Arriving for Day Two of the infamous Hellfest, and the Hot Topic stage was packed to the rafters and beginning to look like a war zone. This was due to Horse The Band galloping onto the stage, and pulverizing the room with the highly unique brand of Nintendo-core. Their album R. Borlax is an adventure in sonic noise, and the group definitely delivers the goods live. Especially noteworthy was the energy and enthusiasm as keyboard player Erik, coloring in the music with playful computer noise, thus sending the room into mass chaos. Based out of Lake Forest, CA, Horse The Band is gleefully planting their musical hoofs on hardcore pastures everywhere. Definitely music to sow your wild oats too!
Newly signed to the Victory Records label, Bury Your Dead delivered a crushing set of hardcore and tore the stage apart – with a little help from an audience who were not shy to venture up and join them. I’ve been waiting to see this band ever since we received their Eulogy/Alveran release entitled You Had Me At Hello arrived in our mailbox several months ago, and Bury Your Dead did not disappoint! With a new CD available on October 19th and show as ferocious as the one demonstrated at this year’s Hellfest, expect Bury Your Dead to murder the scene within the next year. Be sure to break it down and bury your fucking dead, cuz this guys will obliterate your town with their might Mosh N Roll. <
Canadian hardcore band the Comeback Kid has been making quite a name for themselves over the last year. These former Highwire Daze cover stars have been touring constantly, making a stop at this year’s Hellfest. Contributing greatly to the mass chaos, Comeback Kid performed tunes from their Facedown release Turn It Around, as well as treated the fans to a few brand new songs. By the end of the set, there was a literally a mountain of people on stage, singing along and having a great time. Those of us in the crowd were beginning to wonder if the stage had any weight restrictions at all. With their inspiring songs and rabid (not to mention ever-growing) fan base, expect the Comeback Kid to rise well above the heap of hardcore bands. Watch for their new album coming out in early ’05.
After seeing the end of a set from a band called No Redeeming Social Value (which featured songs about beer and other worldly vices), the mighty Embrace Today took to the stage. “We are here for one thing. Straight edge,” bellowed the lead vocalist. The band then spun into a set of raging tunes, including the dynamic Run For Your Life and the power anthem Fuck You, I’m Edge. Displaying their values within lyrics and actions, Embrace Today never fails to put in a powerful set. I saw these guys last year at Furnacefest, and they have really become a tight, unstoppable unit of musicians. Their current CD Soldiers it available from Death Wish Records.
Just a little over two hours after Comeback Kid members Andrew Neufeld and Jeremy Hiebert left the Hot Topic stage, the guys returned in another part of the building to perform a set with their other band. Figure Four took to the tiny Dinosaur stage and ripped the place apart. Neufeld is one of the most charismatic singers on the hardcore scene today, exuding passion and a strong sense of conviction. However, it is Metal Mel who almost steals the show. One of the few female metal guitar players around, her sheer enthusiasm and dynamic axe work is a stunning sight to behold. Figure Four is a brutal force to be reckoned with, and they have a lot to say within their potent lyrics and overpowering musical delivery. Be sure to check out their Solid State debut Suffering The Loss as well as their previous Facedown albums. And be sure to not miss these guys the next time they show up in your town, as Figure Four don’t play out very often.
One of the most inventive bands in the extreme music scene today, Between The Buried And Me continue to challenge genre conventions – either on CD or in a live setting. Known for their sonic mixture of technical hardcore and metal, the band unleashed a thrilling set featuring songs from their Victory Records release The Silent Circus. Vocalist Tommy Rogers is a dynamic frontman, and also does time coloring in many of the songs on keyboards. The first-rate musicianship in this band could impress even the most jaded scenester. One of the most progressive bands to be seen at Hellfest this year, Between The Buried And Me easily put on the most compelling show of the day. It will be very exciting to see what these guys come up with next.
Over to the main stage to check out Beloved. This band has grown tremendously since I first encountered them at Furnacefest a few years ago. Presenting an inspiring brand of music inspired equally by arena rock (such as U2) and hardcore, Beloved thrilled the crowd with selections from their two Solid State releases. Performing the clear vocals with intensive precision was guitarist Josh Moore, while charismatic drummer Joe Musten delivered the screamo parts with an all-out passion. Presenting a solid, and at times atmospheric wall of sound, Beloved play music from the heart and don’t seem to worry whether or not it will conform to any given trend. Their latest album may be entitled Failure On, but I predict a good deal of success for these guys within the coming years.
Closing out the Dinosaur stage on an early Saturday evening was Dead To Fall from Chicago. On the verge of releasing their second album for Victory Records entitled Villainy & Virtue, Dead To Fall perform several new songs for the Hellfest throngs. The newer material is heavier than ever, and the mosh pit went into full action, enveloping the little Dinosaur room. Vocalist Jonathan Hunt shot off the lyrics with a fiery intensity while the other members attacked the audience with a mighty wall of sound and driving blast beats. This was yet another case of the audience joining the band onstage during the end of the set, while others on the sidelines wondered when the whole thing would give way and collapse.
For many hardcore fans, They’re Only Chasing Safety by Underoath was the soundtrack for the summer of 2004. Highly aggressive yet filled with positive, uplifting messages, their new CD was quick to gain a following and has been a best seller for their record label. While on the Warped Tour, Underoath made a quick stop at Hellfest to perform an extremely well received set on the main stage. The power found within a live Underoath show is undeniable, from vocalist Spencer Chamberlain’s dynamic screamo inflections to drummer Aaron Gillespie’s thoughtful clear vocals and driving beats. Complete with imaginative keyboard work and catchy guitar riffs, the Underoath collective sent the room spinning. If ever a band was ready to break through to the big time, it would be Underoath. Reinventing Your Exit is the best song you haven’t heard on the radio (yet), and the crowd went wild when the words “We’re nothing short of invincible” rang out in a purely triumphant fashion. Always counted on the deliver a powerful set, Underoath is definitely a band that is not to be missed. And since I knew it could not get any better than this, Highwire Daze (and many others in the crowd) left feeling exhilarated and ready to take to take on the world. If only we had a clue on what was ahead for Sunday…
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THE HIGHWIRE DAZE HOME PAGE: Return to the Main Page! HELLFEST DAY THREE: Reviews from the final day of Hellfest 2004 |