This Is Hell at Underworld
This Is Hell – Underworld – 07 October 2009
Words by Tiaan Kotze / Photos by Brendan Monteiro
This has to be one of the weirdest shows I have ever been to, I better explain. The night starts out with a powerful set from the newly formed The Blessed and the Cursed, the music is raw and seems unrehearsed the band also has a very uneasy quality that transcends the stage. It feels like that same awkwardness when you have walked in on your parents. Give them time to iron out the kinks and make sure to check them out, hopefully they will find their style as there is definitely something worthwhile there.
Next up is the Peterborough six piece powerhouse Khalo who are literally tearing up the stage with a insanely tight set and well rehearsed songs. I am instantly impressed and can’t stop my foot bombarding the floor. I have never heard of them and slightly ashamed of that so I try to show my support tonight. If you like your music well written, hard and fast get the CD or see them live you will not be disappointed (for fans of Protest The Hero, Norma Jean).
Third up (yes this seems like it’s going to be a long night) are the boys from Grave maker who annihilate the stage with super fast ,powerful and short tracks that leave you begging for more. Yet another notch on Canada’s prestigious belt of hardcore, these guys aren’t fazed at the fact that the venue isn’t packed and the moshpit isn’t moving like a hornets nest, with the exception of a few slam dancing their little hearts out they still give it their all. If you don’t know them go buy the cd now (for fans of Bane, Figure Four).
Up to this point I can’t help but think although there are only 130 people registered on the door I feel like it’s been quite a success all-round, there has been a variety of genres and some impressive performances. It’s finally time for the main act and This Is Hell look as natural on the stage as a shark in water. They explode in the crowds face and I’m expecting blood and guts to come flying in my direction but to my complete surprise there are only a very few moving and the rest of the crowd seems frozen to the spot. It is somewhat amazing that with only one guitarist these guys make such a deafening sound. As lead singer Travis Reilly announces they are filming a video of tonight and he wants the crowd to go nuts, you would expect this to be the moment everybody waits for to appear in a live video of their favourite band but bizarrely the complete opposite happens. Is this a rebellion to being told what to do, can the crowd really think they are that hardcore or punk rock that they would pay to see a band and then defy the simple request of just looking like their having fun to the music.
This was the defining moment of the night and guitarist Rick Jimenez announces that they are playing two more songs and then we can all fuck off home. They still give it their all for the sake of this ungrateful and undeserving crowd. We later heard from Rick some idiot kept unplugging the amp as they where playing and they where surprised at the reaction of the crowd tonight. As we were exiting the Underworld we are serenaded by some carnival touring looking inbred chanting “this is not a hardcore show” and that accompanied by the great performances make this night worth experiencing. This Is Hell have a lot of passion and I’m expecting them to be touring again soon, this time hopefully the inbred can go to a “real hardcore show”, for me I will be in the crowd going nuts again and give them the reception they so deserve (Fans of Comeback Kid, With Honor).
Setlist: Intro, Prelude (Again), Reckless, Permanence, The Search, Retrospect, Deliver Me, Warbirds, The Polygraph Cheaters, Broken Teeth, Show You No Mercy (Cro-Mags cover)
