Show Review: Protest the Hero, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Tesseract, and NoN-SToP! - May 4th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Oh god, I love Protest the Hero. I love them so much, so very much, so when I found out they were touring I knew I had to go see them. I got my ticket in advance and everything, which is a bit of a rare thing for me to do. There was no way I was missing this show, even though I had class that conflicted with it. Well fuck class, I went to go see Protest the motherfucking Hero. However, I had to sit through many bands to experience their awesomeness. Was it worth it?

Well I'll tell you something right now, waiting in line for this show was arguably the most fun I've had waiting in line. I meet up with my friend Joe at about 6:30, and there's half an hour to kill, and I turn around and see a kid, probably no older than fifteen, puking his guts out on the sidewalk. Even better, his throw-up was neon red... nasty shit. So, for the next half hour myself and the others around me watched as people walked by, and every time they stepped in the vomit we would cheer uncontrollably. It was extremely fun. So fun, in fact, that once the line started moving I heard cries of "aww now we have to go to the show." We actually ran into the kid later and found out why he was throwing up. Apparently six percs and two blunts of hydro don't mix very well. Who knew?

The first band I had to sit through was a local band from Jersey called NoN-StoP! If the way they spelled their names and their ridiculous outfits (school uniforms) were a warning of anything, it was of their overly generic music. NoN-SToP! play a thrash that sounds a bit like crossover thrash. Hear them for yourselves here. Listening to them now I like them a lot more than I did when I saw them live. They just didn't have much stage presence and everyone was so psyched for Protest that no one really gave them much attention. They weren't super awful or anything (except for the horrendous backup vocals), and I would much rather of had them not play and have Protest play a longer set, but what can you do? They do get kudos for having a hot singer though.

Next up was Tesseract, who recently have been getting a lot of press do the success of their album One. What they were doing under Maylene and the Sons of Disaster I'll never know, but they put on a decent show. As I was telling my friend, Tesseract is one of those bands that relies so heavily on precise tonality and sound that their live shows will never be as great as their albums. Such was the case this night, as they were good, but their sound was a bit too muddy to stand up to their albums. During their set the dancers decided to show up though, they went absolutely nuts for those polyrhythm breakdowns. I decided not to take anyone's shit and was knocking em down left and right, but just when I felt I had made a dent in the number of dancers, Maylene and the Sons of the Disaster took the stage.

And the dancers went absolutely nuts. Holy shit, I've never seen so much hardcore dancing for a band that isn't even considered "core." These guys are straight southern metal, but whenever those drums slowed down arms and legs started to fly. I tried my best to knock as many of the dancers off-balance as I could, but what is one man against fifteen or twenty? I did get compliments on my work though, showing that people do want to rebel against these assholes, but oftentimes feel they are too outnumbered to do anything. Well that's what this website is for people. Anyways, Maylene put on an alright show, but I was too focused on taking out dancers to really appreciate it. My friend said it was ok, and I never really liked Maylene, so I'm assuming I didn't miss much.

Next up, after a brutally long sound check, was Protest the Hero, and man what a show did they put on. They started with "C'est La Vie" and played numerous songs off their new album including "Dunsel" and "Sex Tapes." I was up in the front headbanging and singing the words, so I didn't go in the pit much, but from what I saw it was a nice mix of dancers and those trying to take them out, so I was proud other people were doing my work for me. When I did go in the pit it was a blast though, and it was irresistible during songs like "Sequoia Throne" and "Bloodmeat."The band also played many songs off of their Kezia including "No Stars Over Bethlehem" and my personal favorite "Turn Soonest to the Sea." That song was the highlight of the show with everybody singing along to it, I'm glad to have experienced it. Overall Protest the Hero absolutely killed it and were full of energy, and it was totally worth sitting through the three other bands to see them. If you have a chance, check them out live immediately!

