LIVE REVIEW: Touché Amoré, Psycorepaths, Fuzz Club, Athens, 07/03/2025
Photos: Sean Stout
Marking their debut appearance on Greek soil, post-hardcore and screamo revivalists Touché Amoré have experienced a transformative ten years since their explosive yet humble beginnings in Los Angeles, California. Following the release of 2016’s deeply personal and grief-driven Stage Four, the band’s popularity has surged significantly. Their subsequent full-length albums, 2020’s Lament and last year’s Spiral in A Straight Line both earned critical acclaim, landing on Pitchfork’s Best New Music list and receiving widespread coverage from punk-adjacent media. This rising prominence contrasts sharply with the band’s chaotic and unfiltered 90s screamo-inspired sound, making them one of the most successful acts in alternative and punk music to champion underground influences such as Portraits of Past, Orchid, and Jeromes Dream.
Rooted in a DIY ethos and an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists, it was no surprise that each night of their tour featured local supporting acts – a philosophy frontman Jeremy Bolm amplifies through his podcast, where he routinely sheds the spotlight on an ever-pulsating underground scene for new audiences to reach to. As such, Athenian ensemble Psycorepaths kicked off the evening with relentless metallic hardcore, delivering a ferocious half-hour set that included tracks from their single God Mode alongside unreleased material from their forthcoming album. Their high-energy performance earned a rousing response from the crowd, setting the stage for an intense night.
Drawing from their entire six-album discography, Touché Amoré launched into the nihilistic yet anthemic Nobody’s, the lead single from their latest album. The set seamlessly blended fan-favourite essentials with deep cuts, ensuring that earlier, blistering emoviolence tracks from their venomous 2009 debut …To The Beat of a Dead Horse – such as And Now It’s Happening in Mine, Nine, and Honest Sleep and – were met with explosive energy. The room erupted into flailing bodies, stage dives, and crowd chants, while the band’s remarkable sonic clarity proved that their pristine recorded sound is no mere studio trick but a deliberate, meticulously crafted design that allows their chaotic riffs, thunderous basslines, and blistering blast beats to remain strikingly digestible in a live setting. Elsewhere, newer tracks like the pop-punk-infused Reminders provided a moment of levity, while Hal Ashby cemented itself as a future live staple. Its desperate yet sincere chorus –“I’ll try anything, if it’ll course correct me”–sparked an impassioned singalong, proving its immediate impact on the crowd.
Having snubbed previous visits due to scheduling conflicts, Bolm profusely apologized for the extended absence. Despite this being the last stop of an intense European run, there were no signs of fatigue or lack of intensity. The emotional weight of this was deeply felt, particularly during songs from Stage Four, such as Flowers & You, Rapture, New Halloween and Palm Dreams. In those moments, the room was transformed into a cathartic, communal space as fans screamed Bolm’s poetic reflections on loss right back at him – his frequent smiles from the stage confirming the enduring resonance and deeply personal connection these songs hold for many.
Greek audiences have a reputation for going all-in at punk and metal shows, a fervor often fueled by the scarcity of such events compared to more accessible tour stops. That night was no exception, with the one-two punch of ~ and Pathfinder from 2011’s Parting the Sea Between Brightness & Me sending the room into an unrelenting frenzy just before the band left the stage. Though deeply rooted in punk authenticity, even Touché Amoré couldn’t resist the expectation of an encore, returning for a monumental rendition of Limelight, the lead single from Lament.
This rare night of screamo celebration and post-hardcore catharsis in the heart of Athens was significant in multiple ways: a homegrown showcase, a first-time visit, and a long-overdue acquaintance. With Bolm and the rest of the band sincerely thankful for the turn-up, it was clear that Greece’s punk and hardcore scene remains alive and thriving. And with word spreading, more bands begin to realize that while Greece may be a slight detour on a packed European tour schedule, the passion and appreciation of its fans always make the effort worthwhile. 9/10
Written by: Dimitris Vasileias
