Goth Reigns Supreme: UNTO OTHERS and TRIBULATION Deliver a Night of Dark Glory in Kansas City

“From shimmering post-punk to occult metal fury, this tour proved that darkness wears many faces.”

Kansas City’s recordBar played host to a night of gothic grandeur and metallic melancholy on Friday, May 2nd, as Unto Others and Tribulation brought their co-headlining tour to town. Flanked by the genre-bending aggression of Boston’s Final Gasp and the cinematic blackgaze of Canada’s UNREQVITED, this four-band bill offered a thrilling showcase of modern dark music in all its shadowy shades.

Opening the night, UNREQVITED delivered a stirring, instrumental-heavy set that blurred the lines between post-rock atmosphere and black metal intensity. Their lush soundscapes and emotive crescendos wrapped the early crowd in a shimmering fog of introspection, a stark contrast to the raw immediacy of what followed.

Final Gasp took the stage with a snarling fusion of hardcore punk and gloomy death rock. Equal parts aggression and despondence, their performance channeled a fierce urgency that felt like a gut-punch. Frontman Jake Murphy commanded the stage with kinetic energy, thrashing and screaming through a set that primed the crowd for the headliners’ more theatrical offerings.

“Tribulation conjured gothic grandeur and blackened ritual in equal measure.”

Sweden’s Tribulation emerged under a wash of moody lighting and spectral ambiance, immediately conjuring the haunted majesty that’s become their hallmark. Kicking off with “The Unrelenting Choir,” the band unfurled a ten-song spell of gothic metal that leaned heavily on their latest material without abandoning fan favorites. “Hamartia” and “Suspiria de profundis” shimmered with occult grandeur, while “Nightbound” and “Melancholia” reminded longtime fans why the band’s 2018 Down Below era still holds sway. Guitarist Adam Zaars weaved intricate leads like spider silk, while frontman Johannes Andersson’s growled vocals and corpse-painted sneer anchored the performance in blackened ritual. They closed with “Strange Gateways Beckon,” leaving the crowd enthralled in an almost trance-like state.

“Unto Others are no longer a cult favorite—they’re ascendant.”

But it was Portland’s Unto Others who claimed the night with a rapturous set that balanced razor-sharp execution with unshakable charisma. Touring in support of their acclaimed 2024 LP Never, Neverland, Gabriel Franco and company tore into their set with “Butterfly,” immediately setting the tone with lush melodies and post-punk defiance. Franco’s deep, dramatic baritone led the charge through standout tracks like “Nightfall” and the glam-drenched “Fame,” while deeper cuts such as “Raigeki” and “It Doesn’t Really Matter” revealed the band’s ability to blend vulnerability with swagger.

Fan favorites “Heroin” and “Give Me to the Night” ignited singalongs, while the band’s cover of the Ramones’ “Pet Sematary” added a campy yet emotionally sincere moment of levity. The setlist, stacked with material from Never, Neverland and 2021’s Strength, showed just how far Unto Others have come—no longer a rising act, but a band confidently in command of their aesthetic and audience.

The encore-worthy finale of “Dragon, Why Do You Cry?” and “Give Me to the Night” sealed the deal: Unto Others are no longer a cult favorite—they’re ascendant.

As the house lights flickered back on and black-clad fans spilled out onto Grand Boulevard, it was clear this co-headlining tour is more than a meeting of kindred spirits. It’s a statement. Gothic metal is not only alive, but evolving—and in the hands of Tribulation and Unto Others, it’s never sounded more vital.

Unto Others + Tribulation on tour:

May 01 Chicago, IL – Reggie’s
May 02 Kansas City, MO – Record Bar
May 03 Denver, CO – Bluebird
May 04 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
May 06 Seattle, WA – El Corazon
May 07 Portland, OR – Star Theater
May 09 San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge
May 10 Los Angeles, CA – The Regent
May 11 San Diego, CA – Brick By Brick
May 12 Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge

Photos by Thomas Woroniak Photography