Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany 16th February 2024
Lionheart - “Welcome to the Westcoast” European Tour - Special guests: Suicide Silence, Kublai Khan TX, Paleface Swiss
LIONHEART, the kings of Hardcore from the Bay Area in California first stormed the scene in 2007 with their debut album ‘The Will To Survive’. Influenced by bands such as BLOOD FOR BLOOD, HATEBREED and MADBALL, LIONHEART kicked off with a brutal storm of murderous Hardcore. Shortly afterwards, in 2010, ‘Built On Struggle’ followed and in 2012 they followed up with ‘Undisputed’ and years of consistent touring. After a short break and the release of ‘Undisputed’, the band returned stronger than ever in 2014 with ‘Welcome To The Westcoast’.
The album entered both the iTunes Metal and GooglePlay Metal charts at #1. LIONHEART conquered the scene again in January 2016 with ‘Love Don’t Live Here’. The album title, which is a nod to the R&B / Motown classic of the same name, shows the band’s reluctance to be pigeonholed into the same old “Hardcore” mould; just like the bitter and harsh lyrics the band is known for. In November 2017, LIONHEART then released ‘Welcome To The Westcoast II’. As a sequel to the 2014 album of the same name, the album ushered in a new era of Californian Hardcore and once again earned the band #1 on the iTunes Metal and GooglePlay Metal charts. Now, after two years of relentless worldwide touring, LIONHEART return with their heaviest album to date: ‘Valley Of Death’. With a blend of metallic Hardcore and hard west coast groove, frontman Rob Watson offers an insight into a life of torment, violence and an unyielding will to never give up. Together with the three notable special guests that LIONHEART have signed up for their tour, Oberhausen was in for a Hardcore mosh fest of epic proportions.
Paleface Swiss
First on the roster were PALEFACE SWISS. The Swiss-based four-piece, known for their brutal Deathcore, had the task to warm-up the crowd for everything that was about to come later that evening. https://www.palefaceofficial.com
Music & Performance
Pretty early at 7pm, a gloomy intro resounded from the speakers, and the four members of PALEFACE SWISS kicked off their set. Their music, a hauntingly beautiful symphony of chaos and harmony, served as a poignant reminder of the band’s mastery over their chosen genres. Their songs, from the emotionally charged ‘Fear Me’ to the melodic yet hard-hitting ‘Warfare’, are a testament to their musical versatility and lyrical prowess. The guttural screams of the lead vocalist intertwined seamlessly with the pounding drums and aggressive guitar riffs, culminating in a sonic experience that is as captivating as it is visceral. However, in terms of guitar sound, the band would have profited from the addition of another guitar, as one guitar sounded a little lightweight during the set.
Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 6
Sound: 6
Light: 5
Total: 6 / 10
Kublai Khan TX
Next up were KUBLAI KHAN TX. The quartet from Texas have carved up a loyal following with their uniquely aggressive blend of Beatdown Hardcore. So far they have released four studio albums, with the last called ‘Absolute’ from 2019. https://www.kublaikhantx.com
Music & Performance
Around 7:40pm, the evening was entering a different weight class. KUBLAI KHAN took to the stage and started delivering their heavy portion of Beatdown Hardcore. Especially singer Matt Honeycutt’s ability to bark into the microphone, which together with his well-built outer appearance mimicking a pit-bull, stood out from the beginning. Music wise, there were no surprises. Heaviest riffing, paired with guttural screaming and overarching drums delivered, what the mosh pit wanted to hear.
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 7
Sound: 7
Light: 6
Total: 7 / 10
Suicide Silence
Spot no. 3 of this evening fell to the American Deathcore band SUICIDE SILENCE. The band from Riverside, California, has formed in 2002, and is currently on the seventh album release (‘Remember… You Must Die’ from 2023). Their music is also described as deathcore with a penchant for high-pitched Black Metal inspired screamed vocals. www.suicidesilence.net
Music & Performance
Things took a much darker turn around 8:30 pm with the advent of SUICIDE SILENCE. When vocalist Hernan “Eddie” Hermida appeared and screamed the words “Oberhausen!”, all hell broke loose inside the mosh pit. The next 45 minutes was dominated by the band’s characteristic mixture of guitar riffing, paired with relentless double bass drums and guttural screaming and growling. Halfway through the set, Eddie instigated a “ladies-only” circle pit, and the female fans gladly obliged. All this combined with a blistering light show, SUICIDE SILENCE definitely gave their fans (lots of them wearing the band’s merchandise) a deafening treatment, so after the set you could look into a lot of spent but happy faces.
Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 8
Sound: 7
Light: 8
Total: 7.5 / 10
Lionheart
The band from Oakland, California has earned a cult status among their fans by relentless touring with peer bands back in the days such as BIOHAZARD, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. After the Covid pandemic, LIONHEART have played a small European tour and lots of summer festivals in the last years, but the line-up seemed to have attracted loads of people, as the Turbinenhalle was pretty packed. https://www.lnhrt.net
Music & Performance
Shortly before 10pm, the curtain with the LIONHEART logo shielding the centre stage was bathed in blue light. When it fell, the six band members kicked off their set with ‘Welcome to the Westcoast’ and sent the crowd into frenzy. Front man Rob Watson fired up the audience, and the whole front of stage section was ready to party. However, during the first part of the second song, the band had to stop, as someone in the crowd needed medical attention. Fortunately, everyone made way for the first responders, and the band could continue their gig. The band members exuded an incredible amount of energy, engaging the crowd from the very first note. Guitarist Walle Etzel addressed the crowd in German during a song break, instructing everyone to get down on the floor and jump up at the same time. A short cover of LIMP BIZKIT’s ‘Break stuff’ was ecstatically received by the audience, and the band also handed out black towels with the band’s logo that everyone got to wave over their heads during the last song, which finished with two huge blasts from prepared confetti cannons after a good hour of playtime.
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 8
Light: 8
Total: 8 / 10
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