Hellfest 2003
Rating: 5 Skulls
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Hellfest 2003
Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Reviewed by Jotun (7/4-7/6/03, The NY State Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY):
The Line
Photos by JotunHeat, dust, sweat, a little blood, and tons of loud music. That sums up Hellfest 2003, running from July 4 to July 6, the best. The only problem is that the festival was so much more than that. Hellfest 2003 was the third of such that I have been to. I was not at last years, when the festival was moved to it's stable, current venue at the New York State Fairgrounds, so I can't judge this festival against that one. However, I can say that this festival, in terms of bands, accessibility, food, merch, press relations, and overall impression, far exceeded any of it's predecessors.
I'll start off with the general information first. The line to get in the door on the first day was at least 200 people long. At previous Hellfests, that would translate into a one-and-a-half to two hour wait, but my buddy and I were able to move through the line in probably 30 minutes, if it even took that long. Now is a good time to add that this was the most press-friendly Hellfest I have been to. In the past, shooting photos for press reasons has been difficult, but with the press pass they reserved for me, I was able to have all-access to interview bands and shoot from the sides of the stage. This is also important because, with only a few exceptions, the crowd was not blocked or partitioned away from the stage they way other venues separate the crowd from the stage with a "photo pit." So it worked for everyone.
The PassFood was plentiful and actually affordable. Burritos went for $5 or $6, which is how much I pay for them at my favorite burrito place in Brooklyn, water was $2 and Gatorade was $3, Pizza Hut slices were $2 and breadsticks were $3. There were vendors of fresh fruit, soy burgers, and all kinds of other eatables, and most vendors offered deals for multiple-item purchases.
But enough of all this shit -- let's talk about some bands. I can start off by saying that, typical to these large fests, I missed some of the bands I wanted to see, but a little part of that was because I either didn't want to get to the venue at 11 a.m. or because there were other bands I wanted to see more. I listened to The Red Chord while I waited in line the first day, and would have loved to catch at least a glimpse of Undying, Kid Gorgeous, A Life Once Lost, Tabula Rasa, Premonitions of War, and Cannae; not to mention some bands I have heard and would like to have experienced for the first time.
Friday and Sunday seemed to be the "metal" days while Saturday was more the "emo or punk" day, even though genres crossed a bit on all three days. This was good for metalheads who didn't want emo getting into their metal show, and vice versa, and it was even better for fans of all music because Saturday was a little of a break from all the tuned-down heaviness of the metal.
Darkest HourFriday Friday opened (for me) with Darkest Hour, who have a killer new album out on Victory Records. Darkest Hour cranked on songs from both their Victory releases, but obviously more so from their new material. Although John Henry's vocals aren't quite as tight on stage, the band's performance was nonetheless potent and a great way to start my vacation.
After walking around the grounds for a little, checking out merch tables and such, I was able to get back to the A stage for Chimaira. They would prove to be the start of a string of bands that would keep me to the A and B stages for the rest of the night -- good because almost all of the remaining bands were great, bad because I didn't see the C stage at all on the first day. Chimaira surprised me. I figured they would have a very marketable, slightly watered-down sound, but they rocked pretty hard.
Walls of Jericho followed on the B stage. Recently reunited, they should be entering the studio reasonably soon to record a follow-up to The Bound Feed the Gagged. Although I only gave it a handful of tries, I am not a huge fan of Jericho's recorded material. That all changes when they take the stage though. Their live show is totally intense. The combination of breakdown hardcore with metal edge, and the killer female vocals of Candice Kucsulain provide the setting of a war-like pit and tons of stage diving.
UnearthUnearth - what can be said of Unearth that hasn't already been said or experienced by scores of eager fans? As usual, their set was a blistering concoction of Euro-metal riffs, thrash metal speed, and hardcore breakdowns. One guitarist (I couldn't tell if it was indeed Buz McGrath) was sporting a nice brown and blonde afro while Ken Susi was rocking a dark overgrown Caesar. Not that you give a shit about their hair, but the afro was pretty cool. Susi, who is usually one for pulling some sort of stage theatrics during their set, concluded "One Step Away" and the show by climbing up on the floor drum and playing the descending riff with his guitar behind his head.
