Crossfade
In the late 90’s guitarist/singer Ed Sloan met up with bassist Mitch James and drummer Brian Geiger to form the band ‘The Nothing’. Ed Sloan had taken up piano and the age of eight but then decided to start playing guitar after getting into a heavy metal and grunge and had been in a couple of bands during high school. Brian Geiger had also been in several bands previously but ‘The Nothing’ was Mitch James’s first band. After adding a local singer and DJ Tony Byroads to the band they decided to rename themselves ‘Sugardaddy Superstar’ (which has got to be one of the worst band names in history). In 2002 they self-released their own album then after getting signed to Columbia they decided to revise the album and rename themselves ‘Crossfade’.
Crossfade Are:
- Ed Sloan – Guitar & Vocals
- Mitch James - Bass & Backing Vocals
- Brian Geiger – Drums
1) Starless (3:56) - Kicks off straight away with a nice distorted guitar riff. Then at 0:12 it slows down into the verse, the lyrics are rather mediocre in my opinion, ‘Can’t feel you anymore because you have run through me with destructive force”. The chorus is rather catchy but the verses and the awful excuse for a bridge really lets the song down. Overall, a very average song. 2.5/5
2) Cold (3:14) – Starts straight away with the verse. This song is one of the better ones of the album but it still isn’t anything special. At around 0:26 the chorus starts with some catchy lyrics, “What I really meant to say, it that I’m sorry for the way I am, never meant to be so cold”. After another verse and chorus the song quiets down into an acoustic part but then it all goes heavy again when the guitar solo starts at 1:55. The guitar solo is a bit of a joke, it just copies the vocal melody in the chorus really and it only has about six notes in it. After that there is a short bridge and then the chorus is repeated until the end. Overall, a good song, but nothing that gives you the ‘wow!’ factor. 3/5
3) So Far Away (3:26) – Starts with just the vocals and then suddenly the sounds explodes into a heavy guitar riff with the drums pounding away and the bass barely audible. Then the verse starts with a cool drum beat. After that there is the chorus which has some vocal harmony. After repeating this sequence another time there is a bridge/breakdown part at 1:58 which is just repeating the intro. After that it all goes heavy and there is some effected screams in the background. Overall, another very average song. 2.5/5
4) Colors (3:18) – This was one of the singles from the album. Starts with some harmonics then goes into an acoustic guitar part. Soon after the singing starts, it’s your typical mainstream rock song that starts slow then goes heavy in the chorus. At around 0:48 the chorus comes in with all the distorted guitars etc. After repeating another verse and chorus, there is a bridge which leads back into the chorus which is repeated until the end. Overall it’s just a typical mainstream rock ballad. 2/5
5) Death Trend Setta (3:34) – This is probably the heaviest song on the album and also the song that uses the most sampling. It just with heavy guitar riffs and the drums pounding away as usual then the vocals enter. The lyrics are far beyond cheesy, it sounds like a ‘Limp Bizkit’ b-side. The bridge is just so Limpy that if you close your eyes and just listen the first thing that would jump to your mind is ‘Limp Bizkit’. Overall a very poor attempt of copying a band that isn’t very good in the first place. 1/5
6) The Deep End (3:23) – Starts with an acoustic guitar playing a simple part, this is probably the only song on the album where the bass is clearly audible. The lyrics are really annoying, “I built my life like a bike on a rigid frame”. Then it typically goes into a semi-heavy chorus like a typical mainstream song. After the chorus there is a little guitar solo before going back into the second verse. The bridge is really the only good part of the song, I like the guitar riffs which are pretty cool even though they are really simple. After that it’s back into the chorus to finish the song up. Overall just another average mainstream rock song. 2.5/5
7) No Giving Up (3:24) – This is, in my opinion, the best song on the album. It starts with a heavy guitar riff and drums then slows down into the verse, somewhat similar to ‘Starless’. The verse is sort of half way between singing and rapping. At 0:55 everything stops then Sloan screams, “THERE’S NO GIVING UP NOW!” which opens into the exploding heavy chorus. After repeating another verse and chorus then there is a guitar solo, it is just a couple of notes but it still adds to the song. Then the chorus is repeated to the end. Overall, this is the best song on the album by far. 3.5/5
8) Dead Skin (3:51) – This song seems to be about trying to leave all the bad stuff in your life behind you and to start over, or shedding you dead skin as Crossfade put it. At 2:35 there is a guitar solo which is easily the best solo off the album even though it still not really that good. Overall, a boring song with droning vocals and slow boring guitar parts. It just sounds too much like all the other slowish songs on the album (The Deep End, Colors, So Far Away). 2/5
9) Disco (2:58) – This is the shortest song on the album therefore it inflicts the shortest amount of pain. Lots of references to drugs and wh*res in this song. The guitar riff in the chorus is really catchy but the lyrics are terrible and really let the song down. “You’re wasted now and your pants are soiled but you don’t go”. Then of course the bridge again sounds a lot like ‘Limp Bizkit’. Overall a poor song. 2/5
10) The Unknown (2:59) – This is the slowest song off the album and is the only song that doesn’t have any distorted guitars in it at all. Starts with a few chords on the guitar, soon after the piano starts playing the same notes in the background. The lyrics are quite emo with parts like, “Can you hear me, can you see any part of me, can you feel me, can you bleed for me?” There is no real chorus in this song, it just repeats the verses over and over again. Overall a very boring