Two for one special: new vids from Protest the Hero & Wormrot

I was going to do two separate articles for these two videos, but then I got to thinking, why not be lazy and efficient? After all, this is 'MERICA! So just for you, we have two brand spanking new music videos from two bands that are both great, if for completely different reasons. First up, fresh off their newest release Scurrilous, we have mathcore maniacs Protest the Hero giving us the track "C'est la Vie". Everything sounds like Fortress 2, but that's not a bad thing at all. In fact, that's actually what most of us were secretly hoping for in the first place. There's not much else I can say, the shit pretty much speaks for itself, so here it is, courtesy of Metalsucks.

http://www.metalsucks.net/2011/03/28/exclusive-video-premiere-protest-the-heros-cest-la-vie/

And next, all the way from good old, uh, Singapore, we are also very excited to announce the release of a new video from one of my favorite grindcore bands, Wormrot. Their last album, 2009's Abuse, was some of the most top quality grind my friends and I have ever heard, and with the release of their last couple of new songs, we felt confident that the new album was going to be just as good. Unfortunately we still have to wait until May 3rd to know for sure, but in the meantime the band have released the first official video from the album, for the song "Spot a Pathetic", and it's just as Wormrot-esque as the others. Obviously this is a good thing, so see for yourself below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpGLXau0RVQ

The live footage just reminds me that the Philly show for these guys on their upcoming tour is 21 and over, so I won't be able to go. Note to booking agents: just because someone's too young to drink doesn't mean they don't listen to the bands you're booking. There needs to be more all age shows, dammit! I'm almost 21 so this isn't going to be a problem for me much longer, but I promise you I'm not the only one, and there will always be more with the next generation. Take that to heart, people. That's all for tonight, be safe and stay brutal.

Yes, I know that's a contradiction, get over it.
-BK

New Protest the Hero album & tour dates!

Rody Walker's got a little Captain in him, I see

Well guys, March is shaping up to be one hell of a month for metal. After months of teasing us with, well, teasers, prog heavyweights Protest the Hero have finally announced the title and release date for the follow-up to their widely fapped over 2008 full length Fortress. The new album Scurrilous is set to release on March 22nd through Vagrant Records, and that means there is now a new album coming out every single week of that month (twice in one day at one point actually, as you'll see in the next article). If the aforementioned teasers are any indication, Scurrilous is poised to be just as aneurysm-inducing as their last album, and we here at Mosh Rebellion wouldn't have it any other way.

And as if that's not enough good news for you, there's more! PTH have also announced a full US/Canada tour with Maylene and the Sons of Disaster (meh) and Tesseract (yay) from March to May. Tour dates are as follows:

Mar 23 – Kingston, ON @ Stages
Mar 24 – Ottawa, ON @Capital Music Hall
Mar 25 – Montreal, PQ @ Le National
Mar 26 – Oshawa, ON @ The Green Bottle
Mar 27 – Barrie, ON @ The Mansion
Mar 29 – Thunder Bay, ON @ Crocks
Mar 30 – Winnipeg, MB @ WECC
Mar 31 – Yorkton, SK @ Agri Pavillion
Apr 01 – Edmonton, AB @ Avenue
Apr 02 – Calgary, AB @ The Gate / SAIT
Apr 04 – Abbotsford, BC @ Abby Arts Centre
Apr 05 – Seattle, WA @ Corazon
Apr 06 – Portland, OR @ Branx
Apr 08 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
Apr 09 – San Diego, CA @ Soma Side Stage
Apr 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
Apr 11 – Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
Apr 12 – Phoenix, AZ @ Nile Theatre
Apr 14 – Las Vegas, NV @ Area 702
Apr 15 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Avalon
Apr 16 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
Apr 18 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Outside
Apr 19 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Apr 20 – Dallas, TX @ The Door
Apr 22 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
Apr 23 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Downstairs
Apr 24 – Greensboro, NC @ Greene Street Club
Apr 26 – Detroit, MI  @ Magic Stick
Apr 27 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
Apr 29 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
Apr 30 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
May 01 – Worcester, MA @ Palladium Upstairs
May 03 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
May 04 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero
May 06 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
May 07 – London, ON @ London Music Hall
May 08 – Chatham, ON @ Encore Bar
May 09 – Kitchener. ON @ Wax Nightclub
May 11 – Hamilton, ON @ Studio Theatre
May 12 – St. Catharines, ON @ L3 Nightclub

Sadly, the Philadelphia date falls on a Wednesday, so the chances of me attending the show are slim at best, but that doesn't mean you guys should miss out on this effin' sweet tour. Maybe one of the other writers can go so we don't miss out on a show review *hint hint*. Either way, we'll definitely review Scurrilous after it comes out, so there's that. Leave your thoughts, comments or memories of PTH shows you've seen below, and as always stay tuned, we're just getting started.

-BK

Mosh Rebellion's 2010 Recap

My Best Albums of 2010 list is still in progress, but I feel it would be nice to look back on some of the more memorable moments of 2010. It was a great year for metal and at the same time an awful year for metal in certain regards, and the following a list of the events I feel sum up the year the best.

Best Event of the Year

What could be better than the founding of Mosh Rebellion? This is my most significant event of the past year, right along with meeting the Baby Killer. It's about damn time someone made a place for people to congregate and plot the demise of hardcore dancing, and I am proud to call my website home to the rebellion. The satisfaction you readers give us is untold, and we always love to read your emails and comments, so keep it up you guys! Spread the word, and the true rebellion can begin!

Worst Event of the Year

The death of Ronnie James Dio on May 16 was a deep blow to the metal community. The man was 67, and passed away way before his time on earth was up. I think its safe to say that Dio's death rocked the metal community about as much as Dimebag's, and since I was only in 7th grade when Dimebag died, I feel much more saddened by Dio's death than I ever did about Dimebag, may they both rest in peace. Dio's contribution to metal is untold in scope, and from what I have heard and seen he seemed like a fun loving and extremely nice individual. You know those horns you throw up when your favorite band plays your favorite song? Yeah, Dio was responsible for implementing that in his music, and metal fans picked up on it. Henceforth, Dio gave us a voice, and a way to express ourselves more than any other musician has.

Subsequently, his music was not bad either. Holy Diver, The Last in Line, his work with Heaven and Hell, the list goes on. His personality shined through his soaring and recognizable voice throughout all his works, and while his lyrics may have been cheesy, they were catchy as a motherfucker. I still remember in tenth grade when I found the words "Holy Diver" scrawled across my desk in spanish class. In response, I wrote the first line of the song, "you've been down too long in the midnight sea," and a day later I was greeted with "oh what's becoming of me," written under my addition. I was communicating with some random metalhead in my school who I had never met, and we were bonded through Dio's words.

May he rest in peace, and may we never forget what he has done for us.

Most Despicable Event of the Year

Look at the top left corner of this photo. I want all you readers out there to do that!

The Rose Funeral Uno Incident. For those who do not know what happened you can read about it here, here, and here. Basically, some kids starting playing Uno doing during Rose Funeral's set and they got jumped during and after the show. The fact that you can't handle criticism and decide to wail on someone in the audience when they don't like your music is revolting enough, but one of the kids was 17... a minor. Rose Funeral beat up a minor because he didn't like their music. Fucking despicable. Granted, what the kids were doing was a bit douchey, but the vocalist could have easily brought it up and made a joke about it and continued with their set, but instead they decided to start shit with a guy who isn't legally old enough to consent to sex in some states. And it doesn't help that their music sucks massive fucking nuts to begin with. I encourage anyone who sees Rose Funeral from this point on to play Uno during their set. They can never forget about this.

Scumbags.

Most Significant Event Towards the Removal of Hardcore Dancing

We're just some guys foolin' around! Who knows what craaaaazy thing we'll do next?

The Despised Icon farewell tour. I love Despised Icon, as they made arguably some of the most talented deathcore music around, but it's fantastic to see them leave the scene, especially after the high note that was Day of Mourning. They had a very wide fan base, so it was a bit of a shock when they announced they would be breaking up after one final tour. Many deathcore enthusiasts were very sad about this, and even though I love their music, I could not be more elated. The removal of arguably the biggest deathcore band in the scene reduces the popularity and exposure of such music to the masses, henceforth reducing the number of potential fans the genre can make. The more intelligent diehard deathcore fans (if there is such a thing) may have realized that their genre might be entering its downfall and that they should get involved with music that bass players can cover with more than one hand.

To sum up: less deathcore bands = less deathcore music and shows = less hardcore dancing. Let's hope more people follow Despised Icon's trend.

Most Anticipated Album of 2011 

New Protest the Hero. Good god I hope they can follow up Fortress.

Least Anticipated Album of 2011 

New Rose Funeral.

Most Anticipated Album of 2011 pt. II

 New Rose Funeral. We will have so much to make fun of when that shit comes out!

Look for possibly more superlatives of the previous year in the near future, and my best of 2010 list hopefully sometime before February.