You mean Biohazard is still around? That was my reaction when I realized their were taking the B stage. I was never a fan, but I heard their fans weren't as happy with their most recent material, and that it's been a while since their last CD. They took to the stage and played a set that definitely sounded more old school hardcore influenced than tough-guy influenced, but that edge was still there. Look no further than Evan Seinfeld's bass, which had stickers resembling bullet holes on it. So tough! Through I am not schooled in Biohazard, their set was a good one.
SoilworkBoth Soilwork and In Flames have released new material that has received mixed reviews from the press, including Metal Judgment, but you can't take away their live presence.
Soilwork played a tight set that predominantly (if not exclusively, if I remember) included songs from the most recent three CDs -- A Predator's Portrait, Natural Born Chaos, and Figure Number 5.
In Flames was great, and they sampled from the heaviest parts of their newest material, but their set was full of problems. I personally have seen them about five times and I must say that I only wish they would change up their set list more often, playing some older material and some "B sides." As far as I could see, most people in the crowd were happy with everything, but the band was having a lot of problems with the sound on stage. Those most affected by this was Bjorn Gelotte and Anders Friden, who were regularly asking for help from the stage crew. It got so bad for them at one point that Anders missed his singing intro near then end of one song because he was talking or listening to a sound guy. They ended up cutting their set short one track, opting not to play "Colony."
In between the Swedish wonders was the punk band Anti-Flag and Lamb of God. Anti-Flag didn't impress many at all, and pissed off many of those waiting for their set to end when their lead singer stopped in the middle of one of their songs to preach and berate one of the guys in the pit. Can you say NEXT!?
KittieLamb of God helped bridge the metal with their material. Singer D. Randall Blythe paced back and forth on the stage with the crazed look of a killer in his eyes, frequently motioning to the crowd by running his finger across his throat in a cutting motion. Maybe he wasn't having a good time, but everyone else sure as hell was.
Closing the night was Kittie. Though many people left after In Flames closed the B stage, Kittie got a good response. They have been "keeping it real" by verbally embracing their metal roots and by being one of the only large touring bands that routinely bring up-and-comers out on tour with them. Their set was sick. It may have lost a few viewers at certain points where they opted to slow the tempo of certain songs a helluva lot more than they do on their albums, but the songs were still quality. And I'm sorry, but you can't knock a metal chick, not to mention three metal chicks. Bassist Talena Atfield swiveled her hips into her bass while lead singer Morgan Lander growled out their death dirges. Drummer Mercedes Lander (the cutest one in my humble opinion) kept a steady pace throughout.
Dead to FallSaturday I went into Saturday with a lot more rest -- after all, it was a six-hour drive starting at 6:30 a.m. Friday morning to get to the show. I also went into Saturday figuring this would be a bit of an off day, with far less bands I was aching to see. It would allow me to check out the C stage more and see some bands I had heard of but never listened to. In the end, Saturday turned out to be just as good a day at the fest as the other two.
The day started at 1:30 for me with a crushing set on the C stage by Dead to Fall. The band ripped through a short five-song set that turned the mosh pit into an earthquake. Having seen this young band three times before, I can say they have become ten-times tighter with their live music, and their intensity has grown, even though their younger live shows were nothing to sneeze at in the first place. They concluded with the fan favorite "Eternal Gates of Hell" and in the end proved that they belong alongside the main stage acts on any festival.
Another band that really didn't impress me as much as I thought they would was The Hope Conspiracy. The crowd went nuts for them, but in my opinion, that had something to do with the fact their music is very moshable and full of sing-a-long quotes. The band seems to have almost a totally new lineup since the last time I saw them about two or three years ago, with the exception of their lead singer. The new album Endnote hasn't impressed me yet, although it will need a few more listens before it is dismissed. All in all, I must again say that their demo was their best material to date -- which they did play two songs from.
This Day ForwardI wanted to catch onelinedrawing before running over to the C stage again, and I am sure glad I did. Lead singer Jonah Matranga, formerly of the band Far, is the songwriter and primary musician in onelinedrawing. He recognized from the outset that "this festival is made up mostly of metal bands" but he was hoping to convince the crowd to open their minds and hear his music for what it's worth. It's a unique take on emo style, while keeping an edge. His set (no pun intended) was very emotional and did rival the power of many other bands that night. The highlight was the painful rendition of "Your Letter" during which he injected lines from Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees."
