By Chelsea Schmid
Staff Writer who is Special to LIVE!
April 14, 2008

I found them at the merch table when I walked in the door and knew their faces immediately: the High Watt Crucifixers had come for a return show at The Deadhorse, and once again, they had brought their “A” game.

San Angelo, of course, was familiar with the band, but let’s be honest: The last time they had come through, the Crucifixers opened for teen prodigies Rubber Monster, a hard set to follow. Saturday night, however, the band was paired well with fellow Austinites Sweet Skull, and the hi-watt duo did it right.

The Crucifixers headlined the show, and the set list was nothing short of stunning. With songs spanning from the head-bobbing “Speed of Light” to the head-banging “Break It Off In Your Ass,” it’s not hard to see why fans flock to see these guys; it’s just good rock and roll.

But even when all the songs are good one will come out on top, and for San Angeloans and other Crucifixer fans alike, the favored track seems to be “Kissing Concrete.” Wrought in energy that lives up to its name, “Kissing Concrete” is an aural assault that makes you want to jump and scream, then slam into the person next to you and make them, well, kiss the freaking concrete. This is always an explosive jam according frontman Rich Mendez, but his favorite is another on the fan’s top tracks list.

“I really like to play “Rock And Roll Salvation,”” Mendez says. “It just came together really quick—we wrote the whole thing in like an hour and a half.”

One almost wouldn’t believe the track came from a package of “instant rock song” mix—it certainly doesn’t sound diluted, but by the same token it doesn’t sound contrived either. Instead, the song is a healthy combination of fast-paced punk rock and an interesting drum fill Mendez admits sounds an awful lot like Mountain’s 1970 hit “Mississippi Queen,” but that’s one of the things he likes about it.

The High Watt Crucifixers are currently in the process of recording their first full-length release. The album should be out by summer, but just to be safe, the band says it will definitely be out by Christmas.

For more information on the band, check out myspace.com/hwcrucifixers