Volbeat, Hourcast, Black John Wayne – Clifton Park

Review By: Heather Penfield MacNeill | Photographs by: Nadine Swiger

Are you one of the multitudes of people who have been angrily cursing the current music scene and its generic, lackluster sound? Or maybe you are one of those who have been wishing to hear some new metal that has its roots in the tremendous talent of musicians past – and I’m talkin’ the real past, not just musicians of the 70s or 80s? If any of these options sound like you, then the Danish band Volbeat may be just what you have been waiting for. Part heavy metal, part punk, part rockabilly, Volbeat has become fantastically popular across the pond with its unique blend of multiple music genres. With musical influences like Elvis, Johnny Cash and Chuck Berry, Volbeat brings a hard punk/metal edge to that beloved vintage sound. Relatively new to the United States, Volbeat’s latest album “Beyond Hell/Above Heaven” has reached gold status in multiple European countries and they are poised to explode in the American music scene as well. In Germany, Volbeat has even been voted fifth most favorite band behind only Metallica, Slayer, Motorhead, and Iron Maiden. If their performance this past Saturday at Clifton New York’s Northern Lights is to be any judge, then Volbeat is certain to become wildly popular here in the good ol’United States. The band absolutely set the stage on

fire with their electrifying performance, and the audience responded with equal enthusiasm. You might expect that since the boys from Volbeat are accustomed to playing 10,000 seat stadiums overseas they might not be as enthusiastic to play in smaller American venues, but this was far from the case! On this evening fans witnessed a performance that had all the intensity and passion of a full-size stadium show! What made this performance all the more impressive was the fact that the band was forced to play without their bassist and show did not appear to suffer in any way! Front man Michael Poulson, lead guitarist Thomas Bredahl, and drummer Jon Larsen were able to infuse the show with so much passion and musical dexterity nothing seemed lacking, the audience becoming more thrilled with each passing song. Volbeat has been known for inspiring a kind of mania in their European listeners and some of that wild support could be seen Saturday evening as Volbeat brought a few fans up onstage with them to rock out their final song- and rock out they did! In our interview with Michael Poulson he described how he enjoyed being in the smaller American venues because it gave him a chance to interact personally with the fans once again. He said it also gave him a chance to go back and relive what it was like for the band before they became so huge in Europe. No doubt this period of being less-known in America will be short-lived.

Preceding Volbeat and not to be forgotten was Boston based band Hourcast. With their latest album produced by Jay Gordon, lead vocalist of Orgy, and a song on the soundtrack of Saw III, this band is definitely one not to be missed. Hourcast has an appealing sound with some truly infectious choruses that will be echoing in your head long after the concert is over. Hourcast’s final song of the evening “Attraction” got a strong reaction from the crowd and was obviously the hit of their set. Off their latest album “Dystopia,” “Attraction” is undeniably catchy with a definite radio friendly quality to it. The electronica elements to the song will keep people coming back for multiple listens, and as well as the amazing vocals by Patrick McBride. Not only did Hourcast bring a great dynamic to the evening’s performance, but they really got the crowd pumped having fun. Hourcast has some great music videos, including the video for “Attraction,” and their live performance is even better so if you are not familiar with this band get out there and catch them on tour!

Kicking off the evening right was Black John Wayne. This band’s thrashy hardcore style got the atmosphere of the evening going right away, priming the audience for more great metal that was to come. Singer Ralph Renna commanded the attention of the audience and held it for the remainder of their set. Black John Wayne has just finished recording their first full length album titled “Serenade of the Black and Blues,” and from the preview of the album given to the audience that night this album is going to be breaking the mold with their self-described jammy blues metal tinged style. All in all Black John Wayne was a fantastic start to what was to be a killer night which just kept getting better and better!