Moshcore 2003 Review(s)

5:00 PM :: Doors are opened... The first batch of 20-30 people step out of the freezing cold into Club Soda, where 10 bands await to please. Slowly but surely the masses began pouring in. Free CD's are distributed to the people coming in, they pocket the CD's and cram up to the stage, as Safer Than Silence were about to begin. The two Moshcore MC's (MCMCs?) came out first, thanking everyone who helped make this show possible and all the sponsors:
     The Canadian Cancer Society >>  http://www.cancer.ca/ 
     TZMagazine.com  >>  http://www.TZMagazine.com/ 
     Orcasound >>  http://www.orcasound.com/ 
     99.9 The Buzz >> http://www.999thebuzz.com/ 
     Big Metal Productions
     and Empathy Promotion >> http://www.empathypromotion.com/ 

6:00 PM >> Safer Than Silence :: The fans were hyped and ready to go, the curtains peeled back, reveling George, Rob and Pat. They're all ready, bass gear kicks in, drums good to go, guitar amp goes on......... and I'm sorry folks, the start of some technical difficulties. "It wouldn't be metal without some technical difficulties." Finally STS began their set, a mere 10 minutes late (mind you.. 30 minute sets.) The guys in STS tore through a nice chunk of songs, including my band favorite 'Broken Left Hand', which is available on their website. The best way to classify STS would be to say they sound like a mix of Chevelle, but with melodies a bit rougher. Oh, and I have to mention the fact that Pat is possibly the tallest drummer I've ever seen, standing not far from 7 feet. The crowd didn't seem to anxious to see anyone at this point, as they stood there motionless; keeping in mind the select few; the head-bobbers (not quite ready to progress to headbangers), and the drunken fools starting pits with every opportunity. 

6:35 PM >> Dook :: Newcomers to Moshcore, Dook were ready to go. A little background first; since Legion had dropped Moshcore only weeks before the event, Dook came along to fill the empty spot, playing 2nd, and bumping everyone up one slot. Dook belted out 7 (I think...) songs, including their final tune, and my favorite "Holy Shit!". "Imagine a pulsating, raw, unbridled energy. A musical wall of soul crushing riffs, heat pounding beats and raging vocals." I can't put it better my self, than that excerpt from the Dook Official Biography. Sebastien Ducap, the Dook frontman unleashed, and gave it his all, roaring through their set, giving no rest to the crowd, with constant requests for crowd action, and they got what they wanted.. and the crowd was just getting started, as it seemed to get pretty brutal out there at one point. 

7:10 PM >> Ashes of Eden :: Ashes of Eden fans crammed up to the front of the stage, "A.O.E" they chanted, then they stopped, "Ashes" was the chant... no, back to "A.O.E"... They walked out onto the stage, Ashes of Eden were ready to go, this... um... sextet played their songs with one common aspect, SHEER POWER. These guys were everywhere at the same time, charging from side to side, front to back; I think that's some kind of fire hazard. Three words to describe these guys; Hair, um... never mind that... anyway... Belting out their tunes, the ran through a cruel and ruthless set, with their singer Mike plugging their demo with every last breath (kidding..) Their melodic death metal styling seemed to be a success with the legion of people who came out to experience the nights events. 

7:45 PM >> 3 Mile Scream :: The crowd was at its peak, a packed floor of metal loving maniacs, anxiously awaiting the next band to grace the stage. The band; 3 Mile Scream. Mike, Matt, Marc and Alex took the stage and they didn't let go for 30 minutes; just doing all they could to go all out and take advantage of the HUGE crowd, at this point, there was about 500-600 people crammed up on the floor. Bassist Mike Marino was all over the place, probably one of the more hazardous stage experience of the night (mention: Blake from Shiverdown -- read on) trying to get a feel for the music, I often found myself sidestepping around just trying to make sure this guy doesn't run over me. 3MS knew what they were doing, and definitely knew how to please the crowd. 

8:20 PM >> Tantrumn :: Rob, Dax and Dennis take the stage, it's Tantrumns turn to show the Moshcore crowd what they've got. With the fans, intensity on their side, the 3 piece let loose and aimed to please, and that they did. With their burning and powerful sound the guys in Tantrumn were somewhat of an instant hit, they were the spark that ignited the crowd into a frenzy. Talking to people during and after the set, all people could seem to squeeze out of their mouths was "sick", "insane" or "fuck yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah." With Dennis laying down some pounding beats, Rob letting out throbbing bass lines and Dax frantically strumming his guitar, and discharging some remorseless yells, screams, alongside some pleasant melodies, Tantrumn had all their elements down to a T.

