(10.31.2024, Hilo, Hawai'i) The Halloween edition of Metallaulea descended upon Hilo as Big Island Metal stalwarts Thrash-O-Matix, Rattlebonez and Mataleo brought the soundtrack of Halloween in Heavy Metal style, to the Hilo Town Market.
Thrash-O-Matix started the night off with their blend of old school heavy metal, covering songs by such acts as Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and more. Thrash O Matix captures the sound of old school Heavy Metal, especially with the Black Sabbath songs. The crowd banged their heads and sang along to the Thrash-O-Matix set list.
Rattlebonez hit the stage next, opening their set with a cover of Nirvana"s "Negative Creep" to get the pit moving. They ran through a blistering 15-song set, with some new additions to the set list including lead singer Dave Isemoto getting down and dirty with Rage Against the Machine"s "Bombtrack" and a Metallica mix incorporating "Phantom Lord" with "Am I Evil?" -- very evil indeed.
By this time the crowd and the bands were hot and sweaty with Mataleo up next. Would the crowd have the energy to power through a set of Pantera songs? The answer simply put is hell yes! Lead singer Jeremiah Augustine screeched howled and growled throughout the set even jumping into the pit for a few to dance with the crowd. Jeremiah had Bassist Blue Augustine jump on stage for "Revolution Is My Name" as both stomped around the stage belting out lyrics. Shout out to Blue for joining us in the pit tonight, adding that extra energy needed to make it through the night. Highlights for me include hearing them play "Walk" and ending the set with Megadeth's "Holy Wars.”
Mosh Play Live has had the opportunity to catch all these Big Island bands numerous times. It's exciting to see how much these bands elevate their sound with each performance and we look forward to seeing them again. The Big Island is a treasure trove of musicians and performers. Come out and support them.
The moshpits on the Big Island remind me of the early days of pits. The majority of people who watch from outside the pit could be forgiven if they don’t see a space that feeds on equality and respect. Mosh pits became part of the early punk rock shows when people would drape around each other and start bashing around. Then with thrash metal and metal an etiquette evolved into a self-policing form of violent expression with a set of unwritten rules. Some people certainly do have a size advantage. Others have a wiry speed advantage, but all in all the pit is where strangers will pick each other up.
At huge concerts security is there to maintain safety and remove anyone who could cause potential injuries. This happened because of an influx of people who didn't respect the rules of moshing causing a lot more pain and chaos.
One more thought on Pit safety, leather and spikes are nothing new to the punk and heavy metal scenes. People stopped wearing them into the pit, this was due to injuries. When someone gets hurt from the spikes, they want to retaliate and I’ve seen many resulting fisticuffs. No one wants that.
Anyone in a mosh should be aware of everything that's going on with the mass of humanity flying around in all directions. I’m a big guy who loves fun, friendly violence and I try to ensure that everyone in the pit is having a good time. Last night I went home with 4 long cuts on my arm from said spikes. It’s all good, no complaining here, it’s not the first time, nor will it be that last. But, I leave you with this to ponder, mosh pits are not the place to go out to hurt or maim someone. I think spikes look cool, but I will not wear them into a pit. Wear them to the show, but if you are planning on diving into the pit, consider taking them off.
With all that being said, last night was a blast, the Heavy Metal scene on the Big Island is getting louder, we"ll see you in the pit!
Peace Love & Mosh Pits
Graham
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