Make Them Suffer have been around long enough now to feel properly established, but they’ve never sounded comfortable or predictable. The Perth band formed back in 2008 and have spent the years since figuring out how to balance weight and melody without losing either. There’s always been that mix of crushing heaviness with something more atmospheric underneath it.
Line-up shifts over time have changed the feel slightly, but the heart of the band is still there. With intense, emotional songs that feel even bigger once they’re played live.
Make Them Suffer wasted no time getting the room moving at Alexandra Palace on 14 February. From the first song, the energy shifted, and their set felt powerful. No unnecessary pauses and no filler. It was heavy in a way that felt controlled, leaving the crowd responding by jumping, singing along and of course, crowd surfing.
What works so well live is the contrast in their sound. They have this dark atmosphere running underneath everything, but it never softens the heaviness. The back and forth between harsh and clean vocals keeps it dynamic and stops it feeling predictable. It’s intense yet controlled.
They sound good on record, but live there’s more grit to it, more feeling. It has that darker edge, but it’s the vocal switch-ups that really hit in person. One second it’s crushing, the next it pulls back just enough to catch you off guard. It keeps you locked in. Absolutely why this is a bucket list band to see live.
When they wrapped up, there was no question the crowd was heavily invested. Pits had opened up and bodies were moving overhead. They walked off leaving the crowd wanting more.
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Words and photography by Amy Showell
Broken Static Magazine 
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