Ringworm & Nile Review by Jay Frost

Around quarter of eleven, Ringworm began to sound check. This evening’s show was as well attended as Crown of Thornz a few days earlier, and many of the faces I’ve grown accustomed to seeing these past few weeks were present, along with many others I hadn’t seen in ages. Whether enticed by the main event or a free show, Albany was in full effect tonight.

 Unlike the other bands on the bill this evening, the members of Ringworm were long-haired, denim or cammo-clad and downright intimidating. In short: real metal bad-asses hell-bent on bringing forth a hail-storm of shrapnel and gun-powder. I watched it all unfold from my perch above the crowd: as the green stage lights flickered, the drums rattled off a sinister beat. When the soundman called for bass, it cut through the chatter and noise like a clean scalpel through flesh. Human Furnace (all five feet of him) took his place at the helm, center stage, mic in hand. This is when the tension started to build; though I kept off the floor for the sake of accurate notes, anxiety and anticipation ricocheted off of every wall. It was time: ready or not, Bogies would soon be leveled by a nuclear blast.

Ringworm’s brand of apocalyptic metal is unique in the respect that though it shares a common home with other notable acts like Integrity and In Cold Blood, it borrows little, if any influence from the hardcore realm. With an axe-duo as succinct and sharp as Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, deafening, explosive percussion, and the Human Furnace’s unrelenting lunatic wail, Ringworm is the perfect soundtrack to the apocalypse. There were no pretty guitar melodies, only crushing rhythms and scathing leads. There’s no drum solos or other showboating; each and every element of Ringworm works together to form precision instrument of destruction. I’ve never seen a band this focused, this driven. It was frightening.

 The principle onslaught lasted two songs before the Furnace addressed the crowd. He possessed all of the knuckle-headed charm of Billy Milano, but with a certain wry wit that separates him from the other “loud-mouth” front-men of the metal world. He made it clear that they were not accepting requests, but was sure to send a dedication to the ladies shortly before tearing into “Madonna/Whore”. When a woman in attendance informed him that it was her birthday and she was getting pissed off because they hadn’t played any of her favorite songs, the Furnace scoffed and said that he hoped that her birthday was ruined. To quote him: “Oh yeah? Well here’s something that’ll piss you off even more, ANOTHER song you don’t want to hear!” Brilliant.

Ringworm played an hour set consisting of material spanning their twenty-two year career, including classics from their pre-Victory efforts as well as more recent songs: “Madonna/Whore”, “Unravel” and “Self-Destruct” were particularly memorable. Before ending the evening, Human Furnace christened Albany “the ugliest city in New York” (and this is coming from a native of a city that is notorious for being one of the most violent in the country). Further, he expressed his gratitude to Mike Valente for making the evening possible, and in turn the Upstate Black ‘N’ Blue vice-president made his way to the front of the room with two shots of high-octane whisky, toasting the evening’s success with the Furnace in yet another display of the respect and solidarity that permeates our underground music scene, one that transcends borders - from Albany to Cleveland, to California and back. This was, indeed, one hell of a night.

From start to finish, both of Nile’s sets showcased their enormous talent: crushing, technical sweep-picked rhythms and leads that sprinted up and Arabian scales courtesy of the guitar tandem of Karl Sanders and Dallas Toler-Wade was complemented by the equally proficient low end thunder of Todd Ellis as drummer George Kollias provided a wall of double-bass. Like others in the death metal world, Kollias did more than keep the time, he manipulated it. Every hair-pin signature-change was executed brilliantly, and being that the average Nile song rarely repeats riffs, a drummer of Kollias’ caliber is a necessity.

            A great deal of Nile’s material also includes grandiose, synthesized introductions and fills of an Ancient Egyptian flare. Picture a flourish of trumpets and strings in the Pharaoh’s receiving room, accompanied by primitive percussion – hand drums and finger-symbols. They were able to reproduce this live with the help of rack-mounted effects processors controlled by a laptop running Sonar (NOT Pro-Tools, but Sonar). I learned this from a friend and gear-head in attendance who had taken a spot up front, stage right. He also informed me that Kollias had been wearing headphones during the performance, which would account for his accuracy. As mentioned in the beginning of this article, Nile drew a much more diverse crowd than the average hardcore show. Aside from the dance floor in Bogies being packed wall to wall, the mosh pit was a slaughterhouse. It was difficult to dance, primarily because of the all the time changes, but also because of the rage and brutality that Nile evokes in its listeners. People launched their neighbor’s three rows deep into the crowd. Many were knocked down, but swiftly helped to their feet. Granted, this was not the sort of pit that I was used to, but that didn’t diminish the sense of mutual respect among those in attendance, and needless to say, there were no fights.

