Incite - Impressive Metal

*****

A band you really need to check out!!!

Incite ***** are a band I wanted to see live more and more, over the last few years. And sadly not been able to see them, so I was really looking forward to their set. I have always liked Incite, but when I heard their album 'Built to Destroy', really started to grab me and make me want to listen to the band all the time. They are a regular on my iPod, whcih I carry around everywhere. Especially their last album 'Wake up Dead', which has so many killer cuts. You can hear on this record, the bands love of music. Their is so many influences on it, and you can hear that in track. People might say that Incite are only on tonight's bill because Richie is Max's stepson, but if you listen to the record you can see this is not the case. Incite are a great band, and as a musician myself. When I hit the road, I want to take the people I love with me... and wouldn't you.

They open up the set, with one of their best tracks 'Up in Hell'. And you can see immediately that they have a DIY Hardcore / Metalcore vibe to their live show. It's this get in your face kind of performance that you would expect from bands like the Cancer Bats and Himsa, the kind of stage show where you want the audience to leave in pain. Because they have been having such a good time, jumping around and going crazy in the pit. One of the things I noticed straight away about the live show is the stready Groove Metal vibe to the bands music, and I think a lot of this is provided by bass player Christopher "EL" Elsten who has a Crowbar / Pantera image to him. You can see what he likes, and what he adds to the band.

Saying all this they have some great Thrash Metal riffs to them, they mix up so many Metal genres... so you can see why the band just describe themselves at Metal. And you can hear all these elemnets on their single 'F**k with Me (Wake up Dead)' off the new album, which sounds even better than it does on the record live. But I have to say all their new material is so good live, and on recording. I really can't decide what my favourite song is, and it's great to see Richie go crazy banging and swirling his head in between going near the front of the stage and banging his head and singing in the crowds faces. They continue with the song 'War Soup' which features Max Cavalera, and Max is in the house tonight with Cavalera so it's sad he doesn't come out and sing it with Richie. But I do understand why he doesn't, the band don't want any critisim. 

The performance is so commanding, you can't take your eyes off it. And it's great to hear sounds from the 80's / 90's and modern music, done with a new vibe to it. Like on 'Deadbeat' which has Thrash and Hardcore in it, and could have been done by Gallows or bands from the New York Hardcore scene. I also like the addition to the set of 'Lost Reality' off the 'Opperesion' album, where people first really took note of Incite as a band to really watch. A track from their set I really think you should check out to get into the band is 'Mental Destruction', whcih I have added at the bottom of the page. I think it will get you into the band, this is one I listened to a lot of times. And if you love that, then pick yourself up a copy of 'Wake up Dead', because if you love heavy music... I don't think you will be disappointed.

Their last tracks in the set 'Built to Destroy' and the infectious 'WTF', think put the final nail in the bands set in the right way. Because when I was at the merchandise booth, buying one of the CD's I was missing in my collection and a patch, there was quite a few other people doing the same. I think Incite are a band you will be hearing a lot more of in the futuere, so watch this space because we will be telling you about when they are back in the UK to play again.

Review and Photos by Dan Devour

Incite - Setlist
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Up in Hell
F**k with Me (Wake up Dead)
War Soup
Deadbeat
Lost Reality
Mental Destruction
Built to Destroy
WTF 

Check Out! the Video for 'Mental Destruction' Below...