| Unsane | 013-Tilburg | Dec 13, 2003 |
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On my way to the venue I’m surprised by the enormous cue of very young and hip girls. What did I miss? Are these bands so popular? Entering 013, I realise that Good Charlotte is playing in the same venue. A sigh of relief. This is going to be a good night after all. Harmfull starts very slowly, almost ambient. From the new-wave type bass lines they all of a sudden burst out into what they’re supposed to. A strong threesome with balls. Wow, this is certainly my cup of tea. Even though the venue is hardly filled, the crowd is supportive from the first moment on. Everybody lets the music grab a hold of them. At one point I realise that I had Harmful’s most recent CD, Sanguine, at home for a review. The band themselve describe it as “Writing songs with goose-pimple melodies, rocking without compromise, approaching our music with a lot of dedication and drive, switching our brains of in the process, so to speak; after all this is about music and nothing else”.
But in my opinion this CD doesn’t do the band justice. There’s no question about the quality of this band. But the energy of their music seems to be much more restrained on CD, less emotional than on stage. To see these guys really go for it, truly convinces the audience. Somehow they remind me of Mastodon. The complexity of the compositions, the power and the way these guys really stand for it. Guitarist/vocalist Aren Emirze, bassist Chris Aidonopoulos and drummer Nico Heimann present themselves as a unity. It clearly shows that they’ve been together for ten years. When the guys leave the stage, the crowd is cheering and screaming: This threesome from Frankfurt (Germany) deserves it.
Wow, I should better go home now, because there’s no way Unsane can top this! And for the second time tonight I’m caught by surprise. Unsane is more than convincing. No bullshit, just music. They go on stage, get their equipment ready for the show and just start to play. No fancy lightshow, no smoke, just pure, brutal and energetic rock. And they hit like a bomb. From the first tone untill the last. Chris Spencer, Vincent Signorelli and Dave Curran mix material from all their albums into a non-stop pure show. Their musical evolution reflects in stoner riffs, funky bass lines and (to my pleasure) even doom. “Over Me”, “Sick”, the works. The venue is filled now with people that really grasp this band. Even some bandmembers of Good Charlotte have hurried in to see Unsane play live. And for once they’re right: This band kicks ass!! From the first note they play, until they leave the stage. The crowd keeps on screaming, even after the encore. The guys themselves seem to be quite surprised with this success. Goes to show that old rockers never die.
Both bands were really impressive and I feel privileged to be part of the audience. The venue isn’t sold out, but the crowd is ecstatic. And for all the people that eventually decided not to go: SUCKERS!!! You missed a great concert! I really hope that these bands will play the European festivals this summer, because I’d really like to experience this again! (Review & Pics: Marcia Gransbergen) |
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© Rockezine.com Dec 13, 2003, viewed 1060 times since 666
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