Hollywood Undead - Start the undead party at Graspop!

Hollywood Undead ****1/2 (Main Stage 1) have come into maturity. Surely this statement is a oxymoronic for a L.A. nu metal party band, who blend Rap, Rock and Hip Hop into their sound, and who’s catalogue includes songs about showing your wiener, pill popping and getting tanked on vodka and Jagerbombs.  Personally I love their cocktail of sound and stage theatrics. 

They burst onto the stage with energy in their trademark painted goalie masks, and made an instant impact with ass kicking tunes 'Usual Suspects' and 'Undead'.  The lyrics to these tunes resonate with angry white disenfranchised male angst, and are littered with misogyny, in a finger up to political correctness. They also deliver with an irony and playfulness that bizarrely translates into a level of musical sophistication. 

This band is not to be boxed in and categorized, but if comparisons are to be made they sound like the illegitimate love child of Eminem, and Limp Bizkit. Every member of this band oozes musical talent. When compared with Slipknots lackluster Graspop performance it is hard to fathom why they were billed so low, and I am sure this band is much better enjoyed after dusk.  

A third of the way through their set the masks came off for ‘Comin’ in Hot’- which is one of my personal favourites.  An acoustic guitar emerged for a cover of Johnny Cash’s 'Folsom Prison Blues' and it stayed for 'Bullet'. Their blended style is genius, but the acoustics seemed a little like showing off. It also crossed my mind that that it could come from an insecurity. 

They seem to want to prove that they are not only masters of fusion, but can atomise and breakdown their sound. I didn’t enjoy the acoustics as much as the rest of their set. I felt that Charlie Scene's vocals weren’t quite rich and deep enough to rattle off that particular Cash tune.

Overall their performance was slick and professional. I was really impressed with the vocals of J-Dog. The switches between band members taking up the lead vocals was seamless. Next year I would like to see this band featured a bit higher up the list, I will be buying all their albums and checking them out on their tour.