Make Them Suffer/Resolve/Conjurer/If Not for Me – Academy 2, Manchester – 10/05/25 (Live Review)

I fell hard for last year’s Make Them Suffer, so the opportunity to catch the band live was irresistible. Since then, I’ve only enjoyed the album more and more, and I’ve delved into their back catalogue too. In general, I’m not a huge fan of modern metalcore, but Make Them Suffer are a notable exception. They somehow manage to effectively manifest a host of ideas and sounds that I would usually not care for most of the time; they have that special something in abundance.

Anyway, fawning over with, let’s get to the show. There are three other bands first, only one – Conjurer – that I already know.

If Not for Me

I hadn’t heard of If Not for Me prior to this tour, but they reveal themselves to be a modern metalcore band. I only catch a few songs or so, but they put on a spirited performance, and get a good response from the crowd. Their music is song-focused, with big cleanly sung choruses surrounded by heavier parts.

Although not a million miles away from the style of a band like Make Them Suffer, the sound of If Not for Me just doesn’t really hit the spot for me. Regardless, they open up the Academy 2 stage well, and seem to go down well with those in attendance. If this sort of thing floats your boat, then be sure to check If Not for Me out.

Conjurer

I like both Mire and Páthos. so have been looking forward to finally seeing Conjurer. Their nasty sludge heaviness is much more to my taste, and they deliver a mammoth set. Oscillating from crushing doom to thunderous sludge groove to blasting hostility, with much in between, Conjurer get straight to work, and they work damn hard.

Passionate and imbued with destructive energy, Conjurer put on a good performance, and I’m pleased that they get a good response from the audience. They have a strong presence and absolutely own the stage.

We get a new song aired from the band’s upcoming new album. It sounds pretty damn good, and makes me want to hear the new record right now. No such luck though, of course.

Despite being quite out of place on tonight’s bill, I hope that the tour is good for them, as they deserve the support.

Top work from Conjurer. They were even better than I thought they would be. A great showcase of their particular set of skills. Ones to catch for sure the next time they play.

Resolve

More modern metalcore now – a very slick mix of aggression and accessibility. Initially, it doesn’t feel like it’s 100% to my taste, (primarily the more commercial aspects), but I can still tell it’s very good. It keeps me interested though, and Resolve put on a professional show for a crowd that are buying what they’re selling. By the third or fourth song there’s a significant circle pit. Soon after, there’s the evening’s first crowd surfer.

I confess, as the songs go by, I like what I’m hearing more and more, and I enjoy them more and more. Resolve clearly know how to write a good tune, and they’re no stranger to hooks. They sort of remind me tonight of a contemporary metalcore version of Boysnightout, with a bit of Linkin Park thrown in, although I’m not sure how well that comparison bares up to close scrutiny.

I enjoyed Resolve a great deal more than I expected to. Good performance, good songs, good band. Now I need to check out their recorded work to see if it’s just a live thing, or whether they really are as entertaining as they seem. Either way, it’s all good stuff tonight.

Make Them Suffer

And now for the main event. Above all, Make Them Suffer have SONGS, and tonight is full of hits, In effect, every song is a highlight, although some are obviously highlightier than others, (you know what I mean).

The place is packed, and Epitaph opens to a rapturous response. Bones is simply something else entirely. That riff is just euphoric. You know the one.

Older cut Uncharted is a monster of dancegroove heaviness, and it seems like half the venue is jumping. The band are on fire. Ether is up next; another older song, but it’s greeted like a close friend. The singer has the crowd in the palm of his hand.

Mana God is a personal favourite, and absolutely destroys the place. Brutal. Stunning. Ghost of Me continues the lethal heaviness, only with a greater focus on atmosphere. Following this with Oscillator I don’t know how anyone is left standing. It’s during this song that I notice the bassist is wearing an Aborted top. Nice.

Weaponized wreaks havoc with its colossal grooves and its anthemic chorus. Hollowed Heart, a song I regard as one of the weaker Make Them Suffer tracks, is still a better song than what most ostensibly similar bands manage to write, and tonight it more than earns its position in the setlist. The song is heralded by happy birthday being sung to the band’s sound guy, and a wall of death that explodes into action when the song starts. Soul Decay gets the blood pumping even more after that. At one point the singer gets the room primed for breakdown city by getting everyone to crouch down and then jump. It works.

Apparently the show is sold out. It feels it.

It seems ridiculous calling Erase Me a crowd favourite, as they basically all are, but it’s especially well-received. The mix of emotion and fury is bone-shattering.

Doomswitch closes the main set. Somehow, the intensity levels ramp up even higher. Shortly after leaving the stage the band return for the final song proper – Widower, which thoroughly finishes off everyone.

Make Them Suffer were brilliant, it’s as simple as that. Loved it.