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Though the Dine Alone Records showcase at the El Mocambo on Friday night of CMW had a lot of great acts on the bill (both upstairs and downstairs), MONSTER TRUCK was by far the act that I was most excited for. They did not disappoint, and absolutely DESTROYED the captive and rambunctious El Mocambo audience.

MONSTER TRUCK is a riff-heavy 70s hard rock band, pure and simple. Their name alone can probably describe their sound better and more concisely than I can here. A set from them is full of long hair, Robert Plant -style vocals, leather vests (with no shirt on underneath) and a HUGE sound: these guys are pure power.

Based out of Hamilton ON, they’ve been really coming to the forefront recently – garnering a lot of attention from fans and critics alike. They’ve been able to translate that enthusiasm into becoming one of Dine Alone’s newest acts and have earned coveted airplay on 102.1 The Edge.

I have to admit, after catching them at a recent Sound Academy gig, I was a bit giddy at the prospect of being front-and-center at a more intimate El Mocambo show. The crowd could barely sit still, and when they finally hit the stage they delivered in a big way!

Every song is designed to keep the audience headbanging and thrashing: some moshing broke out near the front, accompanied by a lone crowd-surfer. Most of their songs sound pretty similar, but at this show that’s exactly what the crowd wants. It’s a great sight and speaks to the power of the band to see girls in high heels and lipstick screaming at the stage and throwing their fist in the air throughout the entirety of the set! These guys simply don’t let up.

A MONSTER TRUCK gig is best described as being kicked in the face with rock; there’s no other way around it. One of the best sets of CMW 2012, and a must see for anyone who likes any kind of heavy, burgeoning music.