Review Summary: Crossfaith destroy the dancefloor
Crossfaith are a very easy band to understand: they like to have fun and drink lots. Half the reason for this is the antics of the music they perform-which could best be described as rave-metal. The Japanese 5 piece are only just starting to gain a reputation for being one of the most lively metal bands on the planet however they have been going at it longer than you may think. Formed in 2006, Crossfaith have released 4 full length albums but it was their six track EP “Zion” that properly launched them into the mainstream by fusing metalcore with electronic plus chugs of guitars (and alcohol) somewhere in between.
The lifeblood of Crossfaith bursts out from the first second of ‘Monolith’. It’s heavy on the synth where you can visualise the flashing lights blinding you on the floor. Suddenly it cascades down into meaty chugging of metalcore. Coordinated jerks of synth often spike up at times to enhance a particular breakdown or vocal hook. By adding electronica with metal, Crossfaith gain a massive boost of energy that is also apparent in ‘Quaser’. The ebbing electronics lead the song through a wormhole of breakdowns that are only dominated by the bellowing vocals of Kenta ‘Ken’ Koie.
The raving mood is captured wholly in “Zion”, however there are stand out songs where you cannot stop yourself from flailing your arms or screaming along. ‘Dialogue’ is a 2 and a half minute instrumental which is completely made up of dancing synth that will have the most tainted Marilyn Manson fan throwing shapes on the dance floor. But the grand effort from Terafumi Tomano is sort of annoyingly short. You wish that it was longer so that the night never ends, nor would it sleep. Fortunately however, you’ve got ‘Jagerbomb’ to listen to as well. You almost know what you’re in for from these guys with a track title named after a drink. With an equal shot of metal and electronic, it becomes a full throttle metal party anthem. There are spiralling moments when you want to headbang, jump, shout, down a drink then dance some more. ‘Jagerbomb’ captures the essence of Crossfaith’s music perfectly.
The samples and synthesizer may, intentionally, deter your mind during Zion but there are ample amounts of fast paced metal music within that branch off to a wider audience. ‘Leviathan’ speeds along at 100mph like any other quick metalcore band but accelerated fills from drums can be heard just to up the ante of Crossfaith’s power. Ken hardly takes a breath during ‘Leviathan’ as he’s constantly screaming lyrics into the feeble mic that mimic a similar vocal style of artists such as Brandon Schieppati from Bleeding Through. The climactic ending of ‘Leviathan’ is in the same vein as the entire rhythm of ‘Photosphere’. This track never really climaxes into an epic moment but instead keeps building up in force and power except for the elating choruses. Still in keeping with the speed of the rhythm in Photosphere, Ken screams out lyrics that are as catchy as a bad cough. It’d be no surprise if he got a cough from the ferocity he has in “Zion” ... But then, maybe it’s the Jagermeister that keeps the pain at bay?
