Botch

Released in 2006 by Hydra Head Records, 061502 is the definitive live document of Botch, capturing their final performance at The Showbox in Seattle on June 15, 2002. More than just a live album, it’s a testament to the band’s intensity, technical mastery, and enduring influence on the mathcore and hardcore scenes.

From the first notes, it’s clear why Botch remains a touchstone for experimental heavy music. The band’s sound is simultaneously chaotic and precise: jagged, syncopated riffs collide with sludgy breakdowns, while the rhythm section maintains a brutal, almost mechanical tightness. Unlike many live recordings, 061502 preserves the raw energy of the performance without sacrificing clarity; every guitar attack, drum hit, and vocal scream is audible, yet the mix retains the sweaty, live-room atmosphere.

Highlights abound: tracks like Man the Ramparts and Saint Matthew Returns to the Womb showcase the band’s signature combination of ferocity and compositional complexity, while slower, crushing passages reveal their mastery of tension and release. The interplay between Dave Knudson’s angular guitar lines and Tim Latona’s punishing drumming is nothing short of hypnotic, demonstrating why Botch helped define the technical hardcore/mathcore blueprint.

Visually, the accompanying DVD adds another layer, allowing viewers to witness the band’s onstage chemistry and unrelenting intensity. The performance is unvarnished and immediate no gimmicks, no overproduction just four musicians at the peak of their power.

061502 is more than a live album; it’s a farewell and a manifesto. For longtime fans, it’s a chance to relive Botch’s final moments. For newcomers, it’s an essential entry point into one of hardcore’s most inventive and uncompromising acts. Even years after its release, 061502 continues to resonate, proving that Botch’s influence on heavy music is both profound and lasting.