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Making their first appearance in Korea, Skunk Hell provided the perfect backdrop for Terror's introduction to Seoul's hardcore scene. An event space as opposed to a club (no beverages of any kind are sold), old gig posters cover almost every free space on the walls and ceilings, and an adequate, bare bones lighting and sound system add a definite punk attitude to the basement room. Local opener The Geeks had little trouble inciting near insanity among the capacity crowd of Korean and foreign hardcore fans. Blowing an amp during their first song, after a short delay the straight edge quintet quickly rebounded with "What We Believe" from 2007's "Every Time We Fall". Veterans of the Seoul scene, they ripped through their half hour performance with top-notch precision. Grinning wildly, vocalist Ki leaned into the crowd to deliver his rapid-fire vocal assault and share his microphone with the sweaty throng of bouncing bodies below. |
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I've lost count of all rock clubs I've visited that have horrible load bearing posts situated in the middle of the floor. While usually a huge pain-in-the-ass for any one stuck standing behind them, the pole at Skunk Hell actually made things much easier tonight creating a course for the hyperactive kids to follow when Ki started calling for a circle pit. Not wanting to miss out on the chaotic fun on the floor, one of the act's guitarists jumped into the crowd while continuing to play earning much respect from all the dancing attendees. One of the most powerful moments of their fantastic set came during "Every Time We Fall". With almost everyone singing along to the energetic cut, Ki called out "One last time". Throwing his mic over his shoulder, he held out his arms and sang the chorus a cappella with the audience as the song wound down essentially removing what little borders there were between crowd and performer. I didn't think things could get any crazier inside Skunk Hell. I was wrong. The Geeks definitely got people worked up, but Terror made them go absolutely ape shit. The temperature must have jumped about 10 degrees during the Los Angeles quintet's 50-minute show. Eye glasses and camera lenses fogged up, someone had to be literally carried out after nearly fainting from the heat and two others almost got into a fight as tempers flared in the hot, emotional environment. Thankfully, clearer heads prevailed as fans and the band reminded them that hardcore was about unity, not violence. Touring in support of their latest EP, the aptly titled Rhythm Amongst The Chaos, Terror were definitely pumped for their Korean debut. From the start, vocalist Scott Vogel was constantly on the go, pacing the stage and standing atop the monitors as he barked out his lyrics. Demanding that the rabid masses packed tightly against the stage match his energy level, his calls for stage dives, circle pits, and sing-a-longs were eagerly met. Drawing material from throughout their six year career, early cuts such as 2003's Lowest Of The Low's "Life And Death," which Vogel said was the first song written by Terror, and anti-racism cut "Push It Away" where met with the same tremendous reaction as new tracks "Disconnected" and "Strike You Down." Guitarists Martin Stewart and the massive Doug Weber provided backup vocals throughout the night, their shouts blending nicely with those echoing from the audience. As the last song faded out, all of Skunk Hell started begging for an encore. First saying that Terror wasn't a rock band and didn't do encores, Vogel finally caved in and promised one more metal-tinged anthem. However, there were two conditions that had to be met. The first was that everyone had to continue to work to build and support Seoul's burgeoning hardcore scene. The second was that he wanted to see 100 stage dives during the final track. The continual line of flying bodies from the stage during the heavy, break-neck number ensured that his second demand was met. Let's hope that the few hundred people who came out to see the awesome pairing of The Geeks and Terror help fulfill the first part of the agreement as well. Terror's Japan tour Jan 14 Yokohama, Kanagawa @ Club Lizard Jan 15 Hamamatsu, Shizuoka @ G-Side Jan 16 Osaka @ Sun Hall Jan 17 Yokkaichi, Mie @ Club Chaos Jan 18 Nagoya @ Zion Jan 19 Tokyo @ ACB |
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report and photos by shawn
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 mag files : Terror, The Geeks Good Ol' Fashioned Hardcore Workout : (08/01/05 @ Skunk Hell, Seoul) : review & photos by shawn |
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The official site
Terror http://www.terrorhc.com/ check 'em? -->MySpace / iTunes The latest work  "Rhythm Amongst the Chaos" (US import / iTunes) The latest album  "Always the Hard Way" (US import) previous works |
The official site
The Geeks http://www.myspace.com/thexgeeks check 'em? -->MySpace / iTunes The latest album  "Every Time We Fall" (US import / iTunes) check the albums? |
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