Harmful, Coliseum, Radio Infinity, The Psyke Project, OTIS - We Rock!

As all the metalheads gathered at the Heineken Music Hall, us dissidents Lex and DemonDust decided to check out the We Rock! show at 013. It was a sort of showcase with for us some awesome bands we wanted to check out. Let us guide you through what you all missed while banging your heads in Amsterdam!

The opening band was OTIS if I remember correctly, which quite clearly isn�t my cup of tea. Their music was a sort of mixture between rock, hardcore and screamo or something. The music was pretty much all right from time to time, but the vocals really sucked. They lacked all power and didn�t convince me at all. Perhaps it was due to the fact nobody really showed up to see them, but I sure couldn�t keep my mind to this show. (DemonDust)

Up next was The Psyke Project, a band that blew me the fuck away when they opened for Textures in my hometown some time ago. I never checked out their music after that, so when I saw that they would be playing in Holland again I made sure I ventured down to one of their shows. Well, their show was in the small but cosy Batcave, where the sound proved to be not so loud. And that is exactly one of the things this band needs to blow me away. Even though they put up an energetic and convincing performance, I wasn�t as impressed as I was the first time. I also had the idea there were two guitarists last time, but that could be my sucky memory failing me of course. Also the �clean� vocals, which were more of like talking, sucked ass. If you can�t sing, please don�t attempt something that looks like it but sounds just as worse as singing false. Anyway, the show was pretty good and intense, but I wasn�t completely convinced like last time. Bummer. (DemonDust)

The second band in the Kleine Zaal (the bigger one of the two though) was Radio Infinity , but this proved to be just as horrid as the opening band. Only difference was that there were just two guys that had dragged along some electronics to work with, besides their strings, drums and vocal chords. I didn�t like what I heard, and neither did Lex. And as it became clear that our conversation about nothing at all was more interesting than the music on stage, we headed for the Batcave again to watch Coliseum do their soundcheck. (DemonDust)

A fresh sound, this band. Coliseum play a violent form of hardcore with a heavy rock attitude. Where the turnout was a bit dismal throughout the evening, the Batcave seemed busier than during the other gigs. This suggests that Coliseum are well on their way making an underground name for themselves. And just like their Relapse release No Salvation, the live experience is relentless with little rest. Their mix of styles that reminds one of anything from Hatebreed through Napalm Death and Raging Speedhorn is a must-hear for anyone who likes their hardcore punk with an extra edge without getting too mathematical and alien. A band to keep high hopes for in 2008 and beyond. (Lex)

Headliners were the to me unknown German rock band Harmful. I was pretty curious to their show, because it appeared so that Billy Gould, former bassist for the legendary Faith No More, has produced their latest album. Not only that, he found this band to be so much to his liking, he decided to go with them on tour as guitarist. Overall the shows I came to see were a tad disappointing, maybe because of my high expectations, but as the first tones were struck by Harmful, it made the entire day worthwhile. The sound was superb at this time, and it blew a massive wall of heavy stoner rock in my face like you would not believe! I was shocked by the greatness of their sound. The band packed a killer groove drummer that performed very tight and flawless, a bassist with one of the most intense low but grooving stoner sounds I�ve ever heard, a vocalist that also handled a guitar and then of course there was the legend Billy, handling the other guitar. This band rocked, and when I say rocked, I mean ROCKED!!! The only thing I didn�t completely like was the clean voice, it didn�t nearly convince me as much as the heavier voice coming from the singer. But the songs were very groovy, very heavy and even quite original. I think I have to check out their stuff pretty soon, before I really miss out on something. This was the perfect ending to this evening for damn sure, I�m glad I went here instead of Amsterdam and I�m glad I�ve seen Billy Gould perform music in front of perhaps 30 people or so (he quits playing for them immediately after this tour though). Splendid performance! (DemonDust)

Details Written on Wednesday Dec 12th, 2007
Writer @DemonDust

Tags: #Harmful #Coliseum #Radio Infinity #The Psyke Project #OTIS

Metalrage.com

Enter keywords and hit enter!