A decent Wednesday night crowd came out to Inferno for a little metal and a lot of Rage, March 4.
While I missed opening acts Penitentz and the Scallywags, I arrived in time to catch an incendiary set of hardcore punk, along the lines of the Cancer Bats and Black Flag from Calgary Beer Core Kings Citizen Rage.
While the sound-man was fixing dead microphones,big, burly, good natured frontman Mark Russell said “I’m going to drink with you guys,” and did as he shouted for everyone sitting on their seats at the back of the room to come to the front of the stage, creating a community of metal while technical issues were sorted out.
They crashed into a bass heavy set of fast paced, high volume, high spirited metal/ punk beginning with a brand new song “ Mouthpiece” from their just released Blue EP followed by “LRT”. A mosh pit started and quickly started and ended just as quickly as several people who come to the front of the stage retreated to the back of the room again.
While their stage presence was all about positivity and energy, lyrics brimmed and seethed with rage as Russell shouted and howled about police shooting children.
There were several high energy highlights including “ Die” and a brand new song called “ Human Waste” “which we wrote eight minutes ago at the merch table,” according to Russell.
The Space Wolves ended the show.
Citizen Rage returned the next day to play the Slice, March 5.
