Hatebreed, Terror & Vein.fm
September 5, 2023
Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON
Canadian Beats Passport
Metalcore/hardcore legends Hatebreed have embarked on a North American tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 2003 album The Rise of Brutality. For support, Hatebreed has brought along Terror, Vein.fm, and Jesus Piece. On September 5th, 2023, this awesome package came to the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto. The night was an excellent reminder of why Hatebreed has become legends in the hardcore scene.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it in time to see Jesus Piece perform. I have covered one of their performances for Canadian Beats in the past and I highly recommend you check them out if you haven’t. They are one of my favourites in the contemporary hardcore scene.
Vein.fm has been making waves since the release of their 2018 record Errorzone. The sound of Vein.fm could be described as chaotic, mathy, and outright brutal. The band performed to a very enthusiastic crowd. The audience was incredibly active throughout the whole set and the energy was infectious. Admittedly, I am not too familiar with their recorded work but I was very entertained by the setlist and the energy that the band exudes. All the band members made good use of the size of the stage. They made the Danforth Musical Hall feel like a local hardcore show in the basement of some weird guy’s house. Their setlist was a nice variety of songs from their albums This World is Going to Ruin You (2022) and Errorzone. Their songs translated really well to the live setting despite their loud and chaotic nature. This was my first time seeing Vein.fm and it was a pleasure to see their music on a larger stage. I hope to catch them the next time around. Their wild nature is something all hardcore/metalcore fans will enjoy.
Next up was Terror. I saw them play in Toronto earlier this year when they were supporting The Black Dahlia Murder. Even though I saw them a mere 5 months ago, I was delighted to see them so soon. Terror is a band that goes way harder than need to. They are a band that gives you nothing but meat n’ potatoes style hardcore. No surprises, no gimmicks, just catchy riffs, memorable anthems, and two breakdowns. Seeing them again in such a short time is a testament to their work ethic. I feel like this band is always on tour. Their passion and hard work come across in their live performance. The stage presence among all members is awesome and it makes for an entertaining show. The setlist was similar to the one I saw from their last Toronto show, a healthy mix of fan favourites spanning most of their albums. Cherry picked songs from their more popular albums like; Keepers of the Faith (2010), Always the Hard Way (2006), and their newest album Pain into Power (2022). I couldn’t recommend Terror enough. If you enjoy hardcore, chances are that you’re a fan already and you don’t need me to convince you that they’re great.
Last but certainly not least, Hatebreed finished off the show with an explosive set. Their sound mix was immaculate and it helped make some of these classic songs sound huge. Hardcore has progressed a lot since the release of The Rise of Brutality and these songs still sound fresh. The influence of this band can’t be understated. Even metalheads seem to give Hatebreed props. Their setlist was a large variety of their classic songs. Despite this tour being a 20-year anniversary tour, they didn’t do the obvious move and play the entire album in order. Most of the album was played with the exclusion of maybe 2 songs. The order of the tracks was remixed and spaced among the setlist. I thought this was a really clever way to keep things interesting. Hatebreed is also a remarkably consistent band. Most of their output is of similar quality and that makes their live show flow really well. Needless to say, the crowd was incredibly enthusiastic about their performance. They undoubtedly got the best response from the audience. There was much more crowd surfing and moshing during their set. Having never seen Hatebreed before, I was impressed. I’ll definitely make a point to catch them next time around.
The 20 Years of Brutality tour is an excellent showcase of a legendary band at their finest. Hatebreed puts on an excellent show and knows what bands to bring for support. I highly recommend all fans of hardcore and metalcore check this one out and catch a show in a city near you.