When the night starts hot and sticky and the loud beat of heavy metal draws people onto the dance floor, the night ends in a sweaty, tired mess. That was Hilo last night. The Big Island’s heavy metal community descended upon the Hilo Town Market to watch Subsurface Tension, Cyclone Prime, Rattlebonez and Kauz of Affliction deliver a night of Heavy Metal bliss.
Show opener Kauz of Affliction energized the crowd with their signature punk/metal sound as they played new songs. This was the first time K-O-A has played their latest single, The F**k Song, live, it sounded awesome, I am looking forward to hearing it live again in three days.
Rattlebonez may be one of the newer acts on the scene, the incredible vocals of Dave Isemoto and the tight sound of the band continue to impress. They cover favorites like Iron Maiden, Slayer, LA Guns, Megadeth and more. Rattlebonez is building a fan following, including MoshPlayLive.
Cyclone Prime from Kona, delivered a crowd-capturing performance. Kevin, Tucker, Chris and Lenny offer strong originals and a complex sound. More than one person I spoke to said their sound is reminiscent of Tool and 90s Grunge. I look forward to meeting up with Cyclone Prime in the future.
Subsurface Tension headlined the evening. Following up on our interview earlier in the week, it was a pleasure to meet the entire band in person. Jen, Scott, Freddie and Andy are some of the nicest people to talk to and performing they are unforgettable. Singer Jen Taylor Warren’s voice sounds amazing live. Guitarist Scott Gray made it look easy playing great riffs all night. Bringing the energy was bassist Freddie al-Hajj. I dug his backing vocal on Death Machine, his deeper voice added a little extra oomph. Finally, drummer Andy de Leon brought the thunder to Subsurface Tension. We were able to bond over our love of Amon Amarth earlier in the evening and it was great to see him in action, a shout out to his wife Vivian who runs their merch table. We hope to see Subsurface Tension again next year!
Finally, recognition goes to the Heavy Metal community members who show up, sing the songs, bang heads and dance, even on a hot sticky Thursday night. MoshPlayLive loves supporting live and local. We appreciate that you come out to support Big Island musicians and special guests. Tell your friends and bring them out to the next show.
Peace Love & Mosh Pits
Grom
Comments