Kublai Khan, Sunami, Judiciary, Momentum
April 16, 2024
The Opera House, Toronto, ON
Canadian Beats Passport
Hardcore heavy hitters Kublai Khan are on a massive North American tour and on April 16th, 2024, they made a stop at the Opera House in Toronto. This awesome tour brought along Sunami, Judiciary, and Momentum along for support.
Opening the show was Momentum. Their music is straight-up hardcore with a bit more of a metallic influence. Nothing you hear from Momentum will be particularly surprising if you’re familiar with the genre but their meat-and-potatoes style hardcore makes for an awesome opener. Their performance was very tight and the live sound mix complemented their chaotic tunes well. Right from the get-go, there was a pit forming and audience members were throwing down and indulging in the vibes. I haven’t heard of this band before this show but I’ll surely keep an eye on them.
Judiciary is very stylistically similar to Momentum. Just straight up, thrashy hardcore. Brutal riffs, heavy breakdowns, and callouts are the name of the game. Their sound leans more into the metal influence. There were a healthy amount of shreddy guitar solos in their songs that added a nice variety, especially in the context of a hardcore show. I have to admit, Judiciary was a pleasant surprise for me. Not being familiar with their music at all, I went into this blind and I really enjoyed their performance. One thing I noticed from the first note was how well this band performs. They were really tight and the sound really brought out their best qualities. I highly recommend you check out Judiciary.
Sunami is probably the most hyped hardcore band in the scene. They seemingly came out of nowhere and became the next big thing. Sunami is the dictionary definition of a beatdown band. Every song is filled with catchy chugs and breakdowns. The lyrics sit nicely overtop of the instrumentals and depict topics of street crime and tough guy shenanigans. I’m sure it’s intentional, but there is a total tongue-in-cheek vibe to the whole presentation. I get the impression that they aren’t overly serious and that really helps them stick out in a sea of beatdown bands. If you are hardcore fan, you already know Sunami. You don’t need me to tell you that these guys are great. If you know, you know.
Kublai Khan is having a really large moment in recent times. They have reached the heights of their career so far and it’s great to see such an awesome band get bigger than ever. For years, Kublai Khan has consistently released great records. Their setlist was a showcase of their overall discography; pulling in fan favourites from every album. Their live sound is huge and very well rehearsed. The crowd was going absolutely wild during their show. Crowd surfing, two-stepping, and throwing down filled the room. The amount of movement during their set created so much heat and the venue got noticeably hotter during their performance. Kublai Khan is an absolute powerhouse and I would advise all fans to check them out.
Kublai Khan’s headlining tour has been a massive success thus far and it’s very apparent why. All the bands on this bill feel appropriate and are of high quality. Venues are selling out and upgrading. I believe the second half of this tour is already sold out. If you haven’t grabbed a ticket yet, I advise you to do it while you can. You won’t regret it.