            Celebrating two decades of brutality, Nile played a variety of material dating as far back as Amongst the Catacombs of Nephren-Ka and Annihilation of The Wicked, as well as later efforts like Those Whom the Gods Detest and At the Gate of Sethu. The effects processor that triggered the introductions to songs was also used to control pitch the pitch of Dallas Toler-Wade’s voice and add effects during said introductions, adding to the over-the-top pageantry that is synonymous with Nile. The band finished around 12:30 that evening, and the weary crowd dispersed, completing yet another successful show courtesy of Upstate Black ‘N’ Blue Productions.

H2O by Jay Frost

Wednesday, February 27^th: H20, Terror and the Code Orange Kids at Bogies.

            Unfortunately, my evening job prevents me from arriving at weekday shows in time for doors, so I wasn’t able to catch the openers on this one. Also, Backtrack from Buffalo, NY, who were scheduled to play couldn’t make it to the show because of transportation issues. But this show was excellent, and very well attended, I might add; if Bogies wasn’t at maximum capacity, it was close. The stage area was densely packed well beyond the barrier of the sound booth. Tonight was an important one for a very specific reason: Bogies was a stop on Los Angeles Hardcore band Terror’s current U.S. tour, along with H20 and the Kids.

            I arrived just in time to check out the entirety of Code Orange Kids’ set, an experimental hardcore/metal band from Pittsburgh, PA. Aside from their guitarist’s brilliant use of noise and effects processors, the Code Orange Kids had three vocalists – both guitarists and the drummer. The chaos unfolding before me in the pit made it difficult to tell who was singing lead at times: one moment, the guitarist who ran effects was; the next, the other guitarist. When I looked up and saw the drummer singing, I was confused. If I had to describe the Code Orange Kid’s sound by comparison with their peers, bands like Starkweather, Isis, Poison the Well and Converge come to mind. Despite their experimentation and tendencies towards the more progressive and extreme, their songs kept to a basic hardcore framework (ie. Lots of heavy mosh parts). I was impressed, and it would be great to see Code Orange Kids play Albany again.

            After a quick cigarette break, I ran inside just as Terror hit the stage. Wow. For years, Terror was that super popular band in the scene that I never paid much attention to (as was H20, but we’ll get to that in it’s appropriate place and time); that is, until a friend gave me a copy of their third album Always The Hard Way. Then my computer crashed and I couldn’t recover the file. It got a handful of spins prior to that, and I still believe it to be one of the heaviest albums to be released in the hardcore genre since the turn of the millennium, but I never really kept up with their career. Tonight was a refresher course.

            I hate coming in late on bands for nights like this. It’s impossible to get a good spot in the crowd. Wading through the 300 plus people in attendance, I eventually made it to the beginning of the pit, but dared to venture no further for fear of my face. Though the crowd showed mad love for the Code Orange Kids, they went completely berserk for Terror. There were old-school pile-ons, sing-alongs, over-the-top pit antics and stage dives as lead vocalist Scot Vogel of Buried Alive and Slugfest fame encouraged their already-frenzied fans to “jump on [each other’s] heads” – a quality characteristic of his stage presence. At one point, I saw a kid hanging from the stage lights. Oh my god…..THIS was hardcore! Maximum stage-dives, maximum fun!

If you ever get a chance to see Terror live, don’t pass it up. These guys are pros. Terror’s sound is also proof that hardcore transcends regional barriers. They may hail from Los Angeles, but NYHC purists would still claim Terror as one of their own, any day of the week. Their sound defies comparison – I could list a thousand bands you all know and it still wouldn’t do them justice. Let me put it like this: I know hardcore when I see it, and Terror is it! What impressed me the most was Vogel’s respect and sincerity as he thanked us all for welcoming him to our home, and then sent shout-outs to Stigmata, Dying Breed, Section 8 and any other old-school local core band you could possibly think of. For a night dedicated to celebrating positivity and unity, I could think of no better band to help promote it.

I got in early for H20 so I could grab a spot at the front of the stage. There was no way I was going to be stuck behind the barrier again. I wanted to be front and center. I will admit this now: not only had I never listened to H20, but until that evening, I’d never even heard them. I know, this sounds ridiculous, coming from a fifteen-year (on and off) veteran of the scene, but unfortunately it was true. All I knew of them before they began their set was that they were a heavily punk-influenced hardcore band, which would account for my longstanding ignorance of H20. Though they came out of the same late 90’s New York City scene that spawned the likes of Inhuman, my tastes always leaned more toward the heavier side. Chalk it up to “youthful angst”, if you must.

