This year marked the fifteenth anniversary of the famed New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. The festival is held annually at the Palladium in Worcester Massachusetts. Back in 1999 it started out rather small with only fifteen bands on one day. This year founder Scott Lee and the rest of the crew went all out with over fifty bands for a whole weekend.
The Festival was split into two areas; downstairs was occupied by the metalheads while the upstairs belonged to the hardcore crowd. The funny thing about this was that the bands I witnessed upstairs often sounded similar. While this was not a bad thing, it was different from the different strains of metal being blasted down below my feet. The crowds themselves even appeared to respond to the music in different ways. For instance, the people upstairs either stayed in one spot or did some of their best karate type moves in a pit close to the front. Downstairs there were people up against the rail headbanging with some jumping around. The real mosh pits would come later in the evening.
The big names started to play around quarter of four. Relative newcomers HOLY GRAIL took the stage at this time. In my review of Ride the Void back in January I gave them an A for creating an album that’s nearly flawless from beginning to end. The live performances of those songs certainly didn’t disappoint either.
BLACK BREATH came on next. The audience seemed to enjoy the set since it was obviously the kind of music they had come for. However, they did not seem as excited as they had been for HOLY GRAIL. The band was best described as having elements of thrash and death metal.
The first thing that those who have never seen SHADOWS FALL before notice is lead singer BRIAN FAIR’s lengthy dreadlocks. With a style like that concertgoers knew they were going to get a lively performance. Out of all the bands that had played, their set made the most use of lights.
Dave Witte crushes it live for MUNICIPAL WASTE!
A point of excitement for most was when thrashers MUNICIPAL WASTE took the stage. With a sense of humor like front man TONY FORESTA’s, who wouldn’t have a good time? To add to the fun of their set, it all ended with a shower of confetti. They were the only band of the night that could get away with it.
The most honored bands of the night started with an act that many argue should be part of the Big Four: EXODUS. Aside from having KIRK HAMMETT having been a member at the band’s beginning, they are also one of the bigger thrash bands to have come out of California. One reason why they may not be a part of the Big Four is that they don’t sound too similar to the bands that do make up the group. It may also be because they’ve had some major complications in their history. Despite it all, fans were calling out for them while the stage was being set up. During their set tables and seats were shaking like an earthquake was taking place. Song choices such as “War is My Shepard” seemed appropriate given how everyone felt about the Boston manhunt occurring that day. They played with constant energy and had a blackout at the end for a strong effect.
ROB DUKES of EXODUS
As they said it themselves, EVERY TIME I DIE was there to provide the pure hardcore portion of the evening. They didn’t seem to generate as much excitement as EXODUS which made it tough for them to follow the act. Fortunately the audience’s energy gained as the set progressed. The players didn’t let the audience’s lack of initial enthusiasm affect them. In fact they were almost constantly jumping and headbanging in sync. Their act finished with them getting the audience to join them in a good old “U.S.A.” chant. Although I wasn’t familiar with them I appreciated their song choices and titles such as “Underwater Bimbos from Outer Space.”
JAMEY JASTA and HATEBREED put on a great set!
There was a bit of wait for HATEBREED to come on but fans still had their energy. Attendees knew things were getting serious when a personal banner was used for their set. Although HATEBREED is considered hardcore by many I heard enough metal in them that qualifies them as walking the line between the two genres. They were certainly harder than most of the other bands that played that day. Right from the start the crowd was jumping. It was impressive to see the band manage to fit twenty songs including “In Ashes They Shall Reap”, “Destroy Everything”, and “Everyone Bleeds Now” into their hour long set.
ANTHRAX played all of the seminal “Among The Living” album.
