CRO-MAGS IN CONCERT:
Hardcore punk and thrash mainstays Cro-Mags have been melting faces and blowing minds with their aggressive sound and riotous live performances since the early '80s. They were one of the first hardcore bands to incorporate elements of thrash metal into their music, and three decades later they're as unrelenting as ever as they pummel moshing ticket buyers with hard-hitting classics like "Malfunction" and "World Peace”. From the savage growls of frontman John Joseph "Bloodclot!" McGowan to the blistering triple assault of drums, bass, and guitar, Cro-Mags always invoke a primal state of being with their adrenaline-filled performances on tour.
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
Cro-Mags cut their teeth in the early '80s New York City punk scene, living in burned-out squats and playing shows at underground venues. After releasing a collection of demos, they made their album debut in 1986 with the seminal LP Age of Quarrel, a fusion of punk and thrash that singlehandedly launched the hardcore metal genre. Singer John Joseph McGowan parted ways with the band shortly after, leaving bassist Harley Flanagan to assume vocal duties for their 1989 sophomore album Best Wishes, though McGowan returned as frontman for the group's 1992 album Alpha Omega. The band parted ways the following year after releasing their fourth album Near Death Experience, then reunited in the late '90s and released their fifth album Revenge in 2000. In true punk fashion, internal tensions continued to push the band apart for most of the '00s, but McGowan began performing under the Cro-Mags moniker again in 2011. Since then he's continued to prove his mettle as a hardcore pioneer, slaying fans with intense, attitude-filled performances on tour.