8:55 PM >> First Version :: First Version, what can I say? Their set was like something I've never experienced before. Well, come to think of it, one band comes to mind, Mindless Self Indulgence anyone? With a drum machine/beat box(?) set in the background, these guys burned through 30 minutes of material, giving it their all. Frontman Turi Starman didn't hesitate to get intimate and interactive with the lucky people in the front row. Getting in their face, basically just going insane, like throughout the rest of their set. GF(guitar) and Justin(bass) each took control on their sides, with glowing presence... well, maybe not as glowing as that... whatever that was, the meshed wires, with the lights and the hand... aah if you were at the show, you definitely know what I'm talking about.  And how can we forget Shane, the man behind the kit, who remained as tight as a chimpmunks ass (thanks mike) with his persistent beats, all tying in perfectly to that damned beat box.. booh tss tss tss booh.. yeah.

9:30 PM >> Sign of One :: Alright, Sign-of-One!.... "It's 9:30, come on out guys! It's 9:40, come on out guys! It's almost 10 o clock guys, what the hell!", that most possibly being what everyone in the crowd was thinking, or saying. Being on that stage, behind the curtains, the stress was rising, and rising, and rising. Let me give you the lowdown. Vic (guitar) was having some pedal board problems at first, one thing wasn't working, I wasn't sure what... but it caused a chain reaction, and well, nothing worked! So that took a while, then the pedal board was alright! Turn on the amp, BOOM, there goes Vic's Mesa Dual Rectifier head. Then Dax saved the day! Running up on stage, pulling and plugging cords every which way everyone got their shit together, as the curtains opened. Down to 4 songs they were... They started, and gave it their all, heart and souls. Victor possibly put in the most crowd interaction I've ever seen a guitarist do. These guys TORE through their 4 songs like nothing. Peter T on drums was just pounding out all his frustration from the nerves building up during the elongated wait. Rob, was in another world, what can I say about this guy. Danny pummeled his bass, with driving force and timing. Peter S did what he had to do, his yelling, his singing, his screaming... the melodies and choruses coming out of this guys mouth were unbelievable. And Victor... at some points he'd stop playing just to make sure the crowds getting into it, and they accomplished what they needed to, they got the crowd going like none other. 

10:45 PM >> Disturbing Peace :: Delayed 55 minutes from all the problems previously going on, Disturbing Peace got their share, but not until much later in the night. The music, the face paint, the fake blood; D.P were a sight-and a half. These guys never cease to amaze me with their stage-look and stage performance. Kenny sitting behind his kit let out some great beats, alongside some intense double-bass action.. Doro was, well, everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Left, right, up, down, D.P's bassist, Doro, is definitely on my "Things you BETTER have seen at Moshcore 2003" list. With that fake blood that looks like he got axed in the face (some people thought he did! hah), pop pop popping away on his bass, while laying down some flattering grooves. AngelI remain disappointed that they didn't play Closure, but hey... It happens.

11:15 PM >> Shiverdown ::  The last time I saw these guys perform was over 1 year ago, same place, opening up for Kittie. Their sound has much progressed since then, leaving me wonder, where are they going from here? The answer, anywhere they want to. Mixing light melodies right next to brutal hardcore left me wondering what can't these guys do. I got my answer, they can't stay still, with the exception of Lewis (ex-Genetic Control) planted behind his kit. My main concern, stay the fuck out of Blake's way, HOLY CRAP; somebody needs a wireless system... What's with bassists tonight? Blake, Doro(DP), Mike(3MS).. and so on.. these guys are everywhere, and stay out of their way, its never safe on stage. Frontman Jordan Dare belted out some powerful lyrics, through his throaty screams, merging with Ben's twisted guitar work, creating a sound that won't be soon forgotten. I've got to mention Lewis again, standing there watching him play, at one point he lost control of his drum sticks (that $10 000 kit was nothing but problems) and everything would kind of go into rewind, the sticks would fly right back into his hands, which were wailing away at those skins, somebody knew what he was doing! Wrapping up a slew of songs (including Crash & Plan B Kills Plan A, my personal favorites) , the guys in Shiverdown made another lasting impression in Club Soda. 

11:55 PM >> Inveigh :: The music starts, Graham, Monotone and Al take the stage, where's James? Standing behind Al(drums), what's he doing? meh... The crowd was still out supporting despite the late hour, and the fact that metros (subways -- for all you non Montreal readers) stopped in less than 30 minutes. James came out roaring, and Inveigh gave it their all. Piecing together ideas of hardcore, rock and thrash, Inveigh put a stunning close to this years Moshcore; shocking vocals, abrasive and cutting guitar work, moody basslines and vibrant drums; some of the many things that can be said about Inveighs sound. Whatever they're doing, they're doing it right! Not to mention James' love for the Montreal scene; putting in countless hours to help the scene along its way. Pulling out every last chunk of energy from the crowd, Inveigh sent the crowd home with something to look forward to... seeing half these bands again on the 25th (shameless plug for Big Metal Fest 2, yea, so?)