Cruciform Injection, HexRx
Radio Radio, 1119 E. Prospect St.
Saturday, Aug. 16, 8 p.m., $10, 21+

A tale is told of Gen Con after-parties, where gaming enthusiasts with wildly diverse social skills gather to dance, drink, show off risqué D&D outfits and destroy hotel rooms. The really wacky goings-on are behind closed doors — don’t drink the blue punch — but Saturday night at Radio Radio is the locus for a public after-party featuring Chicago dark electro band Cruciform Injection and L.A. industrial project HexRx.

Cruciform Injection came along in the wake of Chicago industrial giants like Ministry and Thrill Kill Kult, self-releasing their first full-length, the rather awkwardly titled “Biomechanical Disintegration” in 1999. Beats are aggressive, with apocalyptic, dystopic lyrics prominent enough in the mix to make them kind of a bummer. It’s a generally harsh but danceable sound, taking energy from industrial while maintaining a constant pulse from the synths.

Like your favorite neighborhood Screamo singer, HexRx’s Taury Goforth sounds like he’s tearing up his vocal chords on every track, assuming a taut, guttural approach that’s thoroughly processed with industrial noise. Rather fond of glitch and dealing with generically morose themes, HexRx can also execute a catchy synth riff, a single line in a minor key, for sure, but still melodic.