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.