Danish powerhouses Siamese and Cabal brave the North Carolina cold to deliver a high-energy heavy music showcase at Chapel Hill’s Local 506.
As if to make the bands feel at home, winter returned to Chapel Hill, NC, just in time for Siamese and their fellow Copenhagen, Denmark-based band Cabal to arrive. Over one hundred attendees filled Local 506, a mainstay bar and music venue in the area, to enjoy a highly professional and extremely well-performed evening of metalcore and deathcore music.
Mirrorcell, a Minnesota-based modern metal band, opened the evening right on schedule. The five-piece band sounded tight on songs including “Glare” and “Supernova,” but vocalist, frontman Nate Cell, struggled hard with his voice. Acknowledging his singing difficulty towards the end of the set, Nate still delivered an athletic physical performance, engaging the audience, and delivering a few energetic screams throughout the set. Known by many audience members who sang and jumped along with the band throughout their set, Mirrorcell did their job well, warming up the evening with a strong start.
Cabal are close friends with headliner Siamese. Both bands are based in Copenhagen, and the friendship between the bands was put on full display with friendly jabs and heartfelt appreciation given in both directions. Cabal opened their set by startling almost everyone in the venue with unexpected, thunderous drums announcing their readiness to begin. A three-piece band consisting of vocals, guitar, and drums, the band’s music was supported by a rich backing track that added only the right amount to pull the live performances together into a powerful deathcore attack.Using the entire stage as a dancefloor, Andreas Bjulver on vocals and guitarist Christian Hammer refused to remain still. Filled with endless, chaotic energy, all three band members delivered a ferocious set of deathcore entwined with full-on techno and a heavy dance groove. Fierce yet fun, heavy yet groovy, Cabal’s set, which included techno-filled “Snake Tongues” and raging deathcore “Violent Ends,” was a high-energy spectacle from start to finish.
Formerly known as Siamese Fighting Fish, Danish headliner Siamese formed in 2011 and has been developing their sound over seven albums. Vocalist Mirza Radonjica made an honest admission that they expected a very small turnout, given their Danish origin and this being their first headlining tour of the United States. However, to the band’s surprise, a nicely filled venue danced, jumped, and sang along to far more of the band’s songs than he expected. Clearly feeding off the excitement of being more known than they expected, the band was joyously energetic and beamed smiles throughout the evening. Siamese’s performance was well-rehearsed and professional. Every band member was mindful of stage presence and continuously flowed about the stage, providing every member an opportunity to be up close and personal with the front row of fans. The band’s aura was one of confidence and control. They commanded the stage like veterans and knew exactly how to entice the audience into high-energy releases of dancing and excitement.Special in the setlist was a new song named “Drown” from their upcoming album, due to be released in June. “Drown” is a well-written metalcore banger, begging for high-rotation radio play on SiriusXM Octane. The band’s set opened with”The Shape of Water” and included favorites “Numb,” “This Is Not a Song,” and “B.A.N.A.N.A.S” from their 2019 Super Human release.
Siamese delivered a convincing set worthy of getting their name into consideration for the summer multi-day rock festival circuit and quickly growing a positive reputation in the United States. The quality and professionalism of their set made a future return visit to the small Local 506 venue unlikely, as it’s certain the band’s popularity will grow quickly. Siamese’s first headlining United States tour continues through March 15, 2026 ending in Pittsburgh, PA.
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