This Day Forward and Spitalfield played back-to-back sets on the C stage. After watching all of onelinedrawing's set, I was only able to catch about three songs from This Day Forward, but those three songs showed that their ingenuity and songwriting talent is not exclusive to the recording studio. Their set was a great mix from their new album In Response, Kairos, and The Transient Effects of Light on Water -- and that was just in the three songs I heard!
Bleeding Through is one of those bands that really doesn't impress me with their recorded material but blows me away with the depth of sound they create on stage. This show was nothing short of awesome, even including a Danzig cover. For those who have not heard Bleeding Through, their frontman is former Eighteen Visions guitarists Brendan name, whose traded in his guitar for a microphone. They are a potent combo of dark metalcore with hints of gothic and industrial noise.
Shai HuludFollowing on the B stage was one of my favorite hardcore bands -- Shai Hulud. Although their most recent album That Within Blood Ill Tempered did not impress me as much as I hoped it would have, I think it will grow on me. Even if it doesn't, those songs will be welcomed into my ears in the live setting, where Shai Hulud shines the brightest. The words intensity, passion, and cynicism take on new meaning the moment these guys pick up their instruments. Their set included almost all of the fan favorites, and some less-expected others, which is nothing strange for the band -- then tend to change up their set quite often from performance to performance. Some of my favorites include the obvious to fans -- "Set Your Body Ablaze," "For The World," "Two and Twenty Misfortunes," and "A Profound Hatred of Man."
I've never listened to The Bouncing Souls because I am not really a fan of punk music -- whether it be old school punk like the Sex Pistols and The Clash, or the new pop-laden commercial stuff like Blink 182 or The Offspring. My buddy James who came with me is a fan of punk though, and is somewhat versed on the music of The Bouncing Souls, having seen them a few times before. He said this was one of their worst performances, and I can imagine that was true. Lead singer Greg Attonito shoed little emotion, hardly moving about the stage. He also didn't move his lips very much at all, which makes me wonder if he was singing live or if he was just lip-syncing. Drummer Mike McDermott appeared to be busy throwing a rock star-like fit because his drum monitor was not in the place exactly the way he wanted it. The only guy who seemed to be giving it his all was bassist and backup vocalist Bryan Kienlan.
Thankfully, Thursday would save the day and perform an astonishing live set to close the night. It must also be said that of the three closing acts that weekend, Thursday was the one with the largest amount of fans left over to watch their performance -- there were hundreds. The band proved themselves to any of the world's remaining pessimists that this band is here to stay and that they have to opportunity to turn on an entire new division of listeners on to the genre. They opened with a brand new track and quickly followed it with "Paris In Flames" from their debut album Full Collapse. Other tracks heard from this album include singles "Understanding In A Car Crash" and "Cross Out The Eyes," as well as one or two other new songs and "Jet Black New Year" from their EP Five Stories Falling. Thursday proved to be one of the best performers of the entire festival.
ThursdaySunday Ahh, Sunday - the day of rest. Well, not exactly. As a matter of fact, if I am not mistaken, the last day of music festivals are usually their busiest. I couldn't tell for sure, but there definitely was a considerable amount of people, just as there were the previous two days. July 6 would not be a day of rest for anyone but the dead.
My boy and I ran in to catch Armor For Sleep right as they were starting on the B stage. Armor For Sleep is a band that you probably won't hear about again on this Web site unless I write about them again. They are emo with very soft, almost boyish, vocals. But don't conclude that they are a bunch of touchy little Marys. The band writes melodic, hook-laden guitar parts that allow each of their songs to remain distinctly their own and very catchy. They performed a short, but memorable set including various tracks from their Equal Vision Records debut Dream to Make Believe, including the title track, "All Warm," and "The Wanderers Guild."
Freya took to the A stage right after Armor for Sleep and rocked out. They possess a live attitude and presence that is only indicative of a band that has been together for a long time - evidence of the maturity some members achieved in their former band Earth Crisis. Freya didn't have a ton of material to work with because like Armor for Sleep, they have only one record. But they used the time to the fullest, playing various tracks on their Victory Records debut As The Last Light Drains.
Armor For SleepAfter screwing around, getting some pictures of skateboarders and some of the Suicide Girls (www.suicidegirls.com) who were signing autographs on their photos, I got back to see Evergreen Terrace. They pounded through a metal-heavy set that crushed listeners into little Hellfest pieces. Again, I am not too familiar with their prior material, but the tracks from their newest, called Burned Alive By Time, kicked ass.
