Location: Wien Arena / Vienna / Austria
Date: November 21, 2019
The Never Say Die tour remains to this day one of those landmark tours that has featured a sea of bands swimming in the waters of metalcore, deathcore, hardcore, post-hardcore, and more. This year’s headliners were Japan’s Crystal Lake, a band that gains more recognition with each passing year. The supporting acts were perhaps not yet household names, but the lineup itself held quite a few surprises. Six bands were on the bill this time around, so the show kicked off in the afternoon. It took place at the renowned Wien Arena, which holds up to 1,000 people.
Opening the show were Boston’s Great American Ghost, who drew around 100 people. Despite the modest turnout, Great American Ghost won the crowd over with an energetic performance. The band leans toward a rawer brand of hardcore, which definitely added to the authenticity of the tour. That they put everything on the line was clear as early as the second song, when the vocalist launched himself into the crowd over a barrier that was at least two meters from the stage. Quite a bold move, and fortunately one that ended well for the singer’s back. Definitely a band that deserves a bigger crowd, and the energy on stage says it all.
Next up were Alpha Wolf, a young Australian band with a debut album, Mono, and three EPs under their belt. The guitarist was the real attention-stealer, his whole look clearly drawing inspiration from the Japanese Visual Kei style. With his outfit and a classic Japanese mask, he absolutely stood out. The band delivered a fairly aggressive metalcore set, though nothing really stood out as exceptional. The energy levels weren’t quite on par with the openers either. They did have more crowd support, though — around 200 people by this point — and the audience kept growing with each act.
Flying the metalcore flag next were England’s Our Hollow Our Home. Another young band, with two albums to their name. The front rows were noticeably fuller by now. The band’s music doesn’t exactly break new ground — they lean on proven formulas, and even the breakdowns felt predictable. To be fair, they’re still a young band finding their sound, and judging by the crowd response Our Hollow Our Home do have real potential — but they’ll need to do something more distinctive to pull in bigger numbers.
England’s Polar were up next, with more albums under their belt than the other acts and, more importantly, a lot more mileage. The frontman initially came across like a pop star straight out of the Katy Perry playbook, but the crowd ate it up. The band played a mix of hardcore and metalcore, and the set included material from the album Nova, which the audience clearly embraced. Polar got the crowd on its feet, with the support showing in moshpits and all the other expected forms of chaos. Their set was a testament to quality and proof that the hardcore and metalcore scene in the UK is very much alive.
King 810, who hail from the US state of Michigan, have been getting a lot of media attention lately for bringing various weapons on stage. This has led to shows being cancelled in some places due to their provocative approach. There were plenty of fans in attendance, no question about that, but the music itself was nothing special. The band leaned heavily on image — the vocalist in particular was desperate to be the center of attention, flashing his gold teeth. Even though King 810 are supposedly known for high-energy, aggressive shows, this time around it felt like they couldn’t be bothered. The set was correspondingly flat — honestly just boring. And the music itself, drawing from nu-metal and metalcore, isn’t exactly a standout either.
Australia’s In Hearts Wake were on hand to wash away the bitter aftertaste left by King 810. The band plays fairly classic metalcore, though you can hear hardcore and post-hardcore elements in there too. The experience shows — the set was polished. No surprise there, given that they have 4 albums and countless tours behind them. In a way, you could have expected In Hearts Wake to be the headliner; the crowd reaction and how packed the venue was certainly backed that up. What really set the crowd off was when Ryo from Crystal Lake joined them for one song, his vocals amplifying the power of the whole thing.
Crystal Lake stepped up last, and it was hard to know what to expect. The band’s last Austrian show had been as a support act for Parkway Drive (review HERE). This time they had more time and a bigger setlist to work with. Crystal Lake brought some fresh additions to their usual set, and it was also the first time a Japanese band had headlined the tour. The packed venue promised something special. The crowd lost it immediately after the intro when Crystal Lake exploded into Helix. By the end, moshpits were breaking out everywhere — two running side by side at one point. Along the way they played all their best-known tracks: Lost in Forever, Hail to the Fire, Alpha, Omega. And of course they saved the best for last, closing with Apollo and Prometheus. Crystal Lake absolutely delivered again, and with the crowd fully on board, a return visit can’t come soon enough — though we’ll have to be patient, as the band will be busy working on a new album in 2020.
Beyond the performances, there’s something else worth highlighting. Several bands used their time on stage to make a call for charity. The Australians were raising funds for victims of the wildfires. In Hearts Wake raised the theme of “It’s ok not to be ok!” — the aim being to bring attention to supporting those with mental health struggles, and to highlight rising suicide rates worldwide. Crystal Lake also devoted a few minutes to the cause, with vocalist Ryo speaking about the issue before Lost In Forever. Counselling sessions were available after the shows, with proceeds going to charity.
The Never Say Die tour was more than just a success. On top of that, the lineup was varied and the bands more interesting than in previous years.
Text and photos: Denis Paradiž
Edited by: Primož Novak
