HATEBREED – 30TH ANNIVERSARY HOMETOWN FEST – THE OAKDALE

HATEBREED – 30TH ANNIVERSARY HOMETOWN FEST – THE OAKDALE

By Daniel Jackson

So much can be said for when a community of artists and supporters come together to create something as massive as the show that took place at The Oakdale in Wallingford, CT on Sunday March 17th. An almost 8 hour long metal matinee with some of the strongest bands to fit this hideously monstrous bill perfectly! The parking lot filled up quickly and lines were long already at noon. Nothing was stopping people from participating in this much talked about Connecticut Hate race representation of the homeland. One thing is for sure, these fans are indeed as tough as they come.

The first band to open the doors was DemonScar from Long Island. They wasted no time brutalizing the crowd at The Dome with packed riffs and a hint of “we are here and in your face” aggression. This show was expected to be one for the books from the flyer, but to have a line up with a band like this opening and setting the bar for the night really locked in the mindset and excitement level for all those who came to be blown away. .

Photos by Holly Roy Photography

Next to the stage was Eyes Of The Living from Philly. What a display of cruel kindness! This four-piece lineup played to an already packed house and was only the second band of the day at 1:10 p.m. Relentlessly, they belted out song after song to this utterly spellbound audience. The band was locked in and sounded incredibly well put together. You can tell these guys definitely put in the work and the crowd loved every second of it.

First up from the Connecticut town's heavy hitters were Dead By Wednesday, who had recently released their full-length Capital Conspiracy via Salt Of The Earth Records. These CT monsters brought aggression and certified violence as a reminder to all in attendance that CT metal is not to be trifled with. These guys have shared stages with Hatebreed since the early days and there's a reason they were asked to play this show. Every heart-pounding, pit-inducing, middle-finger-giving, crowd-pleasing moment of their show was undeniably why they were there.

Photos by Holly Roy Photography

Sworn Enemy was first on the theater stage. Even though the doors had just opened, the crowd flooded in with everyone trying to be the first on the floor for their set. The band took the stage on time and proceeded to bring the kind of high energy, high volume, hard hitting performance you would expect or even demand from a band taking over a stage of this size. Not a single still body in this sea of ​​headbangers. The power and strength these guys from New York brought was just what this theater scene needed to kick things off the right way in honor of Hatebreed and Jamey Jasta helping Sworn Enemy get started.

Back to The Dome stage for more country with Connecticut's own With Honor. As we assume for any band of this caliber, the riffs were on point, the heartfelt and aggressive vocal performance was next level, and the drummer kept these guys sounding incredible with his ferocious precision and power. You could tell this was a band no one wanted to miss because the room quickly filled up again as they entered the stage and that doesn't happen often when access to the main stage has already opened. They absolutely killed it! No animals were harmed in the destruction of this stage!.

100 Demons reminded everyone that this party wasn't over. Cruising through the Theater stage like a well-oiled machine, these Connecticut natives kept the hardcore CT vibe rolling as fists and feet flew in the pit. Often the show-goers save their energy for the pioneers – not this time! Not with this band! Start to finish, the crowd was in and it was clear the band wouldn't have it any other way, the way their music demanded it!

The moment had finally come for many people as Shadow Of Intent had just taken to the stage as the final act at The Dome being the brutal band they are known to be. They did not disappoint at all. As another Connecticut favorite, there was no limit to the love this band received from their audience. They command a kind of crowd interaction that many bands could only dream of. Literally no band is better suited to prepare everyone in attendance for what they were about to experience with the last 2 bands of the night. These guys could sell out show after show on their own with the talent they have collectively, but putting them on an already stacked line up like this is insane!

Photos by Holly Roy Photography

The Dome became a ghost town as everyone flooded into the Theater for Shadows Fall. Not a single person was looking away from the stage as the Massachusetts metal legends entered the darkness. Photographers locked and loaded and security ready to do their best to contain the madness, the band let loose every man, woman and child in the building. Fears were flying as the band dominated every inch of the stage. The drums and bass were so locked in and so powerful you could feel it in your bones. The guitarists, showing us once again why Shadows Fall will forever hold the title as one of New England's metal giants, did so by shredding one lead after another. These guys are great!

The end of the evening had arrived and everyone was excited for what was to come. Hatebreed take the stage with a kind of fury that can only be described as the Hate race way of doing things. Blood had been spilled in the pit by this point, and with these guys pounding the stage, there was sure to be more to come. The crowd erupted into chaos as Hate race painted a picture of a 30-year history of Connecticut Hardcore one song at a time. As it was their guitarist Wayne's birthday, the love was real in that room and the only way to show love to a band like Hatebreed and its members is to give back the energy they worked so hard to give you all these years. That's exactly what happened here! 60+ minutes of madness.

Being a part of such a group as a band, artist, promoter, vendor, photographer, writer or even as someone just there to enjoy the experience makes you feel like you did something special. That you lived a moment that will never be lived again. Sure, there will be other great shows with a bunch of great bands, but there will never be another Hatebreed 30th Anniversary Hometown show.

Editor's note: Guest reporter Daniel Jackson is a major player in Ct. Music Stage. He is the bass player for the amazing Casting Shadows and a representative of the amazing Salt Of The Earth Records. Plus, he's a really cool guy and a huge asset to the hard rock community in the Northeast. We at AMP hope for more insightful features like Daniel's.

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