Infected Rain: Mutation Phase Tour at The Metro Music Hall in Salt Lake City

As Utah begins to heat up for the summer concert season The Metro Music Hall provided the best way to kick the season off with an explosion.  They provided a triple dose of metal on May 27th as fans flocked to the intimate venue as Infected Rain brought the Mutation Phase Tour to Utah for their first performance in the state joined by Stitched up Heart and local act Vicious Souls. 

 

Long before the headliners took the stage at The Metro Music Hall the energy was already building towards a fever pitch.  Vicious Souls opened the show, and it seemed that they hardly needed an introduction to a lot of people in attendance.  With their band practice location just 20 minutes from the venue and their ties to the local scene it felt less like an opening slot and more like a hometown jam. If they felt any pressure opening for some of the best out there, they never showed it.  Aside from a technical glitch heading into their second song Vicious Souls delivered a strong confident set.  The band’s enthusiasm was hard to ignore as they all played across the stage with smiles plastered across their faces with their vocalist having the biggest smile of all if you could see it with his hair flying everywhere throughout the performance.  By the time they left the stage the crwd was ready to go. 

 

Next came Stitched Up Heart a band that’s not a stranger to Utah audiences.  Having seen them perform before I thought I knew what I was getting but this night was something different.  They always put on a good performance that has never been an issue for this band but something about this night, they seemed elevated from other performances I had seen them at. 

 

Perhaps it was the intimate venue, or perhaps they are simply enjoying themselves more on tour but whatever it was Stitched Up Heart delivered their best and strongest performance I have seen from them. 

 

From the moment they took the stage the band demanded attention.  As they broke out into their setlist fists filled the air, fans screamed along to the choruses and mosh pits began to open.  Frontwoman Alecia “Mixi” Demner was at the center of it all leading the show with effortless confidence.  She worked the stage, belted out powerhouse vocals and controlled the crowd with her presence alone.  This set was the perfect primer for what was about to come.

 

For years Utah metal fans have waited for the Moldovan metal band to make their way to our state.  Finally, the wait was over.  Infected Rain had arrived.

 

Already primed and ready to go all the venue needed was a spark and that was provided when Lena Scissorhands walked out onto the stage.  That spark set off the primed audience and the audience exploded into cheers.

 

From the moment she walked onto the stage all eyes locked onto Lena.  There is a magnetic quality to her performance, something that is difficult to describe.  She doesn’t just demand attention.  Her presence requires it.  One moment she delivers soft vulnerable vocals filled with emotions and the next she is belting out ferocious screams with a raw intensity that radiates strength.  The contrast is captivating and on stage her voice captivates the audience. 

 

Their set leaned heavily on material from the band’s latest album, Time, showcasing both their growth and evolution as musicians and performers. “The Answer Is You” kicked things off while tracks such as “Dying Light,” Pandemonium,” “Never Return” and Because I Let You” highlighted the growth and direction of the band. 

 

While the newer material dominated the setlist the band did not forget to showcase where they began.  Closing the night the band threw it all the way back to the beginning with fan favorite and their first ever single “Judgemental Trap” It was a fitting finale after showcasing their journey the band highlighted where they began. 

 

For the fans who made it to their show it was more than another concert, it was the arrival of a band that we have waited years to see here in Utah.  That wait finally paid off and made the show even more special.  The Metro Music Hall couldn’t have picked a better lineup to kick things off for Utah’s summer concert season.