Thursday March 28th 2024

Biohazard / Sworn Enemy / Tenebrae / Dot Rats / Villain

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Biohazard / Sworn Enemy / Tenebrae / Dot Rats / Villain
Middle East (Down), Cambridge, MA 3/28/15

 

So I’m gonna start off with something that has nothing to do with this show. I’ve been thinking about the Rock N Roll Rumble, which only two bands we cover got to participate this year- Duck & Cover and The Warning Shots.

I am not surprised anymore with this as the Rumble is put on by a mainstream rock station run by mostly older people who grew up in the golden era of rock.

I get the idea they can’t except that rock isn’t the most popular music anymore and are praying that the J.Geils Band or Boston put out another album that will return the axis of the world back on course.

The thing is their current bands have to act like the big time could be around the corner, while those doors were shut permanently years ago. They’re giving the illusion of following the path of The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Van Halen, U2- while even they realize that that time is past.

Meanwhile, punk bands never had much of a chance of success, except for a short time in the nineties it would seem. A band like Black Flag was just trying to scrape by day to day and get their music heard. No illusions of stardom. That is what all our bands are doing now with no illusion of mass acceptance, just like our bands who go on tours, traveling around like Black Flag and actually getting by better because of the networking and rise of “merch.”

I’ve seen the punk/metal scene in Boston actually become, to my eyes, the most popular in the last year since we’ve been doing TNB, which is four years now. There are more clubs, more shows, more fans than I’ve witnessed before. I doubt these mainstream fans could say the same.

On to the show!

Villain is the first band to play tonight, a young straight ahead hardcore outfit and I’m surprised how good they are and how much I like them.

Their songs are abrasive and aggressive with brutal, hard rhythms and chopping, buzzing guitars. And the compelling singer uses social commentary lyrics in a passionate, emotive manner.

This is what hardcore should be about or maybe, this is what real hardcore is about. They end up turning in my second favorite set of the night. This is a band I would love to hear again.

Dot Rats are next and this is their first time on a big stage. And if I thought they might be nervous or intimidated well, like Minor Threat says, I should think again.

The Dot Rats are basically a trio of musicians, more metal than punk in style, fronted by two singers who either sing hardcore or rap. This would not be a recipe I would choose for a band, being a traditional punk fan. And, as you should know by now, I don’t bestow the “p” word decisively, on many bands I write about.

But the essence, the feeling of punk is bold and true within this band. This is a band that cares about their music but truly does not give a fuck about too much of anything else! And that’s why I get such a strong, sincere vibe of “punk”from this band.

I mentioned once to Renee that this band sort of fits in on bills but not really. And she said, ”They don’t sound like any other band on the scene, they’re totally different.”

One of the singers, Mark Doherty, introduced the last song with, “I hate myself more than anyone else. So if you say I suck, I can only agree.”

Well, I can’t say they suck, I honestly think they’re great and one of my favorite bands to see live. With such legendary bands on the bill I guess you wouldn’t think I’d pick them as best set of the night, now would you?

As Minor Threat says- think again!

Another local band is next, the mighty Tenebrae, no strangers to the big shows. Tenebrae calls themselves a mix of black metal with hardcore and that’s pretty apt, much more a metal band than punk but still a big hardcore influence also lurking in there.

They lay down their usual set meaning- tight, hard, professional, intense and passionate. And after following two very good sets put claim to a third.

Sworn Enemy is next and though they’re legendary I must admit I’m unfamiliar with them. I can tell right off they’re more headbanger than hardcore and more metal than punk.

Let me say first that they played really well and the people loved them but their style is not what I enjoy. They are from New York meaning they are East Coast hardcore boys and that’s a plus right there but they’re just not my type of band.

Now, it’s time for Biohazard and before they start they have purple lights shining across the stage and dissonant piano music playing and I’m thinking, “Am I at a Pink Floyd concert by mistake?”

Once they do come out they do that thing where the whole band jumps in unison to the music which kind of annoys me, to tell the truth. Makes me think of that song “Jump Around” LOL. And again, this is more headbanging than moshing music and again, this is some New York boys.

But I must admit, though there seems to be a lot I don’t like about the band, they are running on all cylinders and I’d say they put on one hell of a show.

So as usual, I like the local bands more than the “legends”. You have to remember all these legendary bands saw their peak and prime twenty, thirty or more years ago and these new bands are just heading into their prime.

Punk was not about living in the past, we were in the now, and beside, we weren’t supposed to be around in the future. I’m glad I am and I’m also glad I don’t want to live in the past.

 

(Slimedog)

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