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Live Review: Hammers, Swinelord, Throwing Stuff, Esoteric Youth and Youth – The Bay Horse, Manchester – 07/02/2013

imageIt’s admirable when a community works together for the greater good of a noteworthy cause. This is exactly the case with tonight’s small, varied line up of bands who belong to a niche vein rooted in punk, hardcore and metal, putting on a show to raise funds for the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

Kicking things off are young hardcore stalwarts Youth, who provide a brash, no nonsense set of angst-ridden jams. The band are firmly placed in their delivery but fail to drive a bullet into the skulls of their audience, and not even a lacklustre cover of ‘Miles Away’ by Your Demise can save them. Mind you, as previously mentioned, they are young and ambitious, so hopefully with more shows under their belt, experience may help mould them into a confident spectacle. (2.5/5)

Unveiling the horrors that are masked behind the surface of the Earth, Esoteric Youth wipe the floor with their brand of blackened hardcore. Lead vocalist Dom Moss delivers his screams and yells in full force, with a thick throbbing bass and metallic arsenal swarming around the room until all hope is lost and the atmosphere amongst the attendees comes to a frightful understanding. (3.5/5)

“I’ve heard that you’re more of a comedy act than a real band.” In a way, this rings true for hardcore punk clowns Throwing Stuff, who provide a somewhat ‘light hearted’ affair to the evening, but plenty of fun-packed chaos ensues during the course of their set, to ridiculous levels. Their songs are short, shouty and loud, filled with tongue-in-cheek glee that can put a smile on your face and cause you to throw your head back in laughter; the fact that the band’s lead vocalist has been carted and shoved around like a crash test dummy is a testament of this. (3/5)

Crust monsters Swinelord are disgustingly brilliant as they return the mood back to an apocalyptic waste land. They’re certainly the noisiest beast of the evening, and it’s a miracle that their doom metal-drenched grindcore hasn’t caused the roof to collapse. Judging from the mosh-filled frenzy they have caused and their lead vocalist writhing on the floor, Swinelord have succeeded in leaving their demonic imprint on the minds of their audience. (4/5)

Acting as replacements for original headliners Heroin Diet, metallic hardcore maestros Hammers pummel their way through the wall and reach out to the ears of their audience, who become so entranced in their noise that they do not realise that an avalanche is filling their lungs. Whilst on one hand they’re a force to be reckoned with, on the other there is a sense of majesty due to the little intricate moments that cement the cracks in their thrashy, biting metal. All in all, Hammers not only draw a successful night to a close, they also grab the attention of those around them, who are astounded by their originality and innovativeness. (4.5/5)

Words by Aaron Lohan (@ooran_loohan)

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