E-Werk, Cologne, Germany 19th December 2025
Landmvrks - “Europe / UK 2025 Headline Tour” - Special guests: Underoath, Pain Of Truth, Split Chain
In preparation for a seismic night in Cologne, French Metalcore sensation LANDMVRKS were set to tear down the Palladium on Friday, December 19, 2025! This incredible evening featured a loaded line-up with very special guests UNDEROATH, PAIN OF TRUTH, and SPLIT CHAIN, and sold out the Palladium in no time.
Split Chain
First in line were SPLIT CHAIN From Bristol, UK. SPLIT CHAIN has pioneered a raucous “Nu-gaze” sound, blending Shoegaze textures with the raw energy of Hardcore and anthemic alternative Rock hooks. Their visceral sound and authentic DIY ethos make for an electrifying live experience. Their debut album ‘motionblur’ was released earlier in July of 2025 www.splitchain.uk
Music & Performance
Super early at around 6pm, the band took the stage and started off with ‘Fade’, a single track from 2024. On stage, besides a ton of amps and cabinets, the band placed also two old-school tv’s, showing a lot of white noise, bizarre projections, and so lyrics fragments, which gave off a ‘Stranger Things’ vibe. In terms of their music, their screamo-oriented version of heavy music left quite a good impression. However, the more complex rhythm-patterns and DEFTONES-like soundscapes, employed by the band in their songs made the music a bit less accessible to first-time listeners. This was probably the reason, why the crowd’s enthusiasm remained a little more subdued during their gig, which ended after 30 minutes.
Pain Of Truth
Next up on the roster were New York Hardcore band PAIN OF TRUTH. The quartet from Long Island, formed in 2020. Their debut album is called ‘Not Through Blood’ was released in September 2023, and the band spent most of their time touring with bands like TERROR, KUBLAI KHAN, and SICK OF IT ALL, as well as recording cooperations with other NYHC artists like Freddy Cricien from MADBALL, or Scott Vogel from TERROR. https://painoftruthhc.com
Music & Performance
After the thick Hip-Hop intro and the stage basked in dark blue light, the energy in the room markedly shifted as PAIN OF TRUTH hit the stage, decorated with a giant inflated Dobermann in the background. While SPLIT CHAIN brought walls of guitar sound coupled with intricate rhythm patterns to the crowd, PAIN OF TRUTH rained down hard and heavy on the audience with the combined intensity of HATEBREED and BIOHAZARD. Singer Michael Smith came onstage, screaming “where my Hardcore kids at?” and gave the audience the whole enchilada of beatdown Hardcore.
This was the wake-up call for the pit, and the front of stage section saw a lot more movement in terms of violent two-step dances and crowd-surfing action. During one of these, singer Michael managed to pull-off a remarkable stunt. He threw the mic to one of the incoming crowd surfers, who managed to catch it, and continued to scream and growl in the pattern of the song, which draw huge applause from the crowd.
Underoath
The American legends of Metalcore and Post-Hardcore, known for their influential blend of aggressive instrumentation, melodic passages, and emotionally charged lyrics occupied the sub-headliner slot of the evening. With a career spanning decades since their inception in 1997, UNDEROATH continues to captivate with their intense and dynamic performances. So far, they are on their tenth album called ‘The Place After This One’, which was released in 2025. https://underoath777.com
Music & Performance
UNDEROATH entered the stage to a drum and bass like intro, and kicked off their set with ‘Loss’, visually and acoustically stunning the full Palladium. Singer Spencer Chamberlain commanded the attention of the audience, and delivered am energetic performance, rousing the crowd. His vocal range has remarkably survived decades of touring; his gutturals were cavernous, and his cleans had a desperate, melodic edge that felt authentic rather than polished. While the focus of the setlist was on the band’s latest work, it was clearly the older songs getting the audience going.
For their last song ‘Generation No Surrender’, the band initiated a thunderous singalong involving the crowd. It is rare to see a “support” band receive a standing ovation from the balcony and a wall-to-wall pit, but UNDEROATH earned every bit of it. They managed to bridge the gap between their 2000s heyday and the modern Metalcore landscape, proving they are far more than a heritage act. By the time they walked off stage after 45 minutes, the bar was set high for LANDMVRKS.
LANDMVRKS
LANDMVRKS, hailing from Marseille, have carved a unique and exhilarating path in the modern Metalcore landscape. Their distinctive sound is a powerful blend of Metalcore’s raw aggression, infused with elements of Hardcore Punk, Nu-Metal, and even Pop-Punk and Hip-Hop influences. Known for their intricate riffs, crushing breakdowns, and the dynamic vocal range of Florent Salfati - from guttural screams to soaring cleans and even rap verses - LANDMVRKS delivers a fresh and electrifying take on heavy music. Their live performances are renowned for their intense energy and passionate connection with the audience.
Formed in 2014, LANDMVRKS quickly gained traction with their debut album ‘Hollow’ (2016), showcasing their raw, energetic sound. They further expanded their sonic palette with ‘Fantasy’ (2018), earning critical acclaim for its daring experimentation. Their breakthrough arrived with ‘Lost in the Waves’ (2021), which cemented their status as innovators and even charted in Germany. Their latest offering, ‘The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been,’ released in April 2025, continues to push boundaries, delving into deeper introspection while maintaining their signature intensity. https://www.landmvrks.com
Music & Performance
LANDMVRKS’ arrival was the explosive release the Cologne Palladium had been bracing for all night. The semi-transparent curtain in front of the stage fell during the first chords of the opening song ‘The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been’ amidst a blinding strobe sequence and the deafening roar of a hometown-adjacent crowd, the Marseille quintet proved exactly why they have ascended to the throne of European Metalcore. Latest after the opening notes of ‘Creature,’ it was clear that this wasn't just a concert; it was a victory lap.
Frontman Flo Salfati remains one of the most versatile weapons in the genre, pivoting seamlessly from rapid-fire, hip-hop-influenced verses into glass-shattering screams that felt even more potent in the live setting than on record. The energy within the Palladium was nothing short of frantic. While many bands struggle to maintain momentum after a heavy hitter like UNDEROATH, LANDMVRKS used that adrenaline as fuel. The mid-set performance of ‘Death’ turned the floor into a swirling vortex of limbs, with the track’s jagged, technical riffs cutting through the humid air with surgical precision.
What sets this band apart in 2025 is their uncanny ability to balance sheer brutality with genuine hooks. During ‘Suffocate,’ the crowd’s singing nearly drowned out the PA system, creating a communal moment that felt surprisingly intimate despite the venue's industrial scale. As the night reached its fever pitch with the encore of ‘Self-Made Black Hole,’ the production values - ranging from crisp, cinematic visuals to a light show that felt perfectly synchronized with every kick drum beat - underscored their transition into true arena-ready headliners. There is a certain swagger to LANDMVRKS right now; they play with the confidence of a band that knows they are at the forefront of a new wave.
By the time the final feedback faded and the house lights came up over a sweat-drenched audience, there was no doubt left in the room: LANDMVRKS didn’t just follow a legend tonight - they stood toe-to-toe with one and carved out their own legacy.
Setlist
01. The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been
02. Creature
03. Death
04. Blistering
05. A Line in the Dust
06. Visage
07. Sulfur
08. Sombre 16
09. Say No Word
10. Scars
11. Suffocate
12. La valse du temps
13. Les vagues
14. Lost in a Wave
15. Rainfall
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16. Drum Solo
17. Blood Red
18. Requiem
19. Self-Made Black Hole
All Pictures by Andreas Klüppelberg