After a short delay for set-up and sound check, H20 ripped into their brand of aggressive punk-core, laced with sing-alongs and plenty of fast drum beats to skank to. I realized very quickly what my ignorance had cost me: H20 was absolutely amazing!The sing-along parts are so simple to learn that even the un-initiated listener can participate. In fact, that is one of the biggest parts of their live show; during the sing-along parts, vocalist Toby Morse thrust the microphone into the sweaty pile in front of the stage, allowing their collective chant to become one voice.

H20 performed songs that spanned their entire career, including fan favorites like “What Happened?” and “Nothing to Prove”. Their message, in keeping with the spirit of positivity and unity, is a simple one: “Don’t sell out. Don’t forget your roots. Be yourself and keep the scene alive”. Though most bands in the scene preach this, to some it is merely rhetoric. H20 practices what they preach. Center stage was a good spot; I managed to get a few photos with my cell phone, but Morse’s bustling stage activity made it difficult to get anything smooth.

Between songs I sauntered back to the bar for a soda, caught my breath and then made my way to the front again – this time to the pit. H20 was one of those rare shows for me where, between dancing and singing I could barely catch my breath. Of the three acts I saw that evening, H20 stole the show. They won a new fan in me, and had I had the cash at the time, I likely would’ve bought one of everything at their merch table. For a moment, I felt like I was a teenager all over again. I hope to see them back at Bogies again, and soon! For nearly twelve hours after that show, I was on a natural endorphin high that no substance could ever possibly top. It’s for that very reason that hardcore is relevant, and necessary. This music could save lives.

Killer week!! Also scroll down to see a review on The Cabin Fever Party By Jay Frost

Saturday, February 23^rd: Cabin Fever Party at Bogies w/ Brick By Brick, Sicker Than Most, Renewal of Faith, Declension, Breathtaker, Before I Had Wings and Disconnect.

            “We love you all individually, we thank you all individually” – Rich Roberts, Brick By Brick

            These words, spoken to the audience by the vocalist of Troy’s own premier Beat-down Core band Brick By Brick, summed up the entire atmosphere of Upstate Black ‘N’ Blue’s Cabin Fever Party:  an evening filled with positivity and completely free of incident, where bands and fans alike shared a mutual sense of respect for each other as well as the venue. Yes, mosh pits are a violent expression of emotion, and for those who partake in them, a release of anger and negativity. But there are rules: when someone falls, you pick them up.  If someone gets hit, you make sure they’re all right. The Albany Hardcore Scene – or any other worth its weight in gold – does not condone nor tolerate direct acts of violence against attendees. The overwhelming success of the Cabin Fever Party is all the evidence you need of that.

            The show began at 7:30, with Columbia County’s Disconnect taking the stage first. A four- piece playing a fast, energetic form of “positive hardcore” in the spirit of Judge, Strife, Inhuman, Alone in a Crowd, Down Foundation and Youth of Today, Disconnect would fit well on a bill with any of these above-mentioned bands. Their vocalist Matt Bradley began their set by rushing the crowd and making a quick round of the dance floor, just to make sure that he had our full, undivided attention. Though the show had just begun, it was evident that it would be well attended; even as early as 6:30 a sizeable rabble had gathered outside of Bogies. Now everyone was all in, enjoying the music right up front instead of milling about at the bar. In fact, a small handful of people (yours truly among them) set it off with a small pit, something that is almost unseen with opening acts. 

            Up next was Massachusetts Hardcore act Before I Had Wings., who played a style similar to that of Hatebreed and Death Before Dishonor, complete with C-tuned guitars, thundering double bass-laden drum beats, and guttural vocals that would give Jamey Jasta a run for his money. From opening riff to final dance beat, the floor was no longer safe place for the non-confrontational to be, as the mosh pit was in full-swing. About a third of the way into the set, B.I.H.W.’s vocalist called for an old-school “circle-pit”, which, to the uninitiated, is just how it sounds: a frantic dance around the imaginary perimeter of the pit. Incidentally, they paid homage to their forbearers and covered Hatebreed’s “Last Breath” – a rendition that only did justice to the original. In this spectator’s opinion, Before I Had Wings’ live show was comparable to seeing Hatebreed when they were still playing smaller venues.

