The Decimation Of The Nation tour stopped by the Starland Ballroom on August 30th for a rip-roaring night of hardcore and metal. The crowd was red-hot,
Chimaira and
Hatebreed tore the club apart, and mosh pits were on a continuous cycle. There were drum issues with the opening bands that boggled down the momentum. At times, the wait in-between sets were longer than the actual sets themselves. The energy level remained high through the sound problems and the fans left satisfied at the annihilation that was laid out.
One Brick Down
A local band that played straightforward hardcore, the use of tribal percussion brought some freshness to their sound. The band won the crowd over, as more and more people trudged their way into the tight pit area. Pulling a few surprises out, including an impressive bongo solo, One Brick Down did their job as the first opening band by warming the place up for the rest of the acts.
Toxic Holocaust
This is the point in the show where the drum setup issues started to come into play. It would be much worse later on, but for now, it was just a slight delay. Because of this, Toxic Holocaust only played a 20 minute set, with no time for crowd banter or a chance to catch their breath. The bass was too low in the mix, but the band worked through this to deliver a fast-paced thrash attack. The crowd wasn’t too into it, compared to the later acts, but the band did what they could to tear the house down, including an awesome rendition of “666.”
Toxic Holocaust Concert Photo Gallery
Dying Fetus
At this point, the concertgoers started to get more frantic, as the Maryland trio came onto the stage to deliver a pummeling of a lifetime. The double bass work from Trey Williams was relentless, even drowning out the guitars at one point. The band played an array of material from their catalog, including a new track from
Descend Into Depravity, “Your Treachery Will Die With You.” The back-and-forth vocal struggle between guitarist John Gallagher and bassist Sean Beasley was one of the highlights of the night.
Dying Fetus Concert Photo Gallery
Winds Of Plague
The drum problems that were alluded to earlier in the review reared their ugly head as Winds Of Plague was setting up their gear. Drummer Art Cruz looked visibly frustrated, as the crowd grew restless at the long wait. When everything was finally in place, the band came out to a raucous response. Say what you will about the band’s deathcore tendencies, but their live show was a sight to behold. Six people on one small stage could have broken down into complete chaos, but the band kept things tightly reigned and under control. While the breakdowns were plentiful, the sea of metal heads wouldn’t have had it any other way, as the pit finally opened up to plenty of crowd surfing and mosh pits.
Winds Of Plague Concert Photo Gallery
Chimaira
For 40 minutes, Chimaira dominated the stage and showcased why they are one of the best contemporary metal bands out there today. While their latest album
The Infection has gotten mixed reviews, the new songs sounded more impactful in a live setting. “The Venom Inside” and “Secrets Of The Dead” benefited from a looser feel and “Resurrection” and “Power Trip” were a one-two punch to the gut that was hard to recover from. The fact that Chimaira hasn’t made more of a splash in the United States is a crime against all that is good and unholy.
Chimaira Concert Photo Gallery
Hatebreed
Easily garnishing the biggest response of the night, Hatebreed tore through an hour-plus set that featured about 20 songs from every album, including their latest covers compilation,
For The Lions. Their rendition of the Slayer classic “Ghosts Of War” was flawless. The band kept the pace fast, only taking an occasional break for vocalist Jamey Jasta to address the crowd. Jasta was very appreciative and warm to the concertgoers, sounding sincere as he thanked everybody for coming out at least five times.
The set could have been a bit longer, as it flew by so quickly that it was over before most people knew it. After all these years, its reassuring to know that there is still a large audience response for songs like “Under The Knife” and “Before Dishonor.” The newer material was just as potent and there were multiple mosh-pits that eventually turned into a gigantic one by the time closer “I Will Be Heard” blasted out of the speakers. When Hatebreed announced a CD release show in Atlantic City at the end of October, the Starland Ballroom erupted, a sign that the band’s popularity is still on the rise.
The Decimation Of The Nation tour package was comprised of a group of talented bands, though sound issues dampened what could have been a monumental night of metal. The variety of the bands on display kept things from getting too stale. The low ticket prices ensured that fans got more than their money’s worth and the huge turnout showed that Hatebreed would be welcomed back to Sayreville anytime.
