The Heavyweights of Hardcore Tour… how appropriately named! Hatebreed, Sick Of It All, Terror, Full Blown Chaos, and No Warning… ..an impressive line up to say the very least! I wanted to go see this tour so badly, but the Houston stop was at my old night job and I didn’t want to go there for personal reasons (long story folks, don’t want to air out dirty laundry), so I decided to do the next best thing… go to the show in Austin. I am glad I did! As soon as I drove up to the Backroom, I find Hatebreed Drummer Matt Byrne. He recognizes me immediately and pulls his tour manager Sully (who also recognizes me) over to my truck… .I got put on the guest list. I tried for a backstage pass as well, but there wasn’t really any backstage at the Backroom… .hey, it was worth a shot!
Found out this was going to be the only stop on the tour with no barricade! That means 2 options: 1.) Get to the front and be literally face to face with the musicians on stage and / or 2.) Stage-Dive time! I chose the first option and had to suffer the consequences of everyone else choosing the second option. Haha, my neck was rubber for 3 days after this show , but it didn’t matter… I had the time of my life! First up was No Warning. Didn’t care too much for them, sounded like a hardcore band trying to throw in Guns N Roses riffs to their songs… ..but they were super nice guys and will have a bright future ahead of them. This band has potential… .lots of potential at that! Next up was Full Blown Chaos! I am slowly but surely getting into this band, as they did a killer set in austin, and definitely got the mosh pit going. They closed their set with Wake The Demoms! Not bad overall! Los Angeles hardcore outfit Terror were next, and that is exactly what they caused… ..Terror haha! This is where I regretted my decision to be up front the most, because this band garnered the most stage dives the whole night! Pummeling through songs like Overcome and Push It Away, this band definitely garnered the most violence, along with the most sing alongs! They did play a step or two slower, but that actually gave the songs a bit more strength and groove, so overall this band did an excellent job! Sick Of It All came out next and aura of the room completely changed from crazed violence… .to awe and respect for these legends of hardcore music! Jamming out such songs as Injustice System and Step Down, the band played with a ferocity second to none!
Highlight of the set was watching them get the Wall of Death going during Scratch The Surface! That never gets old! Now is the time… .for the almighty HATEBREED! This 80 minute set saw the band rip through such songs as Tear It Down, This is Now, and A Call For Blood… Hatebreed do nothing less than kick your butt every time you see them! Closing with I Will Be Heard, Hatebreed delivered a the best set I have ever seen them play (and this was my 11th time to see them)! Great tour packages like this don’t happen often! If you missed out, you REALLY missed out! – said Joshua V. on Dec 12, 2004
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