The Hunt @ Home Sweet Home NYE

In a brief set just past midnight at Home Sweet Home, The Hunt revealed a mature transformation from pounding tribal maximalism to fully synthed up coldwave. While their first appearance in September had been more of an experiment, the NYE performance displayed a near complete transition into their next musical phase. The only songs played were an introduction, followed by an untitled track, "Set the Rising Sun," a cover of New Order's "Dreams Never End" and "1,000 Nights."

The band's biggest triumph was surely "Set," in which the anthemic track was driven freight train style forward with Christian Count's hammering synth groove. Although "Set the Rising Sun" had always seemed like such a straight up RnR song, unimaginable as anything but, this performance blew away the previous incarnation with its slithering synth stomp.

The New Order cover that followed was a solid choice for the evening, with the arrangement surprisingly lithe and true to the original. The Hunt's first hit ended the short and sweet set with a tease, hinting at what will come in 2010. It may be a whole different animal, but with the addition of new men and new machines, it has just as much bite.

(pix to come!)