REVIEW: The HU, Asking Alexandria, Zero 9:36 at Terminal 5 | 09.11.2023

Show Reviews

Sep 12

Written By

The Psycho Thunder Tour, the co-headlining tour from rockers Asking Alexandria and folk-metalers The Hu, hit New York City's Terminal 5 on Monday with support from Zero 9:36. As is the case for most co-headlining tours, the closing slot alternates between the two bands at each stop, and for this show it was to be The Hu's turn to cap off the evening.

My familiarity with these bands' discographies was admittedly a bit limited going in, but sometimes I like it better that way. A live performance provides an opportunity to connect with the band and their music on a deeper, more personal level. To discover a band in this way and to resonate with their music creates a bond of sorts. You can always connect to the experience of watching the band live and how it made you feel. It's a more deliberate immersion in the music than just streaming it, I think. But I digress – I was excited to check out these bands with fresh ears.

THE SHOW

Zero 9:36 kicked off the evening with a passionate set. The trio had a sound that harked back to the pop and hip-hop-influenced metal of the early 2000s. Vocalist Matthew Cullen, who performs under the Zero 9:36 moniker, has an intensely driven hip-hop vocal delivery, needing to get the flow of his words out before the emotions behind them become too strong. The intensity peaks your interest to listen closely to every one of those words as to not lose out on any of the meaning.

Cullen’s singing was delivered just as passionately but in a way that balanced the aggression behind his rapped vocals; Zero 9:36’s musical yin and yang, as it were. The band's setlist included a handful of new songs, including their most recent single, "The Fear," which was released earlier this summer.

Asking Alexandria was up next. Considering that AA has been a major player in the metal scene since their formation over 15 years ago, I think it's safe to say that I was more than overdue to catch them live. As the band members took the stage, a wall of bright light gave way to "The Violence," a song as bright as it was heavy and triggered the immediate formation of a giant mosh pit. The band came ready to tear the house down; the crowd was already shaking the foundation.

Asking Alexandria's setlist touched on nearly every one of their releases, including songs from their newest album, Where Do We Go From Here?, released last month. As an outsider looking in, I was impressed by the ways in which the band's sound has evolved and been experimented with over the years. Vocalist Danny Worsnop's ability to shift from catchy pop-centric vocals to metal growls, and even some country twang here and there, was awesome to see.

Worsnop took a moment midway through the set to acknowledge that it was September 11th and that we were gathered for the show in New York City, speaking to how much the city means to them as their home. The acknowledgement of the tragic events of that day 22 years ago along with an invitation for reflection was followed by a powerful chant of "USA!" from the crowd as a fan sat on his friends shoulders and held an American flag high.

The band closed with "Alone in a Room" from their 2017 self-titled album before Worsnop signed off by saying something to the effect of, "we have been, are, and always will be Asking Alexandria." I loved that line.

As the stage began to change over to prepare for The Hu, I could tell we were in for something epic. I am fascinated by the art of Mongolian throat singing but had never witnessed it live; it was mesmerizing. What's more is that this was only one of the many sonic layers created by the band in the construction of their mystifying sound. The various instrumentation and sheer number of musicians playing them harnessed some real power and might. I'd never seen anything like it; it was amazing.

I haven't been able to find the setlist to speak to specific songs from the performance, so I will use this as an opportunity to plug the Deluxe release of the band's 2022 album, Rumble of Thunder, released this past summer. I've been listening to and enjoying the album ever since the show, using it to relive the band's electric and uniquely captivating performance.

THE SHOOT

A thunderstorm of epic proportions prevented me from making it to the venue in time to be in the pit for Zero 9:36, so I got out my camera with a 70-200mm lens as soon as I walked in so that I could shoot from the crowd. Zero 9:36 is a trio and they often stood equidistantly across the stage, which made it challenging to get shots of more than one member at a time without there being a lot of negative space between them. Thankfully vocalist Matthew Cullen was constantly on the move, allowing for me to at least get tighter compositions of two thirds of the band. I thought I got more wide shots of the stage but when editing realized I'd only taken a couple; luckily one was all I really needed.

When Asking Alexandria took the stage, I spent the first minute or so going frantically from one member to the next and trying to get shots. There was so much going on that it was hard to stay focused on one moment without feeling like I was simultaneously missing out on another. I took a breath and, starting with guitarist Cameron Liddell, took my time capturing my shots of each member.

Vocalist Danny Worsnop was wearing a hat that cast a shadow on much of his face so I had to be patient when getting my shots of him. The hat combined with Worsnop holding a mic in front of his face made it difficult to get a good shot from the pit but I ended up having more luck once I was able to shoot from the crowd.

The Hu were a blast to shoot. Lots of energy, particularly from vocalist Nyamjantsan Galsanjamts. The fact that there were eight members on stage was intimidating at first. I was having a hard time keeping track of who I'd shot and how many shots I had of them so I never felt comfortable enough to move on from someone entirely. Instead, I just made my way from member to member over and over to be certain that I got shots of everybody and that I had a variety of options as well.