There’s no such thing as a dull Vein show. The last time I saw Vein was back in 2018 during the ErrorZone tour at The D in Gary, Indiana with fellow heavyweights Sanction, Fuming Mouth, and Judiciary. I still have a vivid memory of sitting down, chilling during their last song, as I got enough photos for the night, and for some reason Vein’s bassist football tackled me! Point of this story is, you never know what’s going to happen during a Vein set, other than ensured chaos.
Opening up the show were Living Weapon, not to be confused with the “defunct crust band from Nova Scotia” if you’re like me and tried searched for them on Facebook. Featuring members of Vein and Vomit Forth, Living Weapon bring unrelenting force that makes you feel like you’re being “being operated on by a power drill,” courtesy of an anonymous review on Bandcamp. The best part of Living Weapon is how they deliver technical musician without over relying on it and keeping things fresh and new throughout their songs.
Even though Regulate have been around for a hot minute, it seems they’ve been finding new life recently because, at their core, they represent the two aspects of what makes hardcore amazing: speaking your mind and simply having fun. Regulate find the perfect balance between these two elements delivering songs and messages on important political and cultural topics and issues while also encouraging everyone to get up, dance, move around, and jump off the stage. At the end of the day, these two pieces are what makes up hardcore with Regulate being the epitome of this featuring explosive musicianship, catchy vocal deliveries, and not being afraid to discuss hard and vulnerable topics important to them. Regulate have a new recording out on September 30, so be sure to mark your calendars because you won’t want to sleep on this.
It’s been a while, especially with COVID, when a band made me go, “Holy shit, that was amazing.” Candy blew me away. I remember when they first dropped their debut back in 2017, but I never had the chance to see them until now. What made Candy stand out so much to me was how I could tell they didn’t confine or limit themselves as to how they should or shouldn’t sound within a specific genre, instead creating this super unique fusion of sounds that is as sinister and evil as it is mesmerizing. Candy reminded me of what a gritty ‘90’s and early 2000’s crime thriller like Seven, Heat, Reservoir Dogs, The Departed, or even Saw would sound like if they were music instead of movies. Candy are as cinematic as they are music, and to me, that’s probably one of the coolest things I can think of a band channeling into their music.
Vein were already a powerhouse, but their new album and direction further cement them as outsiders, in the most positive way, in a genre that is generally known for specific musical direction, making a point to break down barriers… no, not break down, obliterate. Whether it was their initial releases and EPs that produced the iconic Vein windbreaker “This is Hardcore” live video or Errorzone pushing them into the world of AJ Soprano’s t-shirts, Vein continue to set themselves apart with their newest release, This World is Going to Ruin You.
Adding .FM to their name as a brilliant online marketing move while further distinguishing them among a quickly growing genre. They continue to challenge themselves in every way possible (even adding a synth/turntablist to the group) knowing the only way to grow and advance is to create challenges and overcome them. This mentality is what has set Vein apart and will continue to set them apart for years to come, which is especially evident in their live performance allowing their sound to fully come alive among a packed room absolutely losing their minds because once that first note plays, you’re no longer in the real world, you’re in Vein’s for the next hour.
Living Weapon
Regulate
Candy
Vein
