BLACKGOLD w/ PENGSHUi & Indigo Blaze @ Thekla, Bristol - 28.10.26
BLACKGOLD: The anonymous nu-metal revivalists bringing the golden era of the 2000s into the modern age.
Late October. Halloween. A boat. Masks. Nu-Metal.
BLACKGOLD are in Bristol tonight, performing at Thekla as part of their late 2026 UK headline tour, featuring explosive supporting acts like PENGSHUi and Indigo Blaze, and they sure have some tricks up their sleeves for we most definitely are in for one hell of a treat. For those of you who do not know, BLACKGOLD are a mysteriously masked, nu-metal quintet from the UK. Emerging in 2022, they are reputed for mixing heavy riffs with hip-hop flow, turntable textures and an explosive, party-like live presence. They have released a series of popular EPs including BLACKGOLD (2022), Volume 2 (2023), and Back with Another One (2024), while touring alongside genre veterans like Limp Bizkit and Skindred as well as performing at Download Festival in 2023. Capacity is close to sold-out tonight – there are a lot of BLACKGOLD fans here tonight, donning their own variations of masks and merchandise. Support acts for tonight are in the form of Indigo Blaze, a rising alternative hip-hop and nu-metal band from Perth, Western Australia and PENGSHUi, a genre-smashing , punk and metal trio from London.
Indigo Blaze, on their first UK tour, are up first and are part of a new wave of Australian heavy music bringing nu-metal attitude back into the spotlight. Combining chunky guitar riffs, rap-infused vocals, aggressive rhythms and a healthy dose of rebellious energy, the Perth outfit have a sound that feels rooted in the late '90s and early 2000s while still looking firmly towards the future. There is something refreshingly unapologetic about their approach. Rather than attempting to reinvent heavy music, Indigo Blaze embrace the ingredients that made nu-metal such an influential movement and give them a contemporary twist. Indigo Blaze's appeal lies in their ability to balance aggression with groove. The combination of rap-metal delivery and heavy instrumentation gives their music plenty of momentum, while tracks such as 'Got Pace', 'NECTA' and 'D1' provide a strong introduction to their musical identity. There are some die hard fans in the audience who chant “Up The Blaze”, which vocalist Rhys Gahan acknowledges with fist bumps galore. Tracks like 'DEFCON' and 'CRITICAL HIT' get the audience charged and the pit is well and truly alive – the reception to these tracks and the band in general is a good sign that the band is translating that raw energy into an increasingly distinctive sound as they reach new audiences internationally. Their UK appearances represent an important opportunity to establish themselves beyond their Australian hometown. They might still have some way to go before becoming a major name on the international heavy-music circuit, but there is enough here tonight to suggest that Indigo Blaze are a band worth keeping an eye on.
Next up is PENGSHUi and this is not a band who do things quietly. Blending grime, punk, industrial electronics and crushing metal riffs, the London trio have built a reputation around an explosive musical identity that refuses to sit comfortably in any one genre. Their live performances are confrontational, energetic and unapologetically loud, making them a natural fit for the underground heavy-music scene. From the opening moments, PENGSHUi's greatest weapon is their refusal to play by conventional heavy-music rules. Frontman Illaman brings a commanding MC presence, delivering vocals with the confidence and intensity of someone equally comfortable in grime and hardcore punk. His delivery gives the music an infectious rhythmic edge, cutting through the dense instrumentation with plenty of personality. Fatty Bassman's low-end work provides a particularly important foundation, giving the songs a physical weight that translates naturally to a live setting. Tracks such as 'Eat the Rich', 'Nobody Cares', and 'Break the Law' highlight the band's ability to move between aggressive punk energy, hip-hop swagger and electronic heaviness. Their music is rarely predictable, and that unpredictability is a significant part of their appeal.
What makes PENGSHUi stand out is the chemistry between their different musical influences. There are moments tonight when the music feels closer to a grime rave than a traditional metal gig, before suddenly descending into a barrage of distorted guitars and pounding rhythms. There is still plenty of room for the trio to expand their international profile, but their musical identity is already well established. They are unpredictable, energetic and refreshingly difficult to pigeonhole. Whichever way you look at it, PENGSHUi are proof that heavy music does not need to follow a formula to make an impact.
Some bands play heavy music. Others make an entrance and leave absolutely no doubt about their intentions. BLACKGOLD belong firmly in the latter category. With their distinctive gold masks, black clothing and deliberately mysterious identities, the London-based outfit have developed an instantly recognisable image. But beneath the theatrical presentation lies a formidable blend of crushing nu-metal riffs, hip-hop influences, electronic elements and infectious aggression. Opening with ‘It’s Art’, BLACKGOLD are here to remind everyone why they have become one of the more intriguing names in Britain's modern heavy-music scene.
BLACKGOLD's biggest strength is their ability to combine the swagger of old-school hip-hop with the sheer weight of modern metal. There are clear echoes of the nu-metal explosion of the early 2000s, but their sound is far from a straightforward nostalgia trip. Tonight, the band’s established repertoire provides plenty of ammunition for the audience, particularly with the likes of 'Crazy World’, ‘Dance Like That’, Cypress Hill’s ‘Insane In The Brain’ and 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That' offering natural opportunities for audience participation – the crowd surfers are particularly energetic and frontman/vocalist Spookz has absolute control of the audience. The band's knack for mixing infectious grooves, chunky guitar work and hip-hop inspired vocal rhythms works really well in a live setting. Their material is designed to get people moving just as much as it is to get heads banging. What separates them from some of their contemporaries is their willingness to embrace the fun side of heavy music. There is plenty of aggression, but also a sense of humour, confidence and groove that stops everything becoming relentlessly serious.
BLACKGOLD have all the ingredients to become an increasingly important name in modern British alternative metal. Their combination of nu-metal nostalgia, hip-hop attitude, heavy riffs and striking visual presentation gives them a recognisable identity in a scene that is constantly searching for something different. The masks might conceal their identities, but BLACKGOLD's musical ambitions are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. The debut album is coming in 2027. If "KILLAZ" is the warm-up and the audience reaction to that track is anything to go by, we are in for a treat.