Again I left for a short time and returned to catch Solid State Records' Underoath. They play more metalcore, but what makes them distinct is keyboardist/sampler Christopher Dudley. On stage, he was totally freaking out, flipping back and forth between his two machines and just shaking all around when he wasn't furiously working. One of their guitarists must have had a cold, because he kept blowing his nose, opting one time to wipe it across the neck of his shirt. His snot remained there for the remainder of the show. It was pretty fucking disgusting, but it was metal nonetheless.
Following was Brothers Keeper on the A stage. That afternoon, the band would play their final show. Syracuse scenester/promoter/friend/professor John "Pops" McKaig read a prepared speech about what Brothers Keeper meant to him and why they were such a loss to the hardcore community. I was never a Brothers Keeper fan because in all the recorded material I've heard, singer Mike Ski's vocals are really high-pitched and kinda unbearable. Still, I give them a lot of respect for having such a large fan base and lasting as long as they have, so I wanted to see them off. The band played a lot of their early material, which is more old school influenced, so I enjoyed the set a lot more than I would have thought. Ski's vocals are also never as high on stage as they are on record, so that was an additional plus in my book. All in all it was a good farewell performance. Many will miss them.
Sky Came FallingFollowing Norma Jean, on the B stage, was Long Island's skycamefalling. The band was playing their final set as well, and it was an emotional one for their fans. It's hard to see a band call it quits and it is even harder to see it when the band is from your stomping ground and they are one of your preferred bands to listen to. Singer Chris Tzompanakis explained that the reason for their breakup was simple - for certain members, other things became more important to them than the band and they previously vowed to disband if that should ever occur. They beat the crowd with sonic art the way they have for years, pulling out a lot of material from their debut EP ...to forever embrace the sun, and select tracks from their Ferret Records full length 10.21. As they closed with "Annulment," they welcomed the entire crowd onto the stage with them. As the crowd and the band screamed in unison "scorn my eyes," guitarist Cameron Keym smashed his axe to pieces and flung it into the crowd. I've seen them many times, and it was one of the best sets the band has ever played.
On Broken Wings was scheduled to close out the C stage, but tried to leave some room at the end for labelmates Bury Your Dead. On Broken Wings' set was doom metal meets breakdown hardcore. The entire tent that covered the stage and standing area was a mosh pit, with spectators pushed to the sides. Killer. Without hesitation, most people split after On Broken Wings to catch Every Time I Die on the main stage.
Every Time I Die doesn't disappoint. They claimed at the beginning of their set that, in tradition with their past Hellfest performances, they were going to do something strange, but they were unable to get Beetlejuice from the Howard Stern Show on a plane. Regardless, their set was explosive anyway, featuring some new material from Hot Damn and some older tunes from Last Night In Town. As usual, singer Keith Buckley was full of burning sarcasm and tomfoolery, including one point where he made the crowd laugh at some kid and then forced the kid to sit on the stage by himself for not timing his stage dive correctly before the song ended.
Every Time I DieThe Locust - well, all I have to say is WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THAT?! Guys in the band dressed up like bugs, guys in the crowd dressed like bugs, or another guy in an aluminum foil outfit and a hockey mask stagediving.
The time had finally come for The Dillinger Escape Plan once Converge was through. I was one of the last of my circle of metal friends to see Dillinger - this would be my first time - so I was in for it. The band brought a cataclysm to the stage with them, complete with a fire-breathing friend, multi-colored flashing lights, and a small arsenal of instruments that were used to create an ocean of sound. Note for note the instrumentalists played tracks from their debut full length Calculating Infinity. New singer Greg Puciato threw quite a bit of sarcasm towards the crowd, and they enjoyed every minute of it. He even split some time with a guest vocalist - former Dillinger throat Dimitri Minakakis. After three quarters of their set was complete, the band busted into three cover songs. The first was Nine Inch Nails' "Wish," second was the song "Like I Love You" by Justin Timberlake, and finally, what group of covers would be complete without a rendition of "Raining Blood"? This set was unreal and it was clearly the best set of the entire festival.
Dillinger Escape PlanClosing the festival was Camp Kill Yourself, or CKY. I can't exactly understand why they closed the fest, and neither could most of the spectators - evident in the mere 300 who stayed past The Dillinger Escape Plan. I stayed to take four photos, but I had no problem leaving early because I had already seen more than my money's worth.
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