At the risk of a mass scoffing reaction, Verse's five-year anniversary show arguably collected some of the best hardcore bands New England has to offer in one, oddly laid-out room. It was well worth a three-hour-plus drive. Providence's Club Hell was said room, and though its layout was admittedly dark and awkward -- with a column structure DIRECTLY in front of the stage -- its staff seemed fairly lax about things. If you've been to clubs where "security" actually try to control stage dives and the sort (specifically and recently, those who've seen Fucked Up or Modern Life Is War at Club Europa know what I'm talking about), you know how much of a mess was ultimately avoided.
Arriving as Meltdown was finishing their set, I found them to be a little more decent than previously, though their liberal double-bass usage was a bit much. They had a rigorous reaction considering they played so early in the lineup (preceded by St. Jude and Rampage). Granted, residing from Boston, a mere few hours away, had to have helped.
The home town's Soul Control played an all-too-short set next, naturally showcasing tracks off the recently released collections disc, Involution. Their soulful, crunchy sound added a fresh flavor to the lineup in between Shipwreck and Meltdown's metallic flair and well-preceding the similar old-school tilt from Verse and Have Heart. Frontman Matt Amore seems to be settling himself a bit more to make sure the lyrics are actually shouted out loud in between his excited Terminator moves on stage. Those lyrics about inward analysis and self-reflection were screamed back into Amore's face by lots of kids that were probably not as genuinely philosophical or soul-searching, but were nonetheless psyched by the airy vibe and raw dynamic that was given a strong delivery by Club Hell's sound system.
Set list (5:49-6:06):
- On Survival
- Involution -----
- Beyond Man
- Dive -----
- Mindwalking -----
- I Struggle
- Touched by Fire
Set list (6:20-6:50):
- Lotus -----
- Erebos
- old song -----
- Ascent
- Squall -----
- old song -----
- Heated -----
- Miasma -----
- old song
David Wood came out in his classic varsity jacket and Down to Nothing skated through (that's a compliment) a breezy 23-minute set splitting the songs from various points of their discography. The band mentioned an upcoming split with Australia's 50 Lions due out on California's 6131 Records, but oddly neglected to say a syllable about a new release on their own label: Unbreakable, which collects all the band's pre-Revelation material -- some or all of which is out of print -- onto one compact disc and was due to street just three days later (today). There are some ads on the band's MySpace page for it, so it's not as though they're ignoring it completely; regardless, it struck me as a little weird. In any event, the veterans of the bill further warmed up a heated crowd for Have Heart, stringing songs together well. But what's up with still neglecting to play "Up River"? It's arguably the most urgent, dynamic and imagerial straight-edge anthem the band's written to date, and Pat Flynn was obviously present and ready to give his guest spot. Oh well; the set was still a lot of fun.
Set list (7:49-8:12):
- Along for the Ride
- Conquer the World
- I Can't Believe My Eyes -----
- Smash It
- My Disguise -----
- No Faith
- Go Ahead Wit Yo' Fake Ass
- Well Deserved -----
- Save It for the Birds
- Home Sweet Home (?) -----
- Down on You -----
- Unbreakable
Set list (8:32-9:06):
- Hard Bark of the Family Tree
- The Machinist -----
- Something More Than Ink
- About Face -----
- Life Is Hard Enough
- Watch Me Sink -----
- The Unbreakable -----
- Armed with a Mind -----
- Watch Me Rise
Despite these complaints (and seriously, would they start remembering to play "Stolen" at special northeastern U.S. hardcore shows?), the band did put on a rather solid performance. I don't think it eclipsed their set at This Is Hardcore 2007, but it was a good time and they matched the constant energy brought by all the bands on the bill pound for pound.
As far as those new songs they played, they definitely fulfill the promise of Aggression -- the title of the album (and Bridge 9 debut) they'll appear on. "Old Guards, New Methods" was a fast, blistering song that transitioned to a slower, more methodically delivered chorus of "no war, no kings," while "Scream" was Verse's version of a wounded animal's cry -- an intense, raging, desperate and emotional mid-paced unraveling where Murphy continuously screamed phrases like "I'm broken" to the point of listener uncomfortableness. Promising stuff overall.
Set list (9:32-10:22):
- Intro
- old song
- Hard to Breathe
- Tear Down These Walls -----
- Old Guards, New Methods -----
- Weather to a Stone
- From Anger and Rage -----
- Waiting on Revolution
- Let It All Rust -----
- Scream
- Start a Fire [messed up midway through] -----
- Saying Goodbye
- Start a Fire -----
- Follow Conform Repeat
Photos: Zac Wolf | Future Breed