When the banner for ANTHRAX’s Among The Living was revealed the crowd instantly became excited. As promised, the band would play through the entire album but not each track consecutively. This year the album is celebrating its 26th anniversary. Some of the well known tracks from it are “Among the Living”, “Caught in a Mosh”, “I Am the Law”, “Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)”, “A Skeleton in the Closet”, and “Indians”. All these songs are reasons why many claim that it is the best ANTHRAX album. It is also considered their breakthrough and is currently certified gold. “I Am the Law” is notably based off the character Judge Dredd just as the man from “Among the Living” is based off of the main villain from Stephen King’s The Stand. “Indians” and “Caught in a Mosh” have always been audiences favorites to get their mosh on and who can argue with them? It seemed like the show was almost too big to be playing a venue the size of the Palladium.
JOEY BELLADONNA of ANTHRAX
ANTHRAX fans know that big news was made fairly recently when longtime lead guitarist ROB CAGGIANO left to join VOLBEAT. For this appearance JON DONAIS of SHADOWS FALL filled in. Besides that, ANTHRAX didn’t play any differently than before. front man JOEY BELLADONNA still jumps around the stage like he’s in his 20s. Songs that were not from Among The Living included “March of the S.O.D”, “T.N.T.”, “Madhouse”, “Got the Time”, “I’m the Man”, and “Antisocial”. It was fairly surprising for them to do the STORM TROOPERS OF DEATH cover but a real treat for anyone who’s a fan of the band. “T.N.T” was a recent AC/DC cover from their newest album Anthems and a lot of fun. It would’ve been nearly impossible for them to leave without playing the others.
SCOTT IAN and ANTHRAX closed out day one with a great show!
One of the highlights of the set had nothing to do with music but more of why the community of music is so great. An audience member had thrown a Red Sox hat at guitarist SCOTT IAN. He then asked the audience if they knew how hard it was for him to put it on considering he’s from New York. He did anyway and stated that it wasn’t about being a fan of a certain team but coming together in a time like this. All agreed and the band played on.
Hailing from South Wales, UK is the band CONTINENTS, who play the kind of uncompromising, hardcore inspired metal that can take them far in the current scene of cookie cutter bands. It takes a lot to stand above the crowd and on your own two-feet these days, metaphorically speaking. By bringing the energy and the angst of old hardcore and a modern edge that borrows from Deathcore, Tech Death and a few other styles, CONTINENTS is a band that will get heads bopping and breaking at shows. Idle Hands has a very live feel to it, and the sound of a hungry band pushing their own limits.
Setting it off with “224”, the track swells like the onslaught of an attack on your ears. Great syncopated riffs and a killer beat kick things off right. This is a great little nugget of a track that would make for a good stage intro. The title track comes next and is really quite brutal. I like the angular, complex riffs and interesting shifts between Metalic Hardcore, sludge, punk, Deathcore and back again. Vocalist PHIL CROSS: remember this name well. In a few years time he is going to be mentioned along the same lines as PHIL BOZEMAN and EDDIE HERMIDA among others. He has a beastly growl, a great high scream, and a screechy sounding thing he does too. When contrasted with the gang vocals the band does, it works to great effect. “Pegasus, Pegasus” has a some great grooves in the verse and then the song takes a total left turn in to melodic Metalcore. And it works. The rest of the song is full of atonal licks and breakdowns. Phil changes things up and actually carries a decent melody. I can see this track being a big hit for them. “Inhale” has a slick urgency to its tempo and delivery. It almost sounds like a rabid animal breaking out of a cage, and has some of the best riffs on the album. Guitarists Darryl Sweet and Tom Weaver make sure to pummel chords with low-tuned authority, but deliver a lot of tuneful textures in every song as well. The track has another brutal/catchy chorus part that I liked. Drummer Duncan “Ken” Hamill makes the beat hot with his blistering kick drum work. I rather like his dry, not-overly processed sound, which bucks the current trend. “Land of the Free” is another hyperactive, killer track. It has almost a techno/industrial feeling to the beginning, before it slows down and grinds away. With many songs this short and to the point, it means a direct impact that cuts to the chase musically. The next track “Sheeps In Wolves Clothing” almost caught me off guard by sounding like Death Metal HATEBREED. The track is barely a minute and a half long, but it is great. I hope they play this one live. Following up that with “Regrets”, the band lays down another sick groove and rides it into your skull. The middle-section has some interesting off time riffing that is cool. Easily one of the top tracks on here. I wish at times bassist Dom Turner would get to step up and out a bit more, but he mostly holds down the low end of the riffs. “Loathe” is an intense instrumental, while “Trials” gives way to more aggressive, bruising staccato chords. I could do with a few less bass drops from this album, but I really I can’t quibble with them too much. The band has the good sense to not overdo them. On the plus side, they have done a good job incorporating other electronic ear candy into the mix. “Exhale” is another Punky, anthem and you can just imagine the pile on at the foot of the stage live. So angry, so brief. “Truth and Lies” switches back to the tried and true Deathcore, not unlike WHITECHAPEL and THE ACACIA STRAIN, until the refrain. “Lion’s Den” is a great closer. Lots of rage and tunefulness too, which is kind of the story overall on the album. CONTINENTS is a band unafraid to blend genres and step out of the mold. For that, I applaud them. It will be fun to see where they go from here.
