High Vis played Hardcore Stadium – 4/2

London punks High Vis played the second show of their first-ever U.S. tour at Cambridge’s Hardcore Stadium with Final Gasp, C4 and Burning Lord.

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Capping off a big weekend for U.K. bands and their East Coast debuts, it was High Vis’ turn last Sunday night at a sold-out Hardcore Stadium. The London-based five-piece released their second LP Blending in September, and the anticipation for them to finally make it across the pond had clearly reached a boiling point.

The band’s sonic style sits somewhere in the realm of melodic post-punk fused with shoutable choruses and seasoned by a background in hardcore, which made a no-frills spot like the Cambridge Elks a perfect spot for their first Boston(ish) appearance. That they absolutely play that material like a hardcore band also didn’t hurt; they sounded incredible and brought a heavier punch to an already-killer catalog of songs. The crowd energy was through the roof from the first notes of “0151,” and vocalist Graham Sayle clearly appreciated the up-close, mic-sharing vibe of the whole set.

Opening the show was something of a miniature Boston hardcore showcase that included straight-up brutalizers Burning Lord and C4 before Final Gasp‘s death-rock-tinged scythe wielding brought a gothic twist to the night. Sayle remarked during the HV set that the band’s local scene once seemed baffled when they showed up on this sort of bill, but these days people seemed to like it. Judge for yourself in the gallery below, but seems like a fair estimation.