In This Moment
HARTFORD – The Hellpop Tour’s 2014 edition came rolling into the Webster Theater in Hartford, Connecticut on Saturday night. This year’s version of the Hellpop tour featured two female-fronted bands, In This Moment and Butcher Babies.
In This Moment, at this moment, seems to be headed towards bigger and better things as they seem to be popping up on every major tour to hit this area. ITM is currently touring in support of their 2012 release, Blood.
As the lights went down a very ominous sounding recording of Type O Negative’s song, Black No. 1, was piped in as smoke rose from the stage. The stage consisted of two 10-foot high wrought iron fences on each side of the microphone along with a sculpture of hands, faces and other body parts at the front of the stage. Two female backup dancers (for lack of a better phrase) were positioned on stage wearing non-descript white masks which they wore throughout the show while intermittently changing outfits. The band took the stage and got the crowd into things right away with the song Rise with Me, which is the opening track off of Blood. Four out of the first five songs are off the Blood release, with the song, Blazin’ coming from their 2010 release The Star Crossed Wasteland.
Butcher Babies
As the band left the stage, the ballad Into the Light came next, with lead singer Maria Brink taking a chair to the front of the stage to sing this piano-backed song. The band returned to the stage for a vicious cover version of Nine Inch Nails’ Closer. That cover song led directly to most of the band taking a break while the drummer had his five minutes for a pulse pounding drum solo.
Rounding out the show were a combined version of songs Prayers and Next Life, then a full version of Daddy’s Falling Angel. All three of these songs are from their first release as a band entitled Beautiful Tragedy. The band ended the set with their most recent single and controversial release, Whore. The lights stayed down while the crowd chanted for more. In This Moment didn’t disappoint, coming back on stage to close out the night with the title track of their current release, Blood.
Check out In This Moment while they are still playing fairly intimate clubs. With Maria Brink’s stage presence, a talented band and catchy heavy metal songs, it won’t be long before we see this band headlining bigger venues.
Los Angeles-based shock rockers Butcher Babies opened the show with a high energy set that had most of the crowd pumping their fists and singing the songs. Fronted by Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, Butcher Babies are touring in support of their 2013 release, Goliath. Clearly the group has a large following as they had the crowds full support. The band plowed through a number of songs off Goliath including, I Smell a Massacre, Magnolia Blvd, The Mirror Never Lies and Axe Wound. The band ripped through their set with the girls never stopping, even stepping off the stage and bravely standing on the barrier that separates the fans from the stage to sing a song. The band closed out their lively set with the crowd looking for more. They definitely had won over the fans as I haven’t seen an opening band get that kind of crowd support in a long time.
They have it all, a great sound, great looks and, most of all, a ton of energy. Butcher Babies are another band to keep an eye/ear out for. This band has gained a large fan base in a short time due to some of their outfits or lack of, but they also have the songs and stage presence to back up the looks. Watch out for the Butcher Babies… they’re coming to get you!
The Hellpop tour not only featured these two up-and-coming bands, In This Moment and Butcher Babies, but also had on the bill Devour the Day and All the Hail the Yeti. Both bands are also getting some great press and seem to be destined for bigger things.