In less than one month metalheads from all over will descend on The Palladium in Worcester, MA for The 15th Annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. The Palladium is widely regarded as the metal capital of the northeast. Starting with the kickoff party on April 18th the weekend long festival boats a who’s who of the best heavy bands in the world such as ANTHRAX, HATEBREED, EXODUS, OPETH, EVERY TIME I DIE, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, D.R.I., THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, MUNICIPAL WASTE, SHADOWS FALL, KATATONIA, SICK OF IT ALL, TYR, TERROR, REVOCATION, THE ACACIA STRAIN, JOB FOR A COWBOY, BLACK BREATH, TRAP THEM, TRAPPED UNDER ICE, GOATWHORE and dozens more. At the center of it all is SCOTT LEE, who helped devise the festival originally and helps book it yearly, along with Mass Concerts. We chatted at length with Scott about the history of the festival from its humble beginnings, what it takes to put on the show and where it is headed in the future. You can buy tickets here.
HATEBREED has come to their senses and realized that no one wants to go to a FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH show to see HATEBREED do a 30 minute set. I know that, as much as I love HATEBREED, I couldn’t stomach standing through that lineup of shit just to see the ‘BREED. Now, they’ve announced a handful of shows that they will play on the off-dates of the tour. These dates either feature HATEBREED headlining or playing as direct support to ALL THAT REMAINS. Check ‘em out!
11/7 Memphis, TN @ w/ All That Remains
11/13 Jackson, MS @ w/ All That Remains
11/17 Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
11/20 Myrtle Beach, SC @ w/ All That Remains
11/28 Richmond, VA @ w/ All That Remains
12/1 Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights w/ Winds Of Plague, Chelsea Grin, more
12/5 Quebec City, QC @ Imperial
12/8 Louisville, KY @ Expo Five w/ All That Remains
12/12 Sioux Falls, SD @ The Vault
12/15 Peoria, IL @ Brass Rail
Few names are synonymous with with the words New York Hardcore and metal like PRO-PAIN. Kids in my hometown were scrawling the NYxHC four points logo everywhere they could and the scene, now mostly gone was all about unity and common bonds. I first saw the band at one of my favorite spots back in the day, the now long gone Coney Island High at a matinee and they were as important as any band back then. As a young guy with humble dreams of having my own band they showed you what was possible. Being from Long Island, they were one of of us. Years before anyone heard of the current crop of bands calling themselves hardcore existed, PRO-PAIN was putting it down big time with their infectious mix of second wave old-school punk values, metal riffs and influence and occasional singing/rapping style. Front man Gary Meskil (ex-THE CRUMBSUCKERS) was and still is the straw that stirs the drink. In many ways he is as legit an underground icon as it gets. Not too mention that Foul Taste of Freedom was as influential a record as any to come out in 1992 in the scene, at least locally. There is no HATEBREED, TERROR, TRAPPED UNDER ICE or countless others without PRO-PAIN and those bands would tell you that fact themselves. Now celebrating twenty years as a band with this massive and deep CD/DVD package, perhaps the band will get their proper due respect they have long ago earned.
