ACID REIGN / ENQUIRE WITHIN / KILLSCYTHE ADIO, GLASGOW 19TH JUNE 2026 Live review

When people talk about The Big Four in thrash metal they mean Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer. As I am not a huge fan of American heavy metal, when I talk about The Big Four, I mean bands from the UK. Acid Reign, Onslaught, Xentrix and Sabbat.

Tonight, the masters of British thrash metal are back in Glasgow. Acid Reign have returned to Audio! Acid Reign are from Harrogate, Yorkshire, you wouldn't think that by the way frontman (and only remaining original member) Howard "H" Smith talks, he has said a few times that Acid Reign in Audio is like coming home.



The band were formed in 1985, split in 1991 and reformed in 2015 and have played Glasgow several times since reforming. 

One thing guaranteed at an Acid Reign gig is, you are going to leave the venue with a smile on your face and in pain, especially if you are standing close to the stage, there are going to be virtually constant stagedivers and a pit! I'll get back to this later.

As usual, the doors are a little late in opening, it's only a few minutes, but still not on time. 

I LOVE this venue. During most of the twenty teens Audio was like a second home to me, it was, and still is a venue to see great bands and a great night, again, tonight is no exception.

The first band to grace the stage, are a Scottish band, a five piece, from Perth, they are Killscythe. Unlike many of the Scottish heavier bands I have seen, Killscythe don't try to sound similar to the American "Big Four" ok it's thrash metal, it is a niche genre which has it's own recognisable style and sound. Killscythe fit in well in both style and sound but are more akin to the UK "Big Four" than the American, which suits me just fine, even though one of the guitarists is wearing a Testament t-shirt. They only have thirty minutes, half a dozen headbanging songs pounding out one after another, I have to admit, it's not that easy to headbang and use a camera at the same time, but I think I managed.

Next up are a band I thought I recognised, not just by sight, but by their first couple of songs, however, Enquire Within's frontman announced that this was their first time playing Scotland. The band, also a five piece, formed back in 2016. I've only been to two gigs outside Scotland since 2016, one was Download 2016, the other was for Paradise Lost in London in 2023, neither which Enquire Within played, so I have no clue where this familiarity comes from, oh well!

Enquire Within have forty five minutes of fist pumping, headbanging thrashing heavy metal. Once again I am focused on photography I forget to get the setlist, I thought it would be easy to catch a shot at the end of their set, but setlists don't hang around for long when the crowds are inches from the band. 

Enquire Within are perfectly suited for tonight's show, another twin guitar thrash metal band, maybe it's just me, but I'm getting Pantera vibes from the lads, I'm not saying they look or sound like Pantera. I don't know what it is, but that's what I'm getting from them. Having seen Pantera back in the nineties, maybe it's the energy, but that's what I'm feeling tonight. I can't wait for them to come back to Glasgow.

It's break time again, and as usual between bands a conversation starts with people around, one guy, in his fifties (like myself), states that this is his first time in Audio, he is impressed with the overall experience, and this is his first time seeing Acid Reign. Where have you been man! A few of us take turns to describe what kind of night he is in for, he looks around, then states "most of the crowd are roughly my age. There is no way in hell that there will be stagediving and about the same chance of a pit!" If looks could kill lol

As I have said above, Acid Reign were formed back in 1985, but only have four studio albums, the fourth being the current one, hence this tour. 

Before I get into the bands set, I posted on my social media page that tonight is bitter sweet, tonight is my first intense metal gig at Audio since the passing of "Papa Mosher" Peter Mitchell. Peter, even in his sixties, he was the instigator in starting both the "Mosh Pit" and stagediving. No matter who went "over the top" Peter made sure everyone was safe!

The inmates have managed to free themselves from the asylum and are entering stage right! Like every band advancing to the stage, Acid Reign face a cacophony of noise welcoming them back to Audio. They are a heavy metal band, so they are dressed appropriately, apart from frontman "H", who was wearing what can only be described as a hoodie, except the one he was wearing went all the way to the floor.

Set opener was the opening track "The who of you" from the new album "Daze Of The Week". A further six songs from the album will be performed from tonight's fourteen song set. Next we get hit with "Goddess" from the bands first E.P "Moshkinstein" I then feel a hand on my shoulder, I half turn around, there is a certain Mr Peebles scrambling onto the stage! There goes the first one "over the top"  Many years ago Lawrie Peebles was one of a group of teens who came along and became part of "our" metal family, and one whom Peter helped Lawrie with his first to many "over the top" stagedives. Remember that guy at the break?

Next is the title track from the album "Daze of the week" then another crowd favourite, "Humanoia" from their first album "The Fear". It is now raining bodies.  Several songs pass, bassist Pete Dee, no relation, heads own into the crowd, another song or two, then it's time for H to leave the stage, previously when playing Audio, H likes to perform on the actual bar, tonight is no different. At one point H also stagedives and is carried round the venue.

Acid Reign usually throw in a cover version to their set, tonight we get two! Firstly, a thrash metal version of Blondies "Hangin' on the telephone" which was released as a single at Christmas nineteen eighty nine. The other cover was "Just sit there" by Crumbsuckers. Final song is "No truth" from "Daze of the Week"

H announces that he wants some photos of the band with the crowd, he then asks me to come on to the stage to take some photos. This is a surreal moment for me, I have never been asked to do this before, especially from a band I love, I have muscled my way on stage before and grabbed an end shot, so being invited was special. 

First song of the encore, "Fantastic Passion" from "Daze". H gets the crowd to put both arms up in the air, bassist Pete beckons me on stage to capture H leading a room full of mostly fifty year old heavy metal fans, waving their arms from left to right, I'm ushered off stage for the final song, another from their original EP "Moshkinstein" the song that everyone sings along to, a song written about the classic movie "Psycho", "Motherly Love". The crowd are in a frenzy! The band then take their accolades from the crowd, I am then invited back on stage for the end photo. 

Photo done, thanks and handshake from H. Gig over? Not quite. H is back on the mic, chatting with the crowd, I don't quite catch what he was talking about, but I do catch "health and safety! H heads towards Audios "green room", stops at the door where a six foot stepladder stands, H grabs the ladder, a huge roar comes from the crowd, yeah they know what's coming, H just cant stop performing, he opened the stepladder on the edge of the stage, climbs to the top and propels himself from the top of the ladder into the crowd below! No band ends a show like Acid Reign! 

As always, if you do not know any of the bands, head along to your favoured streaming platform and have a listen. You may find something you like.