September 22nd, 2013
THE ENEMY WITHIN (MA)
WEIRD AND PISSED OFF
THE LAST STAND
NO DICE
STEP 2 FAR
I wrote this article a while ago, and was waiting to post it until it was closer to the NYC Abject release show of their new album, Ugly on the Inside, which I fucking can't wait to hear. But sadly, Abject announced yesterday that they were breaking up. I have to say I am feel very lucky to have had the chance to see these guys perform many times, and honored to have had the chance to share shows with them. They are good friends and great dudes. I wish them all the best of luck in future bands.
Now the actual review of the show....
I guess it is pretty strange to admit, but I had never actually been to a Hilltap show until recently. There was a piece of me that felt I may not be welcome at the venue, but I didn't think I would be getting stabbed, maybe slapped around a little. Nothing more than I should expect at this point. But I was finally free and felt I deserved a beating worse than normal, so I headed over.
On a bike it was not nearly as difficult to get to as I thought it was going to be. For people who don't know, the Hilltap is one of the only venues in Queens that has punk and hardcore show consistently, but it is deep in Queens, not some bullshit Astoria nonsense, not to shit on Astoria too hard, but fuck 'em.
Abject's brash frontman and lead vocalist was celebrating his birthday at this show, and rang in a new age with a great line up. Boston's Enemy Within brought some serious hardcore for Hilltap to get down with. I seen these fellas shred The Place before, and they didn't live that show down. Having super heavy riffs and catchy tunes is not an easy duo to mix. A lot of bands can pull off heavy or catchy, but together not many. If you are fan of straight up hardcore and blistering energetic performances, don't fucking miss these dudes the next chance you have to see 'em.
I missed Weird and Pissed Off at this show, which I was very disappointed to find out. But I can't recommend their tunes enough. I deeply enjoy listening to their songs.
But I went to see Abject. I have seen Abject and had the pleasure of sharing bills with them a number of times. However, nothing compares to seeing a great band in their time at their venue and this was their show, completely. To quote the fucking birthday boy's new song, “This is where we belong.” There is a comfort that can be hard to capture in foreign settings, even though away shows present interesting other opportunities. This show was packed with friends and fans of the band. (It is refreshing when this line is willingly blurred by hardcore bands.) And the show pulsed with electricity and dare I say sincere adoration for these dudes, and when they played it was easy to see why.
Abject's sincerity comes across clearly in every note. These dudes are straight up about everything, good, bad, and ugly and don't mince their words. In a fucking time and place where words and actions are cold and calculated for best case approbation, this is fucking priceless. At times it can be frustrating, and times euphoric, but that honesty is irreplaceable. This is to say not only in their lyrics or stage commentary, which mixes hilarious anecdotes, crowd insults, and often very on point and conscious/applaud worthy social commentary, but it is in their actual playing too. Matt G. puts everything into every strum. That dude doesn't hesitate in his playing. It is fucking ruthless. Attack. Attack. Attack. There just is no defense in his game. Which is why having Spew there as a guitar freak is nice. While he does not bring the attack as Matt does, he can play a bit of defense when needed. I was unsure at times which guitar player was playing which leads, but I have to say, on some of the new tunes, I really enjoyed some leads which on paper I might have thought were too metal for my taste. They weren't they fucking interesting as hell, and added a new angle and depth to a sound which I have heard time and time again and still enjoy.
Too much sports? Fine. Let me say one thing about Chucky Brown on bass, and Shuffles on drums. Chucky's bass riffs reverberate into uncomfortable places. He is a fucking maniac when he tears into his jams. And Shuffles may not the prettiest drummer when he chose to defrock, but aside from this ugly but benign mole on an otherwise unblemished set, Shuffles and Chucky synch in and drive this shit forward. Shuffles just loses consciousness and flows. I don't know who is driving who, I just know these fuckers are moving this shit.
The show had a real family feeling, probably because it was largely made up of people Abject would considered family. Well I should not speak for the dudes, if that crowd was not family, it was certainly felt like a day of family. NYC punk rock staple Pookie, who has since understandably abandoned us for brighter pastors, and Jamie had a belching competition between sets. As they pounded seltzer water (they drink that here in NYC, I don't know why) Jamie's lovely special lady friend, Laura just smiled her priceless smile and handed her man another can of bubble water. Raul, who was working the door, jumped around the pit like a psychotic spider monkey. Sean from the great NYC HC band On The Offense amused us all in between sets with his positive, but biting wit, another combination not easily to walk along. Tall drink of water, tough ass Meagan regaled us with fucked up stories from the front lines of her ER, and then got the fuck down in the pit and maybe even put a few of the dudes in line for a check up. Fucking good times. This is what a hardcore show should be like, everyone included, everyone being good to each other (there actually was one creep who always seemed a half step away from pulling whatever conceal weapon he kept touching under his coat. I like to think it was a concealed weapon and not his fucking dick. That dude was a fucking creep.) Everyone (else) was just fucking having a good time and being great to each other.
But, briefly, back to the set, besides a broken string and a shirtless Shuffles the set was flawless. Then they filmed a video for one of their tunes, and a crowd, a family that was already giving their all in a wicked thrashing pit, went wildly off the cliff. Dudes and chicks flipping around and blasting their own vocals so loud, Jamie was hard to hear. Ever song was sung by the crowd the whole set, but shit got outta control when the cameras went on. Its nice to know these fuckers can turn it to 11 when they are called to do so.
I have seen Abject in enough different spaces and towns to know that they kill it where ever/whenever. But I will say, this was their time/their place and they fucking captured it.
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