In typical fashion for the band, to just retread out the classics for nostalgia would be a total waste. Hot on the heels of last years excellent Absolute Power, this album begins with four brand new songs that are as relevant and good as anything the band has ever done. Songs like “Damnation” and “Hands In the Jar” have the famous Meskil vitriol, harsh jamming core and melodic sense that really hit home. “Someday Bloody Someday” has a tongue in cheek title, but the song is short, hostile and to the point. “True Liberation” is a throwback that could have been on any PRO-PAIN album. This is not vanity release because the band proves to be quite vital here. Next up are some updated versions of classic songs like “Foul Taste of Freedom”, “Make Love Not War” “Shine” and “Denial” featuring guest appearances from original members JC Dwyer, Eric Klinger and Rob Moschetti. These new versions are a treat for the fans, but also sound hot and vibrant too. Then over the remaining disc and a half (figure it out if you are buying a download, I still buy metal CD’s and DVDs. Thank you very much!) you have thirty tracks of the band in concert in Europe. This tremendous offering has great oldies, deep cuts as well as more recent songs. The performances are great and Gary has never sounded angrier or better in my opinion. The current line-up includes Marshall Stephens and Adam Phillips on guitar and Rick Halverson on drums. All of them are lock tight and they play with a ton of passion. The best cuts of these tracks includes “Neocon”, “All For King George”, “Get Real” and “Bad Blood” among many, many others. The real treasure in the set has got to be the DVD element. Not only does it include a full 90-minute set filmed in the Czech Republic, but it also contains another 78 minutes of fan filmed bootlegs, other live sets and a video for “Down For the Cause” and a montage of rare footage from the vault. If you are a lifer this is a must have and if you are a relative newbie this is an important document to own to better understand this corner stone band.
I’m still baffled that this tour lineup is what it is. I can’t imagine HATEBREED being this low on the bill. They are, in my opinion, the best part of this tour and I honestly thought they were bigger than ALL THAT REMAINS, despite not gaining the radio play that ATR has picked up over the past two years. The fact that FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is the headliner is bugging me as well. For some reason, when it comes to that band, I get annoyed to see them over top of HATEBREED – a band that actually deserves the spotlight and has spent a lot of time to get there.
Check out the new dates that have been announced.
10/15 Las Vegas, NV @ Luxor Festival Grounds
10/16 San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield Theatre
10/17 Medford, OR @ Medford Armory
10/19 Magna, UT @ Great Salt Air
10/22 Broomfield, CO @ 1st Bank Center
10/24 Missoula, MT @ Adams Center
10/25 Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arean
10/26 Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory
10/28 El Paso, TX @ Speaking Rock Entertainment Center
10/29 San Antonio, TX@ Sunken Garden
10/31 St. Charles, MO @ Family Arena
11/1 Little Rock, AR @ Clear Channel Metroplex
11/2 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
11/4 Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
11/5 Grand Rapids, MI @ DeltaPlex Arena
11/6 Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room
The bad news keeps rolling in today, first IN FLAMES and now this. It appears that FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH have completed work on a new record called ‘American Capitalist’ that will be released on October 11th. The band has also revealed that the first single, “Under and Over It,” will be released tomorrow on iTunes. For a trifecta of shitty news, 5FDP have announced tour plans for this fall in support of the new record.
The terribly named ‘Share the Welt Tour’ is, luckily, a short tour and features support from ALL THAT REMAINS, HATEBREED and REV THEORY. It really sucks to see an iconic band like HATEBREED is going on second on this bill (only above REV THEORY) and the other two bands above them are ALL THAT REMAINS and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH. Now, I get it, ATR are a bigger band sales wise at this point. However, this is one of those circumstances where I think you let the older, more iconic band go on after you. As for 5FDP, they suck. It’s basically one-notch above being a DISTURBED fan.
