Chaos Reigns are a sight to behold, transforming venues into a whirlwind of mosh pits, stage dives and menacing smiles.

Cutting their teeth in London’s grassroots scene, the band quickly gained a reputation for their exhilarating live shows, with breakneck riffs and an intense presence. Evolving in just a few years from underground newcomers to one of the most exciting British hardcore bands, Chaos Reigns have shown that mathcore can be maddeningly complex and riotously fun at the same time.

Setting the tone early with a five-track blast of chaotic noise, their 2019 EP A Horrific Accident drew comparisons to Every Time I Die and Cancer Bats with a live stage presence likened to the wild, frantic performances of The Dillinger Escape Plan. Fast-forward to late 2024, re-energized with new members the band unveiled the unpredictable and exciting Sweet Violence EP, doubling down on technical mathcore with a balance between complexity and catchiness. A head-spinning ride that’s complicated and aggressive with fiercely fun hooks, the EP is the first recording with the band’s five-piece lineup, featuring Jason Heightman (vocals), Darryl Butcher (guitar), Joe Griffin (guitar), Billy Padmore (bass), and Dave Morris (drums).

Extremely heavy music that you can throw yourself around to in celebration, few young bands are this chaotic, calculated and exciting all at the same time.

We caught up with the band to find out more:

The name Chaos Reigns comes from a scene from Antichrist involving a fox gobbling its own flesh?

Hellfest? How did you get booked and what happened there?

Why live performance comes first?

No studio overdubs, no backing tracks?

How do you go about building songs so complex that are built for the live impact? Are they jammed or composed?

What do you hope the audience thinks?

Favourite venues?

Who are some of the bands who’s live show you’ve been most inspired by?

What’s on the horizon?

What is the ultimate goal of Chaos Reigns?