Forgot to post this review here I did of Hallowfest.
Hallowfest
10/26/2019
Shelter, Sakae
Nagoya, Aichi
by Travis Finch
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It’s the last Saturday night before Halloween in Nagoya. Most night owls are prowling the club circuit or bouncing from bar to bar with an Absolute wrist band, a staple of downtown autumn activities. But this year, there’s a new event in town, one for the pocket of denizens who still ache for the thumping of a live drum kit over blasting amplifiers. This is Hallowfest at Shelter in Sakae, the premiere rock showcase for October’s end in Nagoya City.
The night starts off slow but those already in attendance are a colorful display of costumes: giant lobsters, sexy cat girls, an authentic recreation of Corey Taylor’s get-up from the fifth Slipknot album...and what’s a Halloween event without another huge walking cock and balls? The first act on the bill is Mosaic., a folk trio dressed for the occasion as a cowboy, Dracula, and Draco Malfroy. There are lots of covers and the songs are subtle enough to set a relaxing mood for lots of casuals who are easing their way into the night. For the record, there was an acoustic version of “Thriller”. I hold one penalty which is for creating the whitest version of “Sexual Healing” ever conceived, but don’t let that stop you from catching these swell gentlemen the next time you get a chance.
Transitioning from acoustic to electric, Sugar Riser takes the stage as perhaps the most pure rock group of the night. Full of swinging hard riffs, Sugar Riser pumped up the atmosphere as Shelter started to fill up in population. For anyone worried about whether this event would be a hit or a failed experiment, all concerns can be left behind as the night is growing more and more full of neat outfits bobbing heads to the sweet tunes of Sugar Riser.
Two Japanese bands in a row, Sugar Riser is followed by bend's. This is by far the most technical and precise act on the bill. You could say all the bands so far, whether intentionally or not, have appropriate names as Mosaic blends musical influences to make a cohesive picture, Sugar Riser doubles the crowd’s energy, and Bend’s has a style that contorts at unexpected moments in their music. This isn’t a math rock band that stands idle focusing on their busy hands either. They were rocking up and down the stage. Call it technical, call it psychedelic, or call it a jam band. I call it a damn good time.
Up next was Ghost of Matsubara, a mainstay of the Nagoya local music scene for several years. The singer/guitarist Tom Fallon is responsible for organizing the event in discussion and it wouldn’t be the last time we see him or drummer, Dalton Junior, this night. It’s no surprise that GOM would rock a crowd in Sakae as they’ve been doing it for ages and they proved that their sound and fans aren’t going anywhere.
The headlining act of the night was TROYL, who for the uninitiated is a group of Brazilian, Paraguayan, and Japanese musicians that have been storming the local metal scene of Nagoya over the past year and prior. This is a special set for them as the band was recently struck with tragedy. Troyl played at the September edition of Metal Meet Up, a free monthly event for metalheads and punk rockers to socialize and check out music at Shelter. They electrified the crowd at Metal Meet Up and everyone left with a smile on their faces, but to the dismay of the entire community, bassist Isamu Hikazutani unfortunately passed away on his way home from the event.
While Hallowfest was already locked in for its October 26th date at the time, the concert was now converted into a benefit show. All proceeds of the event went to funeral expenses of Isamu’s family. Over ¥90,000 was raised for the cause. There is no amount of money or right expression of words to truly console those affected, but if it’s any small consolation at all, it wasn’t just money that was raised this night. Spirits were lifted as well. Japanese rockers and expats alike came to support, but the Brazilian community were the real MVP’s here in full force rocking as hard as possible for the memory of Isamu and genuinely good tunes of Troyl.
Tom Fallon volunteered to fill in on bass and learn Isamu’s groove lines on short notice. Dalton graced the stage again on skins with his pummeling and precise percussion. Andriky Ishiba is a shredder with a presence too large for the stage who blessed the audience by jumping into the crowd when delivering each solo. Armando Takazato is a vocal beast with a great range of high screams to guttural growls. There were some hiccups with the microphone during the set, but it didn’t hold anything back from Troyl. Maybe the device just couldn’t handle the true metal. Their original material crushed and they included two Pantera covers as well. Believe this: Troyl’s set never had a dull moment in the crowd. With non-stop headbanging thrashers, push mosh pits, stage diving, and even some two-stepping from the hardcore kids, any indication that rock is dead in this city can be laid to rest.
The night ended with an unexpected set from Brazilian rockers, Building trees, who kept the crowd going wild for the rest of the night. It was a great night for the people of Sakae, an awesome experience for rock and metal lovers, and most importantly a joyous celebration for the life of Isamu that would make him so happy to see the smiles on his friends, family, and fans having the night of their life.
