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Despite Caliban screaming and thrashing their
little hearts out across the stage, beyond the ever-enthusiastic front six rows there dwells a distinctly unimpressed atmosphere in the swarming bowels of the
Mean Fiddler.
Despite the uphill struggle, the young
Germans are gaining with every UK show, and after
support slots with Machine Head and In
Flames, the hard work is
beginning to pay off as Closer proves - even managing
to separate most of the crowd for a full-on wall mosh.
There follows a rousing welcome for the doom-metal
legends Crowbar, with Kirk Windstein proving the pack
of angry wolves that dwell in his larynx have been
roused once more. He seems most pleased to be back in
Britain and in his merriment proceeds to execute a
therapeutic, speaker-destroying set. This band didn't
earn their "None F**king Heavier" moniker without some
justification, however, as the rattling floorboards
and my subsequent throbbing head pay tribute to.
From the moment headliners Hatebreed take to the stage,
the entire venue is entranced. Jamey Jasta takes his
place as commander of a room full of committed troops,
barking out his orders for crowd participation, which
are followed to the letter. They might not all be
flailing around like possessed Olympic gymnasts in one
of the many warzone pits that erupt like landmines
across the floor, but every punter in the house
screams along in unison as Doomsayer sends many an
overambitious emo fan scuttling for the stairs. And
all this as the testosterone-fuelled, fist0swinging
mayhem is only just beginning.
Three early hits, including the brutal Under The Knife, follow in quick succession - the old school
fans are most defiantly in their element. Newer fans aren't left in the cold for long though
as Straight To Your Face gives ample opportunity for
continued bedlam to ensue. Live Gor This comes over
not only as a killer tune but also as a personal
mantra for the godfather of the current hardcore
scene. "Every drop of blood, every bitter tear, every
bead of sweat, I LIVE FOR THIS!" is shouted by all as
they let all in the Astoria Theatre above know who's having the
better time!
The songs might not be technically awe-inspiring,
but what strikes - with the
velocity of a Tyson uppercut - is their ability to sound
so, so viciously heavy, with only three musicians on
stage. Sean Martin drops into Hatebreed's only cover
for the evening in the form of a one-minute Reign In
Blood tribute, and a rapturous crowd gets even louder
as Perseverance makes a welcome follow-up.
This Is Now proves as manic as the fan-filled
video, while the final number for the evening is the
highly anticipated I Will Be Heard which causes
those few with vocal chords still intact to force out
every last breath's worth of participation before
collapsing homewards, having just witnessed 2005's
best show yet.
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