It's always cool to see a local part of the hardcore community bringing forth something new and exciting to the scene. This time with a barbecue attached it seemed like Cesspool Collective have been able to pull together something truly memorable. It was a unique experience getting to revel in the communal power of hardcore over some good (vegan) food and chill out with some old friends before going into the local VFW to see hardcore bands from all over the area tear apart one of West Chesters best venues.
First up were XSluggernautX who were actually one of the highlights of the night for me. Their distinct brand of crossover thrash with pig squeals and a few hardcore fringes was actually a lot of fun to listen too and helped to cement them in my heart as a truly dominant act. They have a great sense of their own sound and the way they orchestrate their attack seemingly can't help but charm the listener. If you have any taste in extreme music with a groove it will be hard for you to deny the power of what XSluggernautX do. Clearly on the rise these guys have the anger it takes to succeed, the only question is if you can hold on.
Up next were Not Til Death who delivered some good old fashioned hardcore with shockingly brutal vocals. There sense of old school hardcore grooves and gut crushing riffs was a lot of fun to get in too and it was with this band that we really started to see the pit get going. These guys at times are sonically overwhelming, and that's a good thing. The sense of controlled chaos that goes into their music chanels something that I hear in all of my favorite hardcore acts. You feel as if Not Til Death are balancing on the edge of a knife, about to fall over and descend into madness, but until then you have some great heavy music.
I missed the first part of Ten Ton Hammer, but what I did see I greatly enjoyed. Playing a very distinct brand of modern hardcore (And I mean that in the nicest way possible) they got the crowd moving to all manner of powerful anthems. Unapologetically vicious these guys gave off a sense of clear professionalism, plowing through songs and remaining surprisingly emotional. Sure the music is dark, but Ten Ton Hammer give a sense of light through the darkness, guiding the listener on a monochromatic journey. When they move forward you get a sense of ungodly might that defines the music itself, what more could you want?
Sicker Than Most are the kind of hardcore band who look and sound like everything hardcore originally was supposed to be. Fronted by a dude covered in tattoos shouting triumphantly simplistic lines about the darkness of life these guys unleash old school hardcore at its finest, blasting the listener over the head with riff after fucking riff. Never too complicated and oftentimes understated in their elegance Sicker Than Most understand what it means to be a hardcore band and the way they shove it down your throat is hard to deny. Immensely enjoyable and incredibly aware of the sublime power of hardcore, these guys aren't afraid to tell it like it is.
The last band I managed to catch was the quasi-immortal Troublesome. It was at this point that the music really started to wind its way into my jaded heart and force me to smile. Troublesome unleashed raw energy and got an immense pit working with kids and older hardcore dudes alike two stepping their way through relentless tracks that beat the listener into the ground. Troublesome are the sort of hardcore band who clearly deserve their spot in the scene and the deeper they got into their set the more I found myself in love. Grinding riffs and barked vocals come together to form a sort of beautiful whole, proving that Troublesome won the night, and my heart.
At the end of the night what more can I say other than that Cesspool Collective have done it again? They pulled together yet another legendary lineup and they proved that suburban PA hardcore is the kind of thing that can never die. There is a value to what these dudes do, it brings life to a jaded world and shows us that even in the darkest hours there are people who understand and can help us through. So hailz to those guys and a great night that they helped to create, bolstering our scene to a bold new level.
Find the bands on Facebook!
XSluggernautX: https://www.facebook.com/pages/XSluggernautX/269196919859570
Not Til Death: https://www.facebook.com/NotTilDeath
Ten Ton Hammer: https://www.facebook.com/tentonhammerhc
Sicker Than Most: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SICKER-THAN-MOST/10150094711510440
Troublesome: https://www.facebook.com/TroublesomePA
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