September 17th was another electric night at the Franklin Music Hall. Rolling into town tonight were the mighty Hatebreed, hardcore legends Terror, the eclectic but brutal Jesus Piece, and Long Islands own Internal Bleeding. It was a night of brutal slam, heavy experimentation, and cold-cut classic hardcore.
Up first in the night was Internal Bleeding. They brought New York slam to Philly and it was well received. With snares like a kick to the gut and riffs that suffocate on top of some of the violent and brutal growls, Internal bleeding set the tone and kicked off the night perfectly. The next group up is one of the most intriguing and experimental groups in metal right now. Jesus Piece were the hometown heroes tonight and brought the energy. Fighting through some technical difficulties they managed to put on a classic show. With the guttural yells of Aaron Heard combined with the tight, sharp riffs, driving Bassline, and intense yell, Jesus Piece pulls the audience in and doesn’t let them go until they feel like it, after which they launch right back into brutality. Playing mostly songs from their 2023 album "…So Unknown", it was a set of gut-twisting hardcore and metal, and as always Jesus Piece impressed. If Jesus Piece raised the energy in the room, the next group shot it through the roof. Terror came out immediately firing and didn’t stop until their time had ended. A set full of hardcore classics mixed with recent material, Terror had the crowd in the palm of their hands and they were shaking them like dice. Constant callouts, pit creation, and crowd surfers abound as they lay down their pummeling riffs on the audience. Throughout the calls for reverse stage diving and ripping out the barriers, there was still a strong overall message of support and community, a common theme amongst hardcore shows. Hardcore pride never dies. Last but most certainly not least was the iconic Hatebreed! They hit the stage to roars and yells from the crowd and instantly began their assault. This tour marks the 20th anniversary of their legendary album The Rise of Brutality. The set still included some deeper cuts and songs from other albums and was overall a perfect balance. Hatebreed’s playing was on another level as they filled the venue with wall-to-wall sound and made the people move. It was undeniably a triumphant return to the city of Philly and Hatebreed showed why they are the legends that they are.
From the young and hungry to iconic and established, this was a night of pure metal and hardcore and it was amazing. The interactions between crowds and fan is not something you get at other concerts and it is always something to be appreciated. Huge thank you to all the bands for playing and to the venue and everyone who made this possible.
Hatebreed
Terror
Jesus piece
Internal Bleeding
