 Hatebreed @ Daikanyama Unit (12th Feb. '05)
Another Day, Another Earned... Hatebreed's Blood Drive 3 Floors Below Tokyo Gives Life To These
Humanitarian organizations such as the International Red Cross as well as the collective conscious of the greater populace at large are naturally and routinely tested to do the right thing in the seemingly less certain, fractured world of ours. Taking this into account, there are high stakes pivotally at hand for both individuals and groups as we daily have the choice to courageously face or not face all that can potentially consume us, duly destroying our hopes and dreams and others in the process while fueling fears.
Coupled with the multitudes of ongoing turmoil throughout the world including December's cataclysmic tsunami in Southeast Asia as well as our own personal struggles, one must truly wonder how to keep their sanity and reality in check in making our choices. These plethora of choices are even more readily apparent in larger places such as Tokyo, a city where one's identity and dreams can almost instantly and easily vanish into the faceless masses with just a subtle break in reasoning. |
With their undefeatable impassioned belief in one another, their wares, their fans faith and their relentless boot camp on the road training, vital life is regularly pumped into and back out of their gathered faith and themselves worldwide. This night in Tokyo would be no different than another. |
It is within this burgeoning 21st century global metropolitan reality that a strong, multi-dimensional no holds barred resolving movement of hope and inspiration is desperately needed on a sustainable basis so that the heavy lessons lived are lessons learned and learned well. Playing a vital role alongside diversified peers in this health management of sorts in helping channel one's frustrations and fears into a needed release and action is Connecticut U.S.A.'s stalwart hardcore thrash outfit Hatebreed.
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No better of a place to show their mettle and collective rejection to the omnipresent debilitating vices of a consumer product driven market mad world than in one of Tokyo's most fashionable and most privileged neighborhoods that is Daikanyama. Lying just adjacent to the much more well-known and larger Shibuya, Daikanyama's a parcel of land squarely focused on top shelf boutiques, trendy restaurants and the most well-heeled hipsters. Naturally an unlikely venue environment for a Hatebreed show, it need not matter to them and to their followers as what unfurled deep underneath a tiny complex of shops and restaurants in the still smelling new Club Unit made all forget everything else. |
It need not matter that those assembled this night represented a mere fraction of the percentage of hungry, tired masses in Tokyo, a mammoth conglomeration that over time simply wears down the most ardent. In today's 24/7 tech-savvy, yet often regressive communicative world, disconnection and a loss of meaning in one's purpose is an all too familiar and easy trap to fall into without even knowing, but Hatebreed, as always, would have none of that.
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Despite not producing an album since 2003's fiercely succinct and potent "The Rise Of Brutality," Hatebreed's loyal following that enabled its headlining the recent Extreme The Dojo Volume 12 alongside Shadows Fall, As I Lay Dying, and Every Time I Die resulted in a solo blood drive in Unit with local thrash act FC-Five opening the valves of life for both a focused rebuke as well as for a redemption perhaps possible if chosen.
Utilizing the compact and sonically resonant bowels where Tokyo's newest venue Unit lies as FC-Five's vocalist watched intensely from the side stacks of monitors, Hatebreed's baseball capped vocalist Jamey Jasta purposefully led his brethren from the ever growling, leaned back and rocking crunching riffs of guitarist Sean Martin, to the thumping, meaty yet subliminal bass lines of Chris Beattie to the anchoring power found within the multitude of ferocious beats and fills of Matt Bryne. No weak link surfaced in this unified front of chosen perseverance. |
| Wasting no time, no energy nor message, they collectively launched a relentless blitzkrieg amongst a sea of emboldened headbangers, moshers and crowd surfers pulling from their 3 full length albums and solo EP for a smorgasbord that duly got the blood circulating within these premises deep below. Churning through a meaty and upright "Straight To Your Face" into the menacing comeuppance of "Doomsayer" and later to the cyclical tale of strength that is "Healing To Suffer Again," Hatebreed collectively focused in helping you clean your pipes of confusion into a resilient backbone for action and resolve in dispensing your personal demons reigned apparent from the raucous, fervent donors response lost in the nightlong epiphany. |
 Holding true to both their straightforward hardcore metal thrash roots and relentless work ethic in staying dearly close to what is true to them, Hatebreed's Tokyo Unit blood drive reaped a constant heavy donor output with certain tracks causing the pints of blood to fill quicker and actualize a deep reserve for further renewed fulfillment. The crunching full chorus of "Proven" initiated a circle pit that nearly consumed the entire floor that continued through to "Unloved" as Jamey slapped hands along the front. The building maelstrom of "Facing What Consumes You" resulted in an ongoing launch of crowd surfers to the great delight of the band that definitely found additional momentum with a much thicker "Another Day, Another Vendetta" and the call to arms that is "Live For This." No encore, but none was needed. As the house lights instantaneously came on after the rising closer of "I'll Be Heard," all inside got a clear and defining shot of each other, Hatebreed and most importantly, a quick, yet sustaining reflection of what just transpired: Both drained and filled, it was clear that these lives inside Unit were living from a choice well chosen and duly earned. |
report by michael and photo by hiroqui
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 mag files : Hatebreed
 photo report : (05/02/12 @ Daikanyama Unit) : review by michael, photo by hiroqui
photo report : (05/02/12 @ Daikanyama Unit) : photo by hiroqui
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