Punk Attitude Fuels Hate’s Techno

Industrial, techno, rap, funk, gothic, alternative. Hate Dept. managed to encompass all of these influences at its recent Club 369 performance in Fullerton.

Still, when it came to attitude, it was the punk predilections of the Orange County-bred quartet that set the dominant tone for its one-hour performance Sunday night.

Flashing a charismatic Johnny Rotten/Lee Ving-type verbal aggression, front man Seibold poked and prodded the audience with caustic comments and rude remarks. Club-goers barked back similar insults.

Fortunately, it was all done with a playful, good-natured wink. There was never any reason to even consider calling the riot squad. When the aptly named Hate Dept. launched into one profanity-laced number, both band and fans shared a cathartic and exhilarating release.

As industrial-strength guitar riffs bombarded the senses alongside percolating techno beats, Seibold and his followers at the front of the stage made obscene gestures to one another in a show of tribal unity. Ah, rebellious youth.

When it emerged in the early ‘90s, Hate Dept. was lumped in with grinding industrial rock bands such as Ministry and Skinny Puppy. But Hate Dept. has since come to represent something much more musically complex. Indeed, the new single “Release It” (from the forthcoming album “Technical Difficulties’) is a propulsive dance song with a strong techno feel.

Given the lack of strong personalities in electronic music, Seibold could become a star should Hate Dept. find a wide techno audience here or abroad.

Sporting short, greenish hair and a mesh tank-top, the brash vocalist was a physically authoritative presence. At times he hopped and bounded about on stage like a member of the Beastie Boys, or cast an intense, Henry Rollins-like profile, gripping the microphone as if trying to strangle it.

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Hate Dept. (including Charles Hunt on drums, Marc Greco on guitar and Jeff Smith on keyboards) also delivered a few beautifully dark songs that straddled the line between gothic/alternative rock and driving electronic music.

The band’s versatility is one of its biggest musical strengths, though it could prove a commercial hindrance in today’s highly compartmentalized music industry.

Like Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Seibold is both the creative and spiritual center of his band. He may possess a fearless stage demeanor, but he is best known as a studio rat who spent the last two years creating the group’s third album, the upcoming “Technical Difficulties.” (He has also produced albums by artists such as Berlin and remixed songs by the likes of Smash Mouth.)

Could “Technical Difficulties” push Hate Dept. into the limelight? Stay tuned.

Orange County’s Kevorkian Death Cycle preceded Hate Dept. with a set of occasionally inspired industrial rock. The quintet, which featured a wicked sounding vocalist, was best when it cranked up the volume and made full use of its two percussionists.