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How does a band know they're doing something right? When the American Red Cross offers them the headlining slot on an anti-smoking concert, knowing full-damn well that a majority of their members smoke. Crossbreed embraced the invitation with a dark sense of humor, but the concert planners weren't amused when the band took the stage, pulling the plug on their set and accusing them of starting a riot. As if the small Florida community of Newport Richie could expect any less from Crossbreed, a band born of industrial fury, metallic rage, and rock 'n' roll bombast.
But as the American music sc ...read more
How does a band know they're doing something right? When the American Red Cross offers them the headlining slot on an anti-smoking concert, knowing full-damn well that a majority of their members smoke. Crossbreed embraced the invitation with a dark sense of humor, but the concert planners weren't amused when the band took the stage, pulling the plug on their set and accusing them of starting a riot. As if the small Florida community of Newport Richie could expect any less from Crossbreed, a band born of industrial fury, metallic rage, and rock 'n' roll bombast.
But as the American music scene spirals into the 21st Century, it's not the slamming amalgamation of techno pulses, grinding guitars and thunderous bottom ends that differentiate Crossbreed from their industrial-metal brethren. No, to that end, it doesn't take a musical scholar to link their heritage to Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, and the more metal-minded White Zombie. Rather, Crossbreed rise above their contemporaries with songwriting that soars to melodic heights, drops to demonic lows, and fills the spaces in between with vocals that dissect the music, shifting gears from trance-inducing to hell-raising.
Previously, on its debut release, "Synthetic Division," (produced by Matt Chiaravalle), Crossbreed's techno-industrial beats, and jarring jolts of adrenaline slammed full-throttle and propelled all of its tracks to new heights. Their sophomore release, "KE 101," is no exception. Simply put, dynamics fuel Crossbreed, and whether they're ebbing with a rhythmic bounce, or slamming with a brutal sway, all of their songs continually survive the sonic assault, making the listening experience all the more memorable.
Raised on the early days of MTV, showmanship was something Crossbreed knew from the get go, performing their first show in '96. Ironically, for a band known as much for their live performances as their music; it was a broken Glo-Stick that provided the initial springboard for Crossbreed's creepy onstage persona (and drew the immediate attention of former KISS manager, Bill Aucoin). That, and an affinity for pop-culture's flamboyant side. "All it took was one of us having a broken Glo-Stick," recalls Rietz. "We were rubbing it all over everything at a show and we realized that we glowed in the dark-we immediately incorporated black-lights into our shows, and it evolved from there."
That image-as mysterious and futuristic as it is dark and primitive-is the perfect counterpart for a sound that ignores the rap-core fad that has spread faster than Creed bootlegs in Sunday school, enabling Crossbreed to carve a niche for itself in hometown Tampa and throughout central Florida. "For Crossbreed, our guide has been watching what other bands have done wrong," continues the frontman. "We wanted to do something to stand out more from the rest of the bands in a dying scene, and we wanted the look to go with our sound. That helped create a buzz that we were able to do something with." The buzz spread like a wildfire, intensified by live shows that erupted into events local fans would wait weeks for.
What is it about the Sunshine State that leads to such inspired musical depravity? "A hatred for old people," snickers guitarist Chris Nemzek. "It's like a death camp down here...". Florida may be a death camp, but it's spawned some of the most compelling artists in modern music, and Crossbreed appear to be the latest. « hide |
Similar Bands: Ventana, ManufraQture, Ministry, Cyanotic, Spineshank Contributors: Metalstyles, heck,
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