Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
Damian Robinson enjoys a relentless dose of hardcore energy
It’s a heavy dose of punk and hardcore tonight at The Cluny, as Cage Fight tear into their early set with a hard, no messing punk attitude full of edge, heavy riffs and pulsating energy. They set an early high bar before Northern punk crew Street Soldier devour the stage with their energetic slam dancing and unique blend of punk/rap/rage. Standing out with tracks from their 2019 Northern Hate EP, the Street Soldier are an early warning for what comes from New York hardcore kings Cro-Mags, who play with the type of intensity you would expect from a new band rather than one that have been around for decades.
Standing out with tracks from 2020, their latest album, Cro-Mags kick out the jams in style, with No One’s Victim and 2020 setting the high peaks of the set. In a terrific band performance it’s frontman/bassist Harley Flanagan who deserves particular attention; playing with a style so hard and so intense you could almost chalk this up as extreme performance art. It’s a wonder how his bass stays unbroken given the level of force he puts into his playing. Knowingly offering praise to Venom, Cro-Mags are relentless; you really would find it hard to see another show as intense as this.