If you do go to this tour, make sure you buy something from HATEBREED — great dudes that deserve your support!
10/16 San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
10/17 Medford, OR @ Medford Armory
10/19 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Great Slat Air
10/22 Denver, CO @ First Bank Center
10/25 Boise, ID @ Taco Bell Arena
10/26 Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory
10/28 El Paso, TX @ Speaking Rock Entertainment Center (not SHARE THE WELT)
10/29 San Antonio, TX @ Sunken Garden
11/1 Little Rock, AR @ Clear Channel Metroplex Event Center
For my tastes, Victory Records often gets it wrong. Far removed from the days of 90s hardcore legends like HATEBREED and STRIFE, Victory is overrun with scene bands and swoopy haircuts these days. However, they’ve begun to add some bands to their roster as of late that I really support, such as when they inked the mighty JUNGLE ROT earlier this year. Another band on the Victory roster that I have really gotten behind is San Diego brutal death metal destroyers PATHOLOGY.
I first caught wind of them while they were opening for ENTHRONED and DESTROYER 666 about a year ago and I was very impressed with their live show. Couple that with their monstrous Victory debut ‘Legacy of the Ancients’ and I was hooked. Since then, I’ve seen the band on the road twice more with DEICIDE and OBITUARY and seriously back them of one of the best young and upcoming death metal bands in the US scene.
Now they have completed work on their second album for Victory, ‘Awaken to the Suffering’, which has been scheduled for a September 13th release and I am beyond excited to check it out. The new effort was produced by Daniel Castleman, one of Southern California’s finest, at Lambesis Studios in San Diego and the sick artwork above was handled by another death metal heavyweight, Par Olofsson (Immortal, The Faceless, Abysmal Dawn) who handled the band’s last cover artwork as well.
‘Awaken to the Suffering’ will be out just in time for the band to hit the road on a highly anticipated tour with death metal legends GRAVE, BLOOD RED THRONE and GIGAN this September. As soon as a song appears online, expect to see it here!
Aug. 30 – Brass Mug – Tampa, FL
Aug. 31 – Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
Sep. 01 – Casbah – Charlotte, NC
Sep. 02 – Championship Bar – Trenton, NJ
Sep. 03 – The Gramercy Theatre – New York, NY
Sep. 04 – Petit Campus – Montreal, QU
Sep. 05 – Mod Club – Toronto, ON
Sep. 06 – Broadway Joe’s – Buffalo, NY
Sep. 07 – Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
Sep. 08 – Blondie’s – Detroit, MI
Sep. 09 – Reggie’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL
Sep. 10 – Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
Sep. 11 – Osbourne Village Inn – Winnipeg, MB
Sep. 12 – The Exchange – Regina, SK
Sep. 13 – Pawn Shop – Edmonton, AL
Sep. 14 – Dickens – Calgary, AL
Sep. 15 – The Biltmore – Vancouver, BC
Sep. 16 – El Corazon – Seattle, WA
Sep. 17 – Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
Sep. 18 – Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
Sep. 19 – Key Club – W. Hollywood, CA
Sep. 20 – Chain Reaction – Anaheim, CA
Sep. 21 – Cheyenne Saloon – Las Vegas, NV
Sep. 22 – Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ
Jamey Jasta is one of the hardest working guys in the business of metal. Carving a path obscurity to prominence he has clawed his way to the top through hard work with his band HATEBREED, side projects like KINGDOM OF SORROW, underground label head with STILLBORN, hosting Headbangers Ball and his many other guest appearances. He has always embodied the old American spirit of hard work and integrity leads to self-made success as much as anyone I know of. That fresh faced kid I first saw fronting HATEBREED in the late 1990s is now a veteran of the scene and has finally put out his long talked about solo record where he wrote all of the songs and played most of the instruments. Comprised of material he has written away from his main projects over the last few years, he is finally getting this music out that he normally wouldn’t try in his main bands.