            Third on the bill was the thoroughly excellent Poughkeepsie band Breathtaker. Combining the old-school tough-guy hardcore aesthetic with elements of metal and death core (The Acacia Strain and Torn Asunder immediately came to mind), a barrage of percussive technicality, dual guitars resting somewhere in the A-tuning range capable of rib-crushing rhythms and almost impossibly beautiful melodies, not to mention the double vocal attack of front man Chris and guitarist Josh. All of this woven and meshed together formed an aural barrage like heavy artillery. It was nearly impossible to keep from moving. One of their notable qualities were their odd-time signatures and unpredictable changes: more than once, a thundering, chunky beat grinded its way down a bridge that sounded like a piece of industrial machinery powering off, calling to mind Starkweather’s later efforts.

 I was fortunate enough to speak with the band after their set, and by way of this discussion learned of their upcoming concept EP, “Natural Disaster”. According to Chris,  the material slated to appear on “Natural Disaster” was developed around the concept of original sin; that is, because of man’s fall from grace and expulsion from the Garden of Eden, each of us are doomed to encounter trials and tribulations –“bad shit”, to quote Josh directly – whether pre-ordained or coincidental throughout our lives. The band as a whole also expressed a deep and sincere sense of gratitude for being able to play the Cabin Fever Party, and gave major props to Mike Valente, Dan Bushey, and the entire Upstate BNB crew for their support and for actually taking the time to listen to their music. Keep your eyes on Breathtaker, as I expect nothing but success for them in the years to come.

            Moving right along, there were two stellar sets by Schenectady’s Declension and Gloversville’s Renewal of Faith, the only two bands on the bill whose sounds were rooted in metal as opposed to hardcore. Renewal of Faith played a form of melodic metal-core ala Killswitch Engage, Darkest Hour and Chimaira. Clean vocals alternated with guttural growls and scathing screams, quiet guitar passages that give way to double-bass heavy dance beats, and a tapestry of complex harmonies woven by two talented six-stringers: this is Renewal of Faith, in a nutshell. Declension, whom I also had the pleasure of speaking with, leaned more towards the death-core end of the spectrum, but with a progressive side, reminding me at times of Between the Buried and Me. Formerly known as The American Nightmare and no strangers to the local club circuit, Declension are slated to return to the studio in the near future with local musician Chris Costakis (Driven Further, Days Are Numbered, Protocol 7) to record a full-length, as  well as EP. Said EP is also a conceptual piece that will see the band experimenting with alternate tunings as well as six, seven, and eight-string guitars.

            The Cabin Fever Party concluded with a double-dose of hardcore with New Jersey’s Sicker Than Most and Troy’s Brick By Brick. Unlike some of the New Jersey Hardcore bands I’ve been exposed to, like E-Town Concrete or Fury of Five, who combine elements of hip-hop with a metallic hardcore sound, Sicker Than Most played a style more akin to bands from the New York City and Albany Scene. The defunct Watervliet band Throwback, as well as Troycore founding fathers Flat Broke came to mind while watching their set. Like Breathtaker, Sicker Than Most is another one to keep an eye on, and I hope Upstate B ‘N’ B has them back soon.

            The evening’s main event, Brick By Brick, did not disappoint, as is their reputation. In fact, I think they keep getting heavier and tighter every time I see them. With the addition of Jameson (Bulldog Courage) on the drums, they’ve achieved a level of musical proficiency almost unparalleled by any other local or regional act; and though the dance floor had been active most of the night, now it was time for all the Troy-Boys who’d been saving their strength for this moment to cut loose. Some creative lighting work led to a handful of accidental injuries, but, again, nothing was taken personally and the controlled and cathartic violence that occurs in the pit remained there.

            Brick By Brick played material from all three of their albums; their first, “Pull The Trigger” debuted in 2004 and became an instant classic. The most notable performance from there set  was “Free For All”, during which vocalist Rich Roberts threw B X B tees out onto the floor for slam-dancers to compete for – evidence of Brick By Brick’s love and appreciation for their fans. However, my favorite part of the set was when they tore into a cover of Cutthroat’s “Hate Breeds Rage”, and though I was already spent from going hard for the other bands, I went completely crazy and made a mad dash for the stage. Three of us knew enough of the words to give Roberts a hand, and it was good to see a local band in this day in age paying homage to the greats of yester-year. Brick By Brick finished shortly before midnight, the weary crowd said there goodnights to each other and filed out the door into the night.

Starting Monday we have 13 days in a row! Here are some highlights: