Botch "061502" (Hydra Head)
By Tim Den
Tuesday. Jan 09, 12:09 PM
Emotional, exhausting, brutal, and memorable end to a metalcore great.

On June 15th, 2002, tech metalcore trailblazers Botch played their final show at Showbox Theater in their hometown of Seattle, WA. For 14 songs, the self-proclaimed “old men” destroyed themselves and the audience as they tried to cap off a career marked by brilliance and innovation. They threw themselves into every note and every beat like they always did, frantically trying to make one last collective statement that would forever stain the minds of heavy music lovers. With 061502, that statement can now be replayed over and over again. Recorded with multiple cameras, Botch’s last show is just as I’ve described: emotional, exhausting, brutal, and memorable. Though the film quality is grainy and sometimes blurry, the momentum of the event is never lost. When the band launch into classics such as “Hutton’s Great Heat Engine” and “Thank God For the Worker Bees,” the front of the stage resembles a police riot: bodies flying everywhere, people getting trampled, and the band members depleting themselves till they fall to their knees. Quite fitting images for a group whose music has long been associated with soul-purging, cathartic chaos.

Along with the 14-song show, 061502 comes with a music video (composed mostly of live clips) and an extra five-song set filmed two years earlier. Botch were not just a skilled band on record: they killed it live every time. Sure, the playing gets a tad bit sloppy when the heat of the moment overtakes the players, but given the nature of Botch’s dissonant madness, the tiny mistakes almost make the songs sound better. More alive. So here it is, your one last chance to catch these bad asses. They don’t intend on ever reuniting, so cherish these moments.
www.hydrahead.com

Tim Den

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