Hell Is For Heroes

Well, what a mistake that Violent Delight were support for Hell is For Heroes tonight. In fact it seems like an incredible oversight that Violent Delight even exist at all.

The singer doesn’t so much sing as retch down the microphone as though he is eager to be ‘controversial’ and ‘different’. Unfortunately, this is not the effect it has. Imagine a bunch of 14 year old kids practicing their* NOFX* covers in a basement to piss off their parents and you have the aural pleasures of Violent Delight. Each song VD play sounds like something else from ‘Secret Smile’, which sounds exactly like Static X, to recent single_ ‘I Wish I Was A Girl’_ that blatantly rips off ‘I Hope You Die’ by the Bloodhound Gang.

Even by the third song I was hoping for a quick death to put me out of my misery. My watch has never looked so attractive.

By contrast, Hell is for Heroes shone like a beautiful white light. This band couldn’t be tighter if they tried and their energy is boundless. The crowd just seem to grow more and more excited and impervious to pain if the crowd surfing I witnessed is anything to go by.

‘I Can Climb Mountains’ lives up to everything it promises live: thunderously captivating and full of momentum, gathering speed like a freight train. Justin Schlosberg is wonderful to watch onstage and considering he doesn’t have a guitar or bass to keep him busy during solos he really fills the gap by jumping around furiously. It seems like his goal is to have leapt on every part of the stage by the end of the night, even hanging from the ceiling rafter and braving the sweaty, heaving moshpit.

Each song played is an improvement on the last until you think it can get no better. Current single ‘You Drove Me To It’ is brilliantly loud, brash and raw yet quieter tracks such as aptly named ‘Slow Song’ draw you in until the venue is shrunk to an intimate size and it seems that everyone is holding their breath.

HIFH are a band that need to be seen live and if you thought the album was good, just wait until you see it played before you.