Code Orange (captured by K. Sonne Photography)
Sometimes, a longer absence of a band can feel all the more rewarding when they make their way back out for headline and festival shows. In the case of Code Orange and Loathe, the two household names in heavy music used this opportunity to team up for four special double headline shows across Germany amidst a busy touring schedule. We visited the concert in Frankfurt and got a firsthand impression of the carnage.
Inner Space (captured by K. Sonne Photography)
The opening act Inner Space from Leipzig presents songs with serious groove and determined breakdowns. Within a compact 25-minute set, a variety of metalcore and deathcore are at the epicenter of the band’s sound. Unfortunately, the venue is still really empty which makes it hard to motivate people to engage. Seemingly unphased by this, the group still manages to hop from one crushing breakdown to the next, best represented in Colors. In their best moments, the band come eerily close to the prowess of UK powerhouse Employed to Serve.
The quartet from Leipzig give it their all. Unfortunately, the bad mixing for their set makes them come across as a project that relies on pre-recorded guitar tracks to add extra punch. Though the band shows potential in their approach to heavy riffs, more distinctive components are still somewhat missing to make Inner Space stand out from the crowd.
Loathe (captured by K. Sonne Photography)
After touring as support for Code Orange in the US, this double headline show gives Loathe from Liverpool the chance to prove why they have a reputation as one of the best bands in heavy music right now. With their last performance in Germany dating as far back as 2018, it feels like a long overdue catching up with a best friend.
The rather melancholic stage presence is contrasted with the band’s impactful songwriting that comes to fruition: Punchy drumming accompanies snarling baritone guitars that are tuned lower than even the bass; frontman Kadeem France lunges left and right whilst delivering a powerful performance with a constant smile on his face. The sounds created by the band brilliantly carry over to the crowd during the opener Aggressive Evolution, the disgusting groove beast that introduces the band’s highly acclaimed second LP, I Let It In And It Took Everything. This record dominates the majority of the setlist which is pieced together by keyboard interstitials that let the heaviness of the songs properly breathe.
During the set, France trades off vocal lines with guitarist Erik Bickerstaffe at mesmerizing speed. What is striking is the strong similarity the two have when both singing and shouting. Even though the mix muddies the sung passages at times, the power of the more visceral vocals make up for this easily.
The energy in the crowd has already picked up significantly towards the latter part of the set when the room is split in half for Gored, a track that truly does its name justice: After building up a wall of noise for almost a minute, the band nosedives straight into pummeling breakdown sections, blastbeats and chaotic screaming. In the set's quieter moments, the group shines as well, such as in the eye-watering Is It Really You? or the slowburning Two-Way Mirror. I Let it In… serves the best of both worlds, developing from more ballad-like verses to haunting heavier parts and ethereal synthesizers.
Ending their set with White Hot, the quartet leaves the audience asking for more. Loathe have not had the chance to visit mainland Europe to promote their music to its full extent, but this set is a welcome comeback to prove their strength as a live band. Here’s to hoping that the follow-up record will be able to contain the energy the band has brought to the table this evening - and once again blow all expectations.
Code Orange (captured by K. Sonne Photography)
Equally mosh-friendly and fierce, no-one other than Code Orange continue the program with a varied setlist full of classics and new songs alike. Given the band’s long absence in Germany, an EP, full length LP and a remix album have been released in the meantime. Within an energetic 60-minute set, the crown jewel of modern hardcore from Pittsburgh manages to pack every aspect of the band’s sound into their performance. Lead guitar player Dominic Landolina is notably absent from this tour due to a foot surgery, making keyboarder Eric "Shade” Balderose return to guitar duties like he used to on the first three records.
The recently released Grooming My Replacement opens the set with shrill guitar noise before launching into the abrasive hardcore sound the band has always been deeply rooted in. Since the release of 2020s Underneath, Jami Morgan has handed over drum duties to Max Portnoy to concentrate on his visceral delivery front of stage. Emerging in a mask moulded after his face that he refers to as the mask of sanity, Morgan comes across equally ominous and fierce as he puts down said disguise to flail around the venue. It is clear that the band approaches every show with the same energy: Despite the room being quite empty for a Sunday evening, the audience jumps, spinkicks and dances to the eclectic sonic attack on the senses.
Compared to the major production the band brings out to US shows, the minimalist approach with lighting and a banner makes the concert feel more intimate and up close than usual. In a perfect world, there would have been no barrier separating crowd and artist as seen in the various performances published by hate5six on YouTube. The band effortlessly makes up for this by swapping spots on stage, with Morgan heading down to the crowd multiple times to scream into the fans’ faces. In what can only be described as a cacophony of noise and digitally manipulated soundscapes, the trio of Swallowing the Rabbit Whole, In Fear and the Underneath remix Drowning In It brings out the group’s most grotesque and outlandish facets. There is a notable difference in the sound per record that is being presented: whereas older material leans more into hardcore and beatdown elements, newer songs let the techno hell Balderose is known for in his work take center stage.
Code Orange (captured by K. Sonne Photography)
The arguably most accessible track of the evening, Out For Blood, has the audience spinning in circles to the irresistible stomp the one-off single eludes. It’s exhilarating to see an artist combine this many variations in sound whilst maintaining their signature trademarks. The reimagination of dream2/Dreams in Inertia pays homage to Reba Meyers’ sense for dark melodies that can also be found in Autumn and Carbine. Meyers’ vocals vary from guttural, high-pitched screaming to catchy melodies, all underpinned by her brilliant guitar playing. It’s the moments when the band goes batshit crazy, however, which are most memorable: My World off 2014s I Am King brings the room to a boil with punishing tempo changes before Forever ends the set in style. "Code Orange is forever” may be a bold statement to some, but after two Grammy nominations, support slots for the likes of Deftones or System of A Down and Slipknot, it’s undeniable that there’s no stopping anytime soon for the Pittsburgh powerhouse.
Rating: 4/5 feathers
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