Although the album features several departures for Jamey musically and vocally, but he starts off going with what he knows on “Walk That Path Alone”. The song has a hardcore punk cum thrash sound similar to his work in HATEBREED and lyrically it is more of the furious positivity he is widely known for. “Mourn the Illusion” starts off in a similar fashion to the first track, but then uncovers a twist. Revealing vocal style he has only delved into sparingly in his other work, the chorus finds Jasta singing a full on, all –melodic chorus with no grit in his voice. It works well and you wonder if he should do more of it in his main band, although I doubt he will. “Screams from the Sanctuary” is back to the tough guy act sonically. Once again we get to hear Jamey’s full singing voice and it is one of the more impressive parts of the album. Despite being synonymous with modern metal and hardcore Jamey has long stated that his favorite band ever is SLAYER. Hints of his jones for the band can be heard in the very intro to “Nothing to Say” with its Kerry King-esque main riff. When the verse kicks in we have more of an active rock song than anything else. I do detect a distinct Peter Steele/James Hetfield nod in the vocal lines. The song doesn’t do much for me beyond a pretty cool guitar solo. Back to the brutality in “Anthem of the Freedom Fighter” and return to familiar, safe ground with his built for the sing-a-long sloganeering lyrics and head nodding riffs. The second half of the album features a ton of guest appearances from a who’s who of the metal. The catchy “Something You Should Know” features Phil Labonte of ALL THAT REMAINS and sounds like that bands recent radio friendly output. Unsurprisingly both front men are known for their gruff, harsh singing trade melodic lines and blend harmonies well. Ten years ago you would never have predicted hearing a song like this with these two guys on it. “Enslaved, Dead or Depraved” features Randy Blythe of LAMB OF GOD and is the best song on the record. This is the song that sounds most like a typical HATEBREED song: angry, intense and straight to the point. The next best track here is “With a Resounding Voice”. Tim Lambesis (AS I LAY DYING) makes an appearance here and adds to the track with his own brand of growling metal vocals. Upbeat rocker “The Fearless Must Endure” sounds like a BLACK LABEL SOCIETY song somewhat which is good since Zakk Wylde shows up to play a solo. The last two tracks in “Heart of a Warrior” and “Death Bestowed” are more in line with his traditional stuff. Basically Jasta gets all of his stylistic ya-yas out on this record and gets to do things musically otherwise unexpected of him. He doesn’t hold back while having a lot of fun.
Xibalba-Madre Mia Gracias Por Los Dias (Southern Lord)
(EDITOR’S NOTE: I actually LOVE this record. I think it’s inspired, interesting and everything that anything that ends in “-core” should be. However, we believe in journalistic integrity ’round these parts, so below you will find Metal George’s take on the record which is completely different from what I feel about it. Take both of our opinions for what they are and jam the fucking record to decide for yourself!)
I’m probably not the only listener who’s going to find it profoundly strange that the normally reliable Southern Lord decided to sign such a hackneyed and uninspiring outfit as Xibalba.
Not to be confused with the old school Mexican black metal band of the same name, this Californian act perform a slow and plodding sort of neo-metalcore which claims to be inspired by old school death metal like Obituary, yet end up reminding more of today’s breakdown-happy, swoop-haired Hatebreed heirs than anything remotely metallic, or even enjoyable.
No, Madre Mia Gracias Por Los Dias is a punishment trial; one which pounds down similar percussive refrains and one-eyed riffing down the collective throat, without a whole lot of energy or individual appeal to back up its game. While the album and band are certainly heavy enough to deliver a proper beatdown, there is very little of substance on which to chew. What we are left with instead are pseudo, wanna-be anthems of power and glory (“Never Kneel”) which actually end up sounding power-LESS, due to Xibalba’s ultimate ineffectual nature, and inability to overcome their own stale lack of originality.
