This Is Hardcore 2007: Day 2

live in Philadelphia (2007)

Brian Shultz

A lot of bands to go through, so I'll be brief with a bunch.

We arrived just after Swamp Thing and Energy had wrapped, the latter of which reportedly intro'd with the theme song to "The Office." Bummer!

Steel Nation were pretty decent, but their set wore a little thin as it went on. Locals Braindead were impressive, reminding me of the intensity of west coast hardcore with a bit of midwest restraint (or more specifically, Life Long Tragedy). My Turn to Win, the Mongoloids and Meltdown didn't do much for me, but the Mongoloids in particular really managed to spark the crowd with their goofy Sheer Terror-esque jams.

I caught Triple Threat's set just as they were beginning their section of Mouthpiece 'covers,' and while the few members of the crowd into it really seemed into it, I was surprised there weren't at least a handful more going off. They closed shop with "Face Tomorrow," overall executing a seemingly thorough job of each one they offered up.

Rise and Fall were one of many that weekend who are noticeably more enjoyable live than on disc, but I merely thought they were decent. Yeah, they're one of Deathwish's most hailed bands currently, but their metallic edge is likely what throws me off. They had quite the reaction though.

I skipped Bitter End, Cast Aside, Know the Score, and Strength for a Reason for various reasons (sunlight, nourishment, etc.). Please leave comments below on how much of a faggot I am or such, but just know that eating and resting rules.

Ambitions is another band who is way better to experience in person rather than on record. The crowd response was very solid and they put on a fun, strong performance. The fact that their newer material is a bit more intense than past work (and sounds a lot less like Ignite) helped them to not stick out too much in the light of the few melodic hardcore bands that weekend, but either way I think the reaction would've been the same.

Set list (6:16-6:38):

  • Question
  • Uphill Battle

    • -----

  • Sinking

    • -----

  • Playing Dead
  • Still Dreaming

    • -----

  • Overstep
  • ?

    Ringworm, holy crap. The Cleveland metal/hardcore veterans, essentially settling comfortably under Integrity's former throne by now, were given one of the longest sets of the fest (8:07-8:54), maybe the longest. And while I can't say I was super into it, their live show was an entertaining, unique one for the weekend. With their head-banging guitarists' long hair flowing and beards nearly dusting the ground, the metal was turned significantly up. They played loud and heavy and stirred up plenty of shit with numbers like "The Promise," "The Key," "Justice Replaced by Revenge," "The Ninth Circle," "The Cage," "Necropolis," "No One Dies Alone," and "Take Back What's Ours," possibly among a few others.

    Cold World played around 23 minutes (9:12-9:35). I honestly don't remember much of it, but I do recall predicting the pit to resemble a Nike outlet store. From my standpoint it was impossible to tell if I was right. In any event, musically, the band has grown on me slowly over time, having myself even come to willingly include their song from the Generations compilation onto my iPod. But their attempted hip-hop/hardcore set of the usual was just rather forgettable -- not terrible by any means, though. Maybe closer listens of their recently reissued No Omega album or upcoming Deathwish LP will change that.

    Death Before Dishonor played a quick, pulverizing set (9:51-10:12) that stirred the room into a bit of a frenzy. Despite some recent critical approval for their new full-length, I still have to shrug my shoulders any time I see them live. They put on an intense show, no question, but musically it's simply not my thing.

    Righteous Jams closed it out somewhat anti-climactically. Their last full-length wasn't exactly received by fan nor critic entirely well, as many of you are likely already aware, and this being their second to last show, maybe some of their own fans didn't mind sending them off. Thus, the band didn't seem to play too many from that last album (Business as Usual), and their set didn't even eclipse 20 minutes (10:34-10:53), which seemed odd for a headliner. However, they did play well, and the fans generally seemed to respond well to them. I recall the band playing their "theme song," which they opened with, and "Lizards," the only track I personally like at all from Business, among several others. It was fairly amusing towards the end of the set when the band asked the crowd if they'd rather hear an old song or new song, with a ton of noticeable groans emitting from the floor once Joey Cardonada even spoke the word "new." Not a bad finish, if not a little brief and awkward, to a decent day.