Despite it being a wet and windy night in Glasgow, there is an impressive queue stretching down the road from Slay as I arrive. Upon entering the venue, the question I saw asked repeatedly ahead of tonight’s show was answered. No barrier was in front of the stage. Let the games begin…
First up, London’s Last Wishes took to the stage and wasted no time in getting things going. Within seconds of their intro, people were flying around the dance floor in all directions. This band is the epitome of hard, creating a sound reminiscent of American bands such as Fury of V, Merauder and Bulldoze with a distinct UKHC touch. If tough hardcore is your thing, check these guys out.
Next up were Glasgow’s own Despize who deliver a heavy mix of hardcore with some metal influences. The best thing about Despize is that they sound totally unique. At times they sound like a (much) heavier version of Integrity but then take things off in a direction that is totally their own. Singer Andrew has a killer presence and voice to match and the aggression the band gives off is matched by the people on the dance floor hammering the shit out of each other throughout their set. Glasgow hardcore is very much alive and well.
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The last time this reviewer watched Terror was in 2005 and I hold those shows in high regard. Thankfully the anger, aggression and craziness is still in place and from the second Terror take the stage, the place turned upside down. Frontman Scott Vogel is the hardcore frontman. This man lives and breathes hardcore and it shows. Songs like “Overcome” and “Spit My Rage” have people diving off the stage into the pit beneath with Vogel encouraging more people to get up on the stage any time he got the chance. Just as things couldn’t get any crazier, the band covered “Dead at Birth” by Death Threat which ended in a huge pile-on of people onstage.
The band closed up with “Keepers of The Faith” resulting in a last surge of insanity. Terror set the standard that very few hardcore bands can match. I won’t leave it so long before seeing them again!
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Pics by Beyond Punk Photography
