Full of Hell at Earthdom, October 26th 2019

On my way to the station after the concert was over a couple of guys who were there started a conversation with me and asked me the same rhetorical question that was on my mind: why did they play such a short set? By “they” we meant the headliner, there were five bands on the bill and the whole event went on for more than three hours. I argued that because it was a grindcore band, with most of their songs being under the two minutes mark, it was kind of to be expected. The truth was that I had to catch a train and was working in the morning on the following day, so leaving there at ten o’clock was alright with me. In hindsight they were absolutely right, though. Forty minutes felt way too short.

The evening started for me three hours before that. This was, by the way, my second time at this venue in Okubo, famous for its punk and hardcore shows. The first time was about three and a half years ago when I saw Boris and Merzbow play the collaboration they released together at the time. It was also my first extreme music show since seeing Suffocation back in June. It was cool to go through the door and being welcomed by a wall of feedback as the band on stage was about to start their set. I got there an hour after the starting time, so I assumed I missed at least two bands and that the one on stage was Kamomekamome. Turns out I only missed Fixed and that on stage the guys from Fight it Out were the ones ripping it. By far they had the most vicious moshpit of the evening. Even the lead singer joined it at times, swinging arms and legs wildly through the air and towards the crowd while singing at the same time. Behind them, on stage, a large group of friends were standing drinking and laughing at these antics. It felt like a hip hop crew. The music was great as well. A blend of slow paced doom with a hardcore edge sparkled with blast beats here and there, adding an ever-present feedback between songs.

The second band on the bill have received coverage from the international press. With a thunderous set they proved they are more than worth the hype. Palm plays a sort of brutal metal core driven by tight drumming and a crisp and crushing guitar tone. The vocals are somewhat Converge sounding, but that doesn’t mean they’re devoid of personality, quite the opposite of that. Their lead singer’s energy and presence on stage is mesmerizing. I think he shared vocal duties with the crowd, extending the mic towards it, at least for half of the length of the show. They definitely have a strong following, with lots of people able to sing along like that. It was an awesome set that got people pumped for the headliner.

As I mentioned before, I thought I skipped a couple of bands so was kind of disappointed when instead of the headliners another opener took the stage. Nonetheless I gave them the benefit of the doubt. It was Kamomekamome. In a few words I’d say they were not my cup of tea. I’m not sure if I caught everything that was said during the lengthy tiring tirades from stage by their lead singer, but I think he mentioned something about being labeled as softcore in America when in reality they’re Japanese punk. If what he meant was that they sound like generic J-Pop, he was right. The clean singing parts and melodies were painfully corny at times. I did like the second singer filling the Mitch Harris role with high pitch screeches during the occasional bursts of aggression, but putting them right before the main band was kind of anti-climatic. 

It was finally time for the headliner to grace the stage. From the get-go Full of Hell showed the audience why they’re in a whole other league. The use of electronics to create ambient inspired soundscapes, same for the sample of relevant quotes used to clearly illustrate a point regarding their bleak outlook. Their dynamics from controlled extreme chaos to moments of menacing calmed tension in which the lead vocals were backed by cymbals only, for example, were manifestations of a unique and original approach to the more traditional breakdowns. Added to all these a truly pissed lead vocalist with an amazing black metalish tone. They were relentless and a thrill to watch. Too bad that the thrill was gone in forty minutes. After coming back from one last song for an encore the whole thing was over in what felt as a blink of an eye.

They’re definitely in control of a wide palette of elements that could extend their set to at least one hour. Maybe venturing further into the drone ambient sections and/or experimental parts. For that reason, same as the guys I talked to after the show, I left feeling not entirely satisfied. I guess it was too much of that old school show business maxim: “make sure to leave them wanting more”.
  
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