TERROR, DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR, TAKE OFFENSE
for radio Tangra Mega Rock's SIXTH Anniversary
22.04.2012, '4 КМ' Party Center, Sofia

words by Stefan Yordanov, photo: Elena Nenkova

Party Center 4 KM is not one of my favorite gig venues. It’s too commy, you know, there are some giant pillars sticking through the middle of this place and it’s generally uncomfortable, with torrents of cold air coming from anywhere so once you’re out of the moshpit and you’re dripping with sweat you’re into trouble because the next thing you know on the morning after is your stiff neck hurting like hell.

But I expect the night to be absolutely awesome though because the last gig of the Tangra Mega Rock birthday series will most probably destroy the goddamn place.

The hottest crossover and hardcore tour package on the planet is right upon you, man.

Take Offense from Cali, who released their first LP, “Tables Will Turn” just a couple of years ago. Death Before Dishonor from Boston with all the power and agro the Bulgarian crowd is aware of and, the highlight tonight, probably the best hardcore band in the world at the moment, the mighty Terror.

Who cares about the venue? Eh? To be there unconditionally is the only thing that matters. I’m leaving now.

There are traffic jams in Sunday too. Crossing Sofia City takes more time than I expected and Vassil calls at 20:10 to inform me that the gig will not start in my absentia.

Bull! Yeah right! No one ever waits for the guy who will write the report. It is true though. Gig starts at my arrival. Take Offense take the stage.

 

 The sense of guilt (I hate being late and people being late on me) hasn’t left me yet but it should go to all those who stay outside the venue instead of being here and giving these guys a chance. Live Take Offense is a bit harder than on the album.

They sound more like a hardcore band and less like the crossover act on the record. Similarities with their heroes Suicidal Tendencies, Excel, Beowulf and may be Uncle Slam are limited to Rocky George style guitar solos and the very typical “no tomoroooooooow” in the end of the self titled song, but they ultimately won the crowd with ‘What Goes Around’.



One of the coolest things about the gigs organized by your favorite radio is that you don’t wait for hours the bands to switch.

DBD came out almost immediately after the short Take Offense set.

This is Boston, Not LA.  This is  DBD live – Rancid’s energy, Dropkick Murphys’ kind of chants plus Slayer’s fury recycled by Hatebreed.

It’s a little bit long description having in mind that the audience here is pretty aware of what DBD is capable of, but Bridge Nine Records’ press release is absolutely accurate when citing the names I just mentioned, that’s what I’m thinking about during the show. 



The most uplifting songs tonight are “Peace And Quiet”, “Remember” and “Our Glory Days”, recorded with Mark Unseen of the cult punks Unseen- all off “Better Ways To Die” (2009). In the meanwhile the crowd is getting bigger and the moshpit is getting wilder, like a disease.

Brian mentions that he considers the previous gig in Bulgaria one of their best shows, but this one is even better. We usually take this sort of speeches suspiciously, but everyone here tonight is here for the sake of music and friendship, so it doesn’t come down like a worn-out cliché this speech. Nobody is supposed to prove anything.

DBD and the crowd is one big happy family. 




TERROR as I mentioned is a completely different beast from averybody elese tonight.

Infact they are different and better than 95% of the hardcore scene at the moment, they are the real ancestors of the true oldschool hardcore legacy. Like Harvey of The League of Gentlemen said in this house we do not masturbate.

That’s right, with TERROR you get what you see. No rockstar bull, no pretending, no shit! All you need to get the message is to hear the opener “One With The Underdogs”.

The moshpit is boiling with human bodies. All the boys and girls keep throwing themselves into it and that’s ok bacause stagediving is a TERROR’s basic ethics. In the beginning it appears to me that the bass guitar sound is overwhelming, but after the first half of the gig the perfectly constructed set list starts to drive people crazy  thus “You’re Caught”, “Return To Strength” and “Keepers Of The Faith” with the large group of people chanting and slamming on stage only built upon “Stick Tight” and “Your Enemies Are Mine”.
 


It’s not a coincidence that TЕRROR relies mostly on their last album because it’s just flawless and sounds even better live.

Of course Scott Vogel doesn’t miss the chance of sporting his talents in taking the piss. This time he asks how many straight edge people are there in the crowd and then he says it is a great way of life but he loves whiskey.

He takes a dip and passes the bottle to the people in front of the stage. .

HARDCORE is not only music, he says between the songs, it’s not just sounds, but a way of life, a way to breathe.

I think It could hardly find better words to end this report.

You can’t translate the sweat, the energy, the friendship into words anyway. This is not science.

Wait a second, it is. The science of being yourself.

GALLERY