Despise You / In Disgust / Sex Prisoner / Magnum Force / Behavior at Aladdin Jr.
Photo Essay and Review

Text and photos: Matthew Grant Anson

It’s pretty easy to drift into over-the-top descriptions when reviewing a show, especially when the genres in question are intended to be over-the-top themselves. And while this review won’t contain the phrases “throat shredding screams,” “throbbing bass,” or “buzzsaw guitars,” there’s bound to be some hyperbole when describing Saturday’s dream-team lineup of Despise You, In Disgust, Sex Prisoner, Magnum Force and Behavior at Pomona’s Aladdin Jr. II.

To start, this was the lineup of the year and by extension probably the show of the year if the warped noise that is grindcore and powerviolence is your thing. Aladdin Jr. was overflowing with people right from the start, the packed bodies of black-clad punx contributing to a temperature of approximately 350 degrees. Behavior kicked it off, and their performance was a nice primer but by no means were they the band people were coming for, a fact reflected in the rooted legs of the audience.

Behavior played hardcore punk that actually put a lot on the table to appreciate. All of their songs sounded very similar, as if each one was exploring a slightly altered version of the same theme. It was like a really in depth look into all of the slight variations of one musical thought. The drummer was key, and while he was obviously playing hardcore, you could draw a lot of (extremely positive) parallels between his drumming and the drumming in the atmospheric black metal act Fell Voices.

BEHAVIOR

From the first screeching note from Magnum Force, the floor instantly disintegrated into mayhem, the type reserved for bands playing their final set before disbanding. Yes, unfortunately Magnum Force is now no more, but they do leave a legitimate legacy defined by passion and quality. Seeing their vocalist give it 100 percent for the last time was special, not because it was above and beyond previous live performances, but because it was exactly in line with them. The last time Magnum Force came to LA, their vocalist was writhing on the floor with a giant dildo in the parking lot of an apartment complex in South Central. It doesn’t matter if they’re opening for Despise You or if they’re being watched by confused children playing in an alley; Magnum Force brings it, and on Saturday they brought it and we were lucky to witness it.

MAGNUM FORCE

Sex Prisoner, on the other hand, is about as on the up-and-up as any powerviolence band can be. The Arizona four-piece bring actual riffs to the table, and sometimes they oh-so-satisfyingly drift into dat hardcore ignorance sound. The result this had on the audience was one that compelled even the most un-aerodynamic to launch themselves off the stage, safety and self preservation by damned. Sex Prisoner’s performance will only add to the buzz that accompanies them any time they make a trip out to LA.

SEX PRISONER

But regardless of the demise of Magnum Force or the known quality of Sex Prisoner, a huge chunk of the audience made the trip to Pomona for In Disgust. Despise You shows are no longer a rare thing, but In Disgust only got back to touring – and hopefully more – earlier this year after a several year lay-off. The guitar/bass combo produces a sound live that is almost ridiculously grating, and if the sight of weird looking kids wasn’t enough to scare off Aladdin Jr.’s regular Mediterranean food customers, In Disgust definitely was, hummus quality be damned.

IN DISGUST

Finally, Despise You. While some headliners sometimes are greeted by a less-than-enthusiastic crowd due to exhaustion or brain damage, there’s a feeling that seeing Despise You is like seeing history, and the audience responds to that. The dual vocals mean there’s no time to breathe, and the constant barrage of the accompanying and obligatory stage divers means there’s no time to relax. Despise You wrote the book on powerviolence back in the day, and they continue to school us today.

DESPISE YOU