The Refused - Feb 25 in Toronto

Race-traitor from Chicago Illinois, opened up the show with some fast hardcore punk tunes from their latest album “2042”. In between songs singer Mani Mostofi had some words on how we need to work together to bring down the oppression brought on by capitalism.

The American EBM duo Youth Code kept things moving with their take on electronic industrial hardcore. Sara Taylor’s gritty vocals mixed well with Ryan George’s dark industrial beats played on his drum machine and keyboard.Headlining the show was the Swedish hardcore punk band The Refused who came back to Toronto in style with tracks from their new record “War Music” and some classic old songs from “The Shape of Punk to Come” like “Deadly Rhythm” with Slayers “Raining Blood” being add in mid song. Singer Dennis Lyxzén reminded the crowd that music can bring everyone together and help people be more than they thought they could be along with some wicked dance moves. Dennis proceeded to hop the barricades to crowd surf and be lifted above the crowd to chant along to “Rather Be Dead”: “RATHER BE ALIVE, RATHER BE ALIVE”.