On Thursday May 14, Hatebreed managed to get away from their tour with Slipknot and headline their own show at the Montage Music Hall. This gave them the opportunity to play in a much smaller venue and play songs over their entire catalog including rare tracks and demos.
The place was jam-packed but before Hatebreed took the stage, local openers Order Of The Dead and Hate Machine had time to shine.
I was really impressed with both bands but Hate Machine really stood out. Shame on me for not actually knowing who they were prior to that night because apparently they been around for almost twenty-years. Proof that I’m not a Rochester native.
Their use of hardcore and hip hop drum beats, under their crushing guitar riffs, really made them stand out. And vocalist Jed Seaver’s use of rapping, singing and growls added to his kick ass stage presence, really made them a treat to watch and rock out to. They owned the crowd.
Hatebreed stormed the stage as vital as they come. After all these years, there hasn’t been a step back at all for their performances. They all look like they still enjoy what they do and they continuously give their best. They ripped through their setlist starting with “To The Threshold” and “Before Dishonor.”
They never really took much time in between songs but still managed to give fun crowd interactions. Frontman Jamey Jasta still proves he’s one of the best frontmen in metal. Other highlights were, “Puritan,” “As Diehard As They Come,” and by the crowd’s request, “A Call For Blood.”
The last time I saw Hatebreed in Syracuse they had sound issues, thankfully, Montage got it right and there were no sound issues at all. There was a clear bloody knuckle atmosphere, but no one was hurt, no fights (from what I saw) and everyone let their hardcore jollies out. Hatebreed managed to finish their 22 song set with their fist pumping anthem “I will Be Heard” and “Destroy Everything.” I was a little surprised they didn’t play “Last Breath” but there were plenty songs that were played that usually the band doesn’t get to play.
To wrap it up, it was nice to see Hatebreed take the time to play a small venue, especially at this point in their career where they are used to playing much bigger venues. Anyone who missed this show missed out on one of Hatebreed’s best concerts.
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