Hell Negative | The HARD DATA

Last night, American hardcore/speedcore DJs and black/death metal bands joined forces in Las Vegas, NV to reinforce the powers of the underground in an outstanding way. Since we were in the city of sin, bands Demesic and Dead Reckoning were certain to make an appearance and our headliner Acid Enema performed as their live duo (Noth on guitars, Abhorrent on the mic and programming), which is what I’ve been waiting for since Gabberfest 2015!

Demesic live at The Bradley. black Amalgam show. Las Vegas, NV.

The night was held together by Los Angeles’s Speedcore Militia members Slyten and Arcid as well as Las Vegas’s own DJLD and HellNegative! The live acts were a lot of fun and refreshing to the standard line up/transitions that we are used to seeing at raves and also shows the support and cooperation we have across the spectrum of American music groups and collectives. “I want to keep pushing boundaries.” says Acid Enema’s front-man Abhorrent. “I want to continue expanding interest into more metal influenced hardcore and speedcore, also as a way to open new ears and generate interest in the hardcore sound; combining musical tastes may do just that!” HellNegative feels the same way about the combination, saying, “By booking hardcore alongside other genres, we have a chance to introduce our music to a completely different demographic. And thanks to last night’s show, we’ve converted a few metal heads into speedcore and breakcore fans.”

Slyten at the Black Amalgam show. Las Vegas, NV.

There seems to be a theme going on here, as Noth also mentions that unity is a key aspect for the growth and continuation the American hardcore scene. “There is a lot of dissonance between genres and shows like these bring fans of both styles together and could maybe even cultivate a love for something new.”

There’s still plenty of evidence that the American hardcore scene is alive and thriving, even in these dive-y little bars like the Bradley which dedicated members will flock to so that we can catch up on the latest happenings and events that are coming up in the near future. You are bound to meet the right people and to make the right connections in this underworld and for Las Vegas, there isn’t a better way to get your fix than its plethora of diversity in a city where you may never run into the same person twice.

Upon arriving, I thought I was lost: that somewhere between the caged liquor store and the tagged up strip malls, there may have once been a building in between that stood as the ground zero for hardcore parties in San Bernardino, CA. After I pulled over to the side of the road and started observing the area, I had noticed that there were security personnel outside the door to some kind of establishment. Could this be it? It can’t be. It doesn’t look like it. After waiting a little while, attempting to figure out if this location was correct, a car had pulled up with a group of kids that were all glammed out in brightly colored bracelets and necklaces; I guess this IS it: the sign says Arrowhead Elk’s Lodge #896, but behind its decaying walls the silent screams of bass lines ensued which meant that I was about to enter the Madhouse. Welcome to the hardcore underground.

HellNegative Returns with an appearance at the Madhouse! — HellNegative Returns!

The place had been transformed into a fortress of sound both inside and out. DJNC Odie and the Desert Rats took control of the outside stage while the Techno Belligerent crew established rule inside. HellNegative opened the night with Drum & Bass. It was three years ago that he had to leave us, ever since then his return has been highly anticipated, and the fact that I happened to be in town at the same time is an amazing happenstance. The rest of the night I was in utter mystery and surprise with a stacked lineup filled with names that I was unfamiliar with. I’ll say ahead of time that California is riddled with pure talent regarding the hardcore scene.

The eerie productions of Invisible Robots followed by the ruthless, cut-up Breakcore lines of Producer Snafu generated so much creative response in me and certainly the rest of the room. BC Rydah took the stage at midnight and pushed that creative boundary even further. This man has a signature sound that needs to be heard! Unless my ears deceived me, I could’ve sworn that Chicago Footwork (a guilty pleasure of mine) made it into the mixture, which yields the utmost respect for THE best breaks DJ I’ve heard in my time. Blackened speedcore was also admitted inside the Madhouse as the night grewer darker: Acid Enema! Abhorrent (vocalist and one-half of the Las Vegas based duo) performed a DJ set and live vocal session (provided in part by AngelEnemy), which was a perfect lead in for Virtue, one half of the GabberTwinz, and the ringleader himself: ARCID who closed out the night just before the sun was set to rise.

BC Rydah playing Jungle/Breaks at the Madhouse — BC Rydah: King of the Breaks!

For the first time, I had experienced the mad and the macabre that I’ve only heard about from states away. And to quote the movie “Demons” (as are the radical Techno Belligerent crew and all the talent who were behind the decks): “They will make cemeteries their cathedrals and the cities will be YOUR tombs!” – Thank you to Desert Rats and Techno Belligerent crew for the memories and I can’t wait until the next one. And thank you to the dedicated crowd that showed up and supported as well! Without you directly, parties like this can’t happen!