Pop Rocks & Core Sounds!!: June 2014

Shackles + Vigilante + Hostile Objects + Hygiene

Blackwire Records, Sydney

Thursday 17^th April, 2014

Review by Derek J. Huckel

*This wasn't published on a place I have several reviews so placing it here for your interest

The Blackwire Records store in Petersham, Sydney, is an intimate venue which intensifies any band you are there to see, more than most venues I know – other than maybe a gig on a boat - especially if it’s already music of intensity! And these bands tonight on the Thursday of Mysteries are four very prime examples for our pleasure

Up first were the Canberrans called HYGIENE who shredded in their genre they call fastcore. I saw them whip and grind their last few numbers and the crowd into frenzy. The night was running late which was to my benefit as I was late but meant some bands had to shorten their set. The four bands were supposed to be all played out in three hours, over by 9pm, due to noise restrictions in this area. It makes for an early night or a great start to a good night out. The power violence tunes of these clean guys soon disappeared in to the night ether. I'd seen these guys once before and was most happy to witness them again.

Next up were the shredding machine that is the HOSTILE OBJECTS! Sadly having to cut short their set but not lacking any grit or power of their thrash hardcore goodness, akin to THE ACCUSED and POISON IDEA. They dished out several off their EP such as title track 'Young God' and a few new numbers, like 'Fly in the Ointment' which went down well with the crowd. If you’ve not seen these guys... you are missing out.

VIGILANTE set up next and were soon lapped up by avid followers and new fans alike. Many were played off their recent opus 'Quality of Life', including 'One Warning', 'Fear of Change', and the cool title track, 'Quality of Life'. This five piece seasoned bunch really know how to deliver their '80s style of New York hardcore - like WARZONE and GORRILLA BISCUITS - in a way that gets this room jumping. Anyone up the front had to be quick to avoid the occasional mad skanker.

All were definitely here to see SHACKLES deliver the live version of their new LP, entitled 'Forced to Regress', and they didn't disappoint. All packed into this relatively tiny venue, from the cold street and garden furniture out back, to witness this much talked about band. In the stylings of NAPALM DEATH, INFEST and DISCHARGE these guys delivered their bastard mix of grind/ hardcore/ power violence tunes like Vikings, slashing and burning with their relentless tunes blitzing all before them. They took no prisoners with the sharp, and often short, bursting music and growling vocals... inspiring many fans immediately in front of the band, whether they be metal heads or tracksuit terrorists, to writhe frantically whilst grinning madly, sometimes it seemed involuntarily. While VIGILANTE are about positivity, and HOSTILE's are views on society, SHACKLES lyrical themes are an outlet for negativity pent up inside like pessimism and nihilism and I'm sure they poured out all these off their new 23 minute release tonight, like 'Issues' 'Cringe', 'Always a Slave' and 'Demented Resolve' as well as a few off some earlier releases. SHACKLES, like they say in the 'classics, came, saw, and ripped this venue a new one!!