Alpha Wolf Bring the Let It Rip USA Tour to Glass House

The Let It Rip USA Tour hit Glass House in Pomona on June 6, and it was a genuinely punishing night from front to back. Alpha Wolf headlined, with Gideon and Mugshot making sure the room never got a chance to catch its breath.

Mugshot

Mugshot doesn't really feel like a band interested in easing anyone into the night. Their sound is ugly in the way it's supposed to be: dense, punishing, and mean enough to leave a mark. There's a real sense of tension in what they do, like every song is being held together by clenched teeth and sheer force. That's what made them such a strong fit on this bill. They brought the kind of set that felt suffocating in all the right ways, all blunt impact and coiled aggression, with just enough chaos underneath it to keep everything feeling dangerous.

Gideon

With Gideon, subtlety has never really been the point and, honestly, that's part of the appeal. Their music moves with that heavy, stomping confidence that doesn't need to overcomplicate itself to hit hard. There's groove in it, grit in it, and a kind of swagger that makes the whole thing feel built to land live. What stands out most is that they know exactly when to let the weight do the talking and when to throw in something sharper or more anthemic to keep the set from feeling one-note. The result is a performance that feels less like chaos for chaos' sake and more like a band throwing their full body into every second of it.

Alpha Wolf

By the time Alpha Wolf takes over a room, it usually stops feeling like the room belongs to anyone else. Their sound has that unmistakable bite to it. It's vicious, it's domineering, and it's jagged around the edges, but still locked in enough to make every turn hit exactly where it should. They know how to make heaviness feel volatile without letting it slip into mess, balancing that raw hostility with grooves and pacing that keep the whole set moving like a live wire. As a headliner, that kind of presence makes perfect sense. It isn't just about being the heaviest band onstage. It's about knowing how to turn that tension into something the whole crowd can feel in their chest.

All photos by Malika M..