Haste the Day / Extol / Embrace Today / Beyond All Hope
Hyamp Huntington, WV May 3rd, 2005
By Jason Jordan
With all the one-way streets that riddle Huntington, you can imagine how arduous it was to actually get to Hyamp. But, once my friend and I arrived, we lumbered inside to find Peter from Extol. After settling into the bands RV, I had a nice chat with the only remaining Espevoll in the group, and then headed into the humongous garage-like venue. I was a bit dismayed to learn that Haste the Day were the headliners, but I was also rightfully elated because I knew Id get to leave earlier. I had a three-hour drive after the show.
First off, Hyamp struck me as a great venue for a number of reasons: their system of admission is excellent, their setup is conducive to both live performances and the lines that accompany a concert, and their proprietor was genuinely a nice guy. The show began pretty early and locals Beyond All Hope captured the forefront much to the crowds excitement. It was obvious that the band is comprised of hometown heroes. They proved to be worthy of an opening slot as they trounced through material that I was, unfortunately, not familiar with. Beyond All Hopes stage presence was great, though. At one point, Holley (bass) climbed on top of the PA and then up to the ceiling during his, one and only, vocal performance. The six members of the West Virginian group put on an entertaining set, and gave the audience plenty of antics to watch. Also, crowd participation was at an all-time high. Naturally, because I havent heard any studio material from them, their music didnt leave a lasting impression on me whatsoever. Maybe thatll be remedied in the future.
My friend and I decided to forego the Embrace Today part of the show in favor of drinking beer on the train tracks that parallel the back of Hyamp. We made it back in time to catch Extols sound check, which lasted a little longer than I wanted it to. With that, though, the Norwegians blasted into Gloriana the opening track found on their latest album The Blueprint Dives. David Husvik (drums) looked determined as ever, and Ole Halvard Sveen (guitars, vocals), Peter Espevoll (vocals, acoustic guitar), and John Robert Mjaland (bass) worked to create massive whirlwinds of hair. The band then moved on to Soul Deprived, which is another track from their second Century Media excursion. Blood Red Cover, lifted from Synergy, was also represented in all its glory. I was put-off by the labels decision to release Pearl as a downloadable single, because I feel that it doesnt really encapsulate the predominant sound of The Blueprint Dives. However, the composition is twice as heavy live, and the vocal parts are traded between both Peter and Ole. Yet another tune from the new record In Reversal was played before the band closed with a seldom-heard song from the Paralysis EP. Paralysis is one of my favorite Extol songs, and I was obviously overjoyed (not to mention taken aback) upon hearing the quintet spit it forth.
As I mentioned earlier, I skipped out on Haste the Days set in order to get home an hour earlier. I begrudged the fact that Extol werent headlining, but I enjoyed their six-song set nevertheless. The bands I saw that night put on a great show!
UltimateMetal's Interview with Extol
Official Haste the Day Website
Official Extol Website
Official Embrace Today Website
Official Beyond All Hope Website
Official Hyamp Website
Hyamp Huntington, WV May 3rd, 2005
By Jason Jordan
With all the one-way streets that riddle Huntington, you can imagine how arduous it was to actually get to Hyamp. But, once my friend and I arrived, we lumbered inside to find Peter from Extol. After settling into the bands RV, I had a nice chat with the only remaining Espevoll in the group, and then headed into the humongous garage-like venue. I was a bit dismayed to learn that Haste the Day were the headliners, but I was also rightfully elated because I knew Id get to leave earlier. I had a three-hour drive after the show.
First off, Hyamp struck me as a great venue for a number of reasons: their system of admission is excellent, their setup is conducive to both live performances and the lines that accompany a concert, and their proprietor was genuinely a nice guy. The show began pretty early and locals Beyond All Hope captured the forefront much to the crowds excitement. It was obvious that the band is comprised of hometown heroes. They proved to be worthy of an opening slot as they trounced through material that I was, unfortunately, not familiar with. Beyond All Hopes stage presence was great, though. At one point, Holley (bass) climbed on top of the PA and then up to the ceiling during his, one and only, vocal performance. The six members of the West Virginian group put on an entertaining set, and gave the audience plenty of antics to watch. Also, crowd participation was at an all-time high. Naturally, because I havent heard any studio material from them, their music didnt leave a lasting impression on me whatsoever. Maybe thatll be remedied in the future.
My friend and I decided to forego the Embrace Today part of the show in favor of drinking beer on the train tracks that parallel the back of Hyamp. We made it back in time to catch Extols sound check, which lasted a little longer than I wanted it to. With that, though, the Norwegians blasted into Gloriana the opening track found on their latest album The Blueprint Dives. David Husvik (drums) looked determined as ever, and Ole Halvard Sveen (guitars, vocals), Peter Espevoll (vocals, acoustic guitar), and John Robert Mjaland (bass) worked to create massive whirlwinds of hair. The band then moved on to Soul Deprived, which is another track from their second Century Media excursion. Blood Red Cover, lifted from Synergy, was also represented in all its glory. I was put-off by the labels decision to release Pearl as a downloadable single, because I feel that it doesnt really encapsulate the predominant sound of The Blueprint Dives. However, the composition is twice as heavy live, and the vocal parts are traded between both Peter and Ole. Yet another tune from the new record In Reversal was played before the band closed with a seldom-heard song from the Paralysis EP. Paralysis is one of my favorite Extol songs, and I was obviously overjoyed (not to mention taken aback) upon hearing the quintet spit it forth.
As I mentioned earlier, I skipped out on Haste the Days set in order to get home an hour earlier. I begrudged the fact that Extol werent headlining, but I enjoyed their six-song set nevertheless. The bands I saw that night put on a great show!
UltimateMetal's Interview with Extol
Official Haste the Day Website
Official Extol Website
Official Embrace Today Website
Official Beyond All Hope Website
Official Hyamp Website
