Horror

HAPPY HALLOWEEN: AFI- ALL HALLOWS EP

I’ve had a tradition for many years that when it’s Halloween, I have to listen to AFI’s All Hallows EP. It’s really a great Halloween companion. It sets the mood oh so sweetly. Released in October of 1999, All Hallows features three new songs and one cover. The three originals are damn good. “Fall Children” really captures the energy of AFI at the time. “The Boy Who Destroyed The World” is one of those songs that shows a bit where the band was heading into The Art Of Drowning. “Total Immortal” is one of my favorite AFI songs. I love the rawness of this song. It’s got such a great punk feel mixed with the right amount of goth/post-punk to make it quite memorable. And who can forget their awesome cover of The Misfits “Halloween.” I mean AFI and The Misfits is a perfect match. Some more fun history about this EP and era of the band is after the release, AFI would tour with Sick Of It All. Then concluding that tour, they went on to tour with Danzig. Talk about a tour!!! I’d love to see that now even. “The Boy Who Destroyed The World” was featured in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skakter 3 video game. The Offspring would go on to cover “Total Immortal” and that was featured in the Jim Carrey movie, Me, Myself and Irene. By the way, AFI’s version is way better than The Offspring’s. I really miss when bands would do one off’s like this. AFI is on quite the roll right now as their new album, Silver Bleeds The Black Sun is out and it’s fantastic! So when you’re done listening to the All Hallows EP, be sure to check out my review and listen to Sliver Bleeds The Black Sun. You can thank me later!

AFI- All Hallows EP:

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: HO99O9- TOMORROW WE ESCAPE

A few years back my friend Adam suggested I check out the band HO99O9 (pronounced Horror). I had heard the name before and was mildly curious. Then after I checked it out, I was hooked. Not long after that, we wound up going to a sort of secret show in the back of a coffee shop in Downtown Los Angeles to see HO99O9. That show really cemented for me what this band is all about. Intense isn’t the right word, more like vicious is a better way to describe this duo. HO99O9 blurs the line between hip hop, metal, industrial, electronic and then some. Having toured with Slipknot, Korn, Alice in Chains, Rob Zombie, Ministry, Cypress Hill, and Ghostface Killah, they definitely have the pedigree behind them.

Tomorrow We Escape is the bands third full length album. This one is very direct and focused on a mission. Throughout the 11 song album, there are many twists and turns that keep you captivated and trying to guess what’s next. The chaos is controlled yet burns its own path. From the instant the first song “I Miss Home” begins all the way through to the epic closer “Godflesh,” there is no letting off the pedal. Chock full of powerful beats that pulsate even in your brain even after the song is done, hooks that feel catchy but not cheesy and an edge that is razor sharp that cuts so deep. Other standout tracks include “Escape,” “OK, I’m Reloaded,” “Upside Down, and “L.A. Riots.” There are two specific songs though that truly shine on this album. The first being “Tapeworm” which features Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan, Better Lovers, The Black Queen, etc) and it’s one hell of a song. Greg takes the song to a whole other level. Just listen and you’ll know what I mean. And the other one is “Immortal” which features Chelsea Wolfe. This track is a complete 180 for the band and it is hauntingly dreamy. There’s a soothing touch to this song.

This is the album, I’ve been waiting for HO99O9 to make. The OGM and Yeti Bones have truly found their path on Tomorrow We Escape. All the elements that were thrown into the mix have a distinct place on these songs. When you think something might be out of place or a little weird, it’s not, just go with it and let it sink in. If you are looking for a barn burner of an album, this one is for you. I highly recommend you play this one loud and make sure your windows are down, it might shatter glass!

Overall Rating: A

Review By: Brian Lacy

HO99O9- Tomorrow We Escape:

Live Review: Ho99o9

I’m sure you’ve all had this thought before. You hear an album and it really impresses you and then you start to wonder how they are live. Will they be able to pull this off live? Will it live up to the feeling you got when you first heard the album? Well, let me tell you, if you’re like me and you listened to Ho99o9 and thought those things, you will absolutely 100% not be disappointed when you see them live. As I watched the crowd explode into a frenzy and the band utterly decimate the small venue, I knew from the first minute in, that Ho99o9 are without a doubt, the real deal.

 

At a little after 10pm, the lights went down and projections appeared on the brick wall behind the stage, then 3 figures appeared on stage. From that point, it was a burst of chaos and excitement. Eaddy and TheOGM owned that stage from the get go along with drummer Brandon Pertzborn. The amount of energy radiating off that stage was reminiscent of my time going to see punk and hardcore shows in small/tight venues. Over the course of an hour, Ho99o9 blazed through songs from their debut album United States of Horror as well as their Cyber Cop EP. Songs like “War Is Hell,” “Street Power,” “Money Machine,” “Face Tatt,” “Knuckle Up,” “United States of Horror,” and “Mega City Nine” were commanding and performed with a take no prisoners approach. Their unique blend of hip-hop, industrial and punk rock is pummeling and vigorous while at the same time full of piss and gasoline.

 

I’ve seen a lot of shows in my life (and I mean A LOT), and this was one of those shows that will be replaying in my head for days, weeks and months to come. Ho99o9 are taking over and you should prepare accordingly. If they are on the bill and playing early, do yourself a favor and get there to see them. They will also be the band that steals the show from whoever they are playing with. I can’t wait to see what they do next and where they go musically. As I said above, Ho99o9 are the real deal and they should be on your radar.

 

Review and Photos By: Brian Lacy

(I was too into the show to really take many pictures)