowd, still filling into the venue floor, responded warmly to the dense wall of sound, providing a moody, atmospheric appetizer before the night turned more kinetic.

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156/Silence

Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 156/SILENCE formed in 2015 and have established themselves as one of the most abrasive forces in modern metalcore and metallic hardcore. Their musical style blends chaotic Mathcore unpredictable rhythmic shifts with claustrophobic, dark aggression, building a discography that includes their debut ‘Under the Influence’, 2020’s critically acclaimed ‘Irrational Pull’, 2022’s ‘Narrative’, and 2024’s ‘People Watching’. Drawing heritage from classic metallic hardcore acts and early 2000s Noisecore, their music is defined by punishing tracks like ‘Conflict Evaluation’, ‘A Lesson in Violence’, and ‘Target On My Back’. https://www.156silence.com



Music & Performance
When 156/SILENCE kicked off their performance, the energy in E-Werk underwent a violent shift. Drenched in minimal, shadowy lighting, the band exuded a thick, dark energy that immediately gripped the floor. Their frontman was a force of nature, delivering a masterclass in vocal endurance with flawless, venomous screams that cut cleanly through the dense wall of down-tuned guitars. There was no theatrical fluff here - just lean, aggressive modern hardcore executed with terrifying precision. By the time their set wound down, the pit had opened up properly, leaving the floor buzzing and bruised.

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Novelists

The night belonged to NOVELISTS. Since their inception in Paris in 2013, the band has been at the vanguard of progressive metalcore. Originally known as NOVELISTS FR, the group was founded by brothers Amaël and Florestan Durand and quickly gained international acclaim for their melodic intricacy and technical prowess. Their discography - spanning the debut ‘Souvenirs’ to the atmospheric ‘C’est La Vie’ - has always pushed boundaries, but their most recent era is perhaps their most defining. Following the departure of previous vocalists, the addition of Camille Contreras in 2023 marked a transformative moment for the band. Their current sound, captured on the 2026 album ‘CODA’, is a shimmering blend of heavy riffs and ethereal melodies that solidifies their status as pioneers of the genre. Check out www.novelists.store



Music & Performance
Accompanied by strobe lightning, and the introductory, electronic chords of the opener ‘All For Nothing’, singer Camille took to the stage first, and once a light beam illuminated her together with her crystal clear vocals, it became a goosebump-inducing moment that never ceased to stop. The band members joined her, and from the moment all band members stepped on the gas pedal, it was clear this was a band at the peak of their powers. Camille Contreras is a revelation; her ability to pivot from glass-shattering cleans to visceral screams is nothing short of breathtaking.



The setlist was a perfect balance of new material like their new single ‘Ravage’ and ‘Prisoner’ alongside older staples like ‘Turn It Up.’ The interaction was intimate and electric—Camille spent much of the night at the very edge of the stage, almost touching the front row, and hyping up every incoming crowd surfer, while the Durand brothers provided a crushing wall of sound. Watching them play guitar belongs in the Louvre in the section: Technical brilliance paired with sheer, joyous esprit. But the absolute highlight of their set arrived during ‘Say My Name’, where the guitarists executed brilliant, lightning-fast picking patterns in flawless synchronization.



Watching the fretboard wizardry unfold live was mesmerizing, drawing audible cheers from the guitar nerds in the room. The final song, ‘Turn It Up (Keyboard Warriors Social Club),’ sent the E-Werk into a frenzy, leaving the audience in a state of exhausted euphoria. It was a night that proved NOVELISTS aren’t just surviving their lineup changes; they are thriving, evolving, and setting the gold standard for Modern Metal.

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The Devil Wears Prada

Formed in Dayton, Ohio in 2005, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA are undisputed titans of the metalcore genre. Over a two-decade legacy, they evolved from raw metalcore origins into one of heavy music’s most artistically daring acts. Their extensive discography features iconic genre staples like ‘Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord’, ‘Plagues’, ‘With Roots Above and Branches Below’, ‘Dead Throne’, and ‘8:18’, alongside critically lauded modern masterpieces ‘The Act’, ‘Color Decay’, and the legendary ‘Zombie EP’ and ‘ZII EP’. Anchored by hits like ‘Danger: Wildman’, ‘Chemical’, ‘Sacrifice’, and ‘Salt’, their heritage is defined by constant reinvention and unmatched emotional gravity. https://www.tdwpband.com



Music & Performance
By the time THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA took to the stage, the atmosphere inside E-Werk was near a boiling point. The Ohio veterans played with the command of a band at the absolute apex of their live powers. Opening up with their uber hit ‘Where the Flowers Never Grow’ set them onto a stellar path, which sent the crowd over the edge. Mid-set, the band pulled off one of the night’s coolest moments: drummer Giuseppe Capolupo launched into an impressive, thunderous drum solo, during which keyboardist and producer Jonathan Gering subtly sprinkled in the eerie opening synth notes of ‘Ritual’.



The transition was woven together perfectly, exploding into the song proper and sending the crowd into a total frenzy. From that moment on, security had their hands completely full as a steady stream of crowd surfers came tumbling over the barrier one after another. Frontman Mike Hranica prowled the stage with his signature desperate, cathartic energy, while Jeremy DePoyster’s clean vocals soaring over the heavy riffs offered stunning emotional contrast.



It was a triumph of a headline set - brutal, polished, emotionally charged, and proof that after twenty years, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA still set the absolute standard for heavy music live shows.

Setlist
01. Where the Flowers Never Grow
02. So Low
03. Danger: Wildman
04. Watchtower
05. Salt
06. Broken
07. Everybody Knows
08. Outnumbered
09. Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over
10. Ritual
11. When You’re Gone
12. For You
13. Kansas
14. Dez Moines
15. Chemical
16. Sacrifice
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17. Play The Old Shit
18. Hey John, What’s Your Name Again?

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All Pictures by Marc Junge