Live Review: Hardcore 2012 - The Hi-Fi

I Exist – two words (well a personal pronoun and a noun) that can be described in half the space: heavy. Boasting a four-axe attack, Canberra's favourite sons delivered a powerful opening punch to Hardcore 2012 and in the process confirmed themselves as seriously rising stars of Australian hardcore.

Break Even's final over-18s show was always going to be something special and the Perth natives didn't disappoint. Garnering one of the best responses of the night the boys played their hearts out to an audience that screamed back every word and at times simply resembled a sea of raised fists. Maybe these guys should reconsider quitting?

Next up were Break Even's fellow West Australians Miles Away, who have gained a fearsome reputation as seasoned road dogs. Straight-up melodic hardcore was the order of the day and with vocalist Nick Horsnell spending much of his time at the barrier, he was never short of punters looking to share the spotlight. Miles Away are a force of nature that just keeps getting stronger.

California's Ceremony are the current darlings of modern hardcore. Just arty enough that the hipsters love them, their fervent old school mix of West Coast power violence and even a Pistols-like unpredictability ensures that they also appeal to a wide cross-section of the punk rock community. As they were something of an anomaly on this bill, the crowd took a while to warm up to the crew's idiosyncratic take on punk rock. But with vocalist Ross Farrar throwing himself around like a rag doll and a slew of cuts from the Rohnert Park LP assaulting their eardrums, an initially bemused crowd quickly became rabid and increasingly sweaty converts.

Mindsnare needed no introduction and the fact that they rarely play live these days just added to the anticipation for this performance. Not surprisingly, the veteran's patented brand of metallic hardcore ruthlessly tore apart the Hi-Fi like a serrated blade slicing through a gangrenous wound. Set of the night hands down.

What's left to say about the mighty Terror? These guys exude a righteous love of hardcore, a love that infects everyone in the band's vicinity. Egged on by a avalanche of vocalist Scott Vogel's patented Vogelisms™, the crowd reacted to a slew of Terror classics with what can only be politely termed as wild and unbridled enthusiasm. The likes of Overcome, Stick Tight and One With The Underdogs incited the biggest pits of the night and sent a flood of bodies over the railings ensuring that security earned their keep. Once again Terror absolutely destroyed with a performance that formed a fitting end to the strongest Hardcore yet.