The Philippine Online Chronicles

The pioneers of new metal have been around for over a decade now, and thanks to Splintr, Greyhoundz and Slapshock were able to do something that has never been done in their genre. In the cozy enclave of the Teatrino at Greenhills, the two bands performed for a small group of appreciative fans who braved the Saturday rains. The event was dubbed Splintr Unplugged.

It was probably the most expensive concert that the two bands have done in a long time. Each ticket was for P475 – a special rate of P850 was given to those who also availed of the earlier show featuring Typecast and Sinosikat?.

Greyhoundz took the stage first and gamely rendered the acoustic version of their better-known songs. With four albums under their belts, the Houndz had a formidable collection of songs to pick a set list from. The stage was arranged to convey a relaxed and restrained show. There were all sorts of couches, stools, and chandelier mobiles all over.

Quark Henares pulled out all the stops when it came to channeling the great potential and appeal of the songs. Arranging songs into acoustic versions can be quite a challenge since songs that have great recall value and popularity would have to be tweaked a bit to distance them from the original version and create a semblance of novelty with the acoustic version. In some of the songs, Greyhoundz went with the added accompaniment of a piano and a tambourine.

Greyhoundz performed songs from all four of their albums highlighting the growth and development of the band. Their first radio hit “Pigface” was played by adapting a version done by Razorback. The new arrangement somehow diluted and made the trademark pent-up aggression of the song almost non-existent. The very angst-filled line “you don’t know what’s coming at you” lacked the threatening swagger in the original version. While it’s hard to say that the whole reworking improved an already great song, the result was certainly pleasing to the ear – not to mention interesting to listen to.

Other arrangements breathed new life into the songs. The track that was inspired by the band’s island getaway in Puerto Galera was rearranged into a great beach front porch classic. The original was already catchy but the laid-back approach to the vocals and strumming absolutely lent it the perfect summer feel.

The most recognizable song from their eponymous second album was also given the acoustic treatment. The catchy and whimsical “Your Puppet and Clown” was a crowd-pleaser. Reg Rubio did try to ask the audience to sing along but the liberties that he took to change the phrasing of the lyrics made it a bit difficult – the people were hearing the new arrangement for the very first time. Throughout the song Rubio would show total restraint, unlike the original which featured a variety of singing styles – all-out rock star wailing, guttural growling and even the fast rapping style that is very prominent in a lot of Greyhoundz’s songs.

For the last two songs of their set, the band invited people they had worked with to join them onstage. Queso’s Ian Tayao, Slapshock’s Jamir Garcia, and Zooom’s vocalist who had to fly all the way from Cebu, sang on “Taking U High” a song from Greyhoundz’s first album released in 1999. Tayao was his old usual self – despite his amazing strong growls, he knows how to pull back and just give his voice various textures that make the sound produced almost ethereal in nature.

“Karmic” was the fitting cap to the Greyhoundz set. Rubio once again asked the crowd to sing along with the recognizable lines of the chorus – “scared but she got me high/ scared but – what we felt should we deny?” It was simply beautiful. The original was very calm, mystical and restrained but the acoustic version gave it that unctuous punch of earthiness that allowed it to really simmer and linger in one’s senses.

After a short gap, Slapshock took the stage. As soon as the curtains went up, the band made it clear to the crowd that they meant business. The band opened up the set with a very dramatic rendition of the theme from the movie The Godfather and it created a mood that the band was definitely going to sustain the momentum started by Greyhoundz.

Slapshock played a total of eight songs that spanned the entire discography of their musical career. The violin intro to “Agent Orange” was not only novel – it enhanced the song even more. Let’s face it, rap-metal is no longer as big as it used to be and it would probably not reach the same height that it did during the turn of the century. But with the acoustic version, the track was given a very fresh arrangement making it seem current despite the lyrics. Lean Ansing, Lee Nadela, Chi Evora and Jamir Garcia tweaked the song in such a way that it was a different style but at the same time, the innate qualities were still retained making the songs nostalgic, refreshing, and recognizable.

I couldn’t help but shout a very affirmative “yeah!” when Jamir Garcia said that they were going to play “Numb” from the album Project 11-41. I thought the driving, heavy beat of the song would make for an interesting acoustic reworking and as it turns out, it was. All the elements of the arrangement were arranged in a precise manner that made the acoustic version a real joy to listen to. I couldn’t help but sing along.

The band also played “Anino Mo” from Project 11-41, which didn’t disappoint. The original arrangement featured visceral growls but the sans-growls version still had the distinct grime and grit that the song required. Every ounce of angst that Jamir Garcia had in his body was seemingly being channeled into the singing of the song.

In a special shout out to a departed member of Greyhoundz, the band played the song “A Million Miles Away.” A few years ago, after the release of the Houndz’s second album, guitarist Allen Cudal passed away due to a car crash in Northern Luzon. The song was written in his memory to immortalize the feeling of everyone in his circle of friends about just how much he is missed.

The break-out hit from the Novena album, “Misteryo,” was also a hot number during the set. It was one of the songs in the Slapshock discography that was screaming for an acoustic version. The same was true for the other big hit from the Silence album – “Direction.” Again, I couldn’t stop myself from singing along during the chorus “I need your attention/ point me to the right direction.” There were social pressures that stopped one from being a fan of rap-metal during the past but the truth is, the music is just too damn catchy. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.

Slapshock has a new single out now and they played it. Truth be told, I am not a big fan of the new song. Slapshock’s main weakness has always been with the lyrics. There are just some errors and word choices that are way too serious to ignore – even if you are enjoying the accompanying music and vocals (while blocking out the words). “You’re way too cold/ like an Eskimo” just doesn’t do it for me. It could be borderline racist actually – the word “Eskimo” is actually being dropped from the circulation by a lot of people since the term “Inuit” is the preferred label now. If there was one song that kept me from being a huge fan again, it was that song.

The last song of the night was the anthemic “Carino Brutal” – also the title of the latest Slapshock album. It seemed like there was an unspoken no-growling rule during the entire concert but Jamir Garcia chose to break it to great results. Most heavy bands mellow out as they grow older but this is easily one of the heaviest songs by Slapshock. The message was also very clear and you could literally hear the tortured cries of a trapped soul that has been imprisoned in a world of its own.

“Carino Brutal” was also made in such a way that the audience participation would be optimal. I’m pretty sure that few lines have captured angst and anger better than “Inukit mo ang luha’t pasakit/ kung ako sayo huwag na huwag kang lalapit!” It just speaks to your gut – you can’t help but feel the pain and agony that fueled the creation of the song. The crowd chants of “hoy!” also allowed it to be the perfect send-out song. The band even invited everyone to stand up for the final salvo.

All in all, it was a great show that featured two of the biggest rock acts in the country. Major props should go to Splintr for cooking up this great event. Greyhoundz and Slapshock also deserve major compliments for being awesome as always. It’s always a bit scary (and as per the bands’ admission, hard) to try something new for a special show.

If you missed the concert, don’t worry, the performances will be up on Splintr in no time. The company is determined to create a new avenue for artists to showcase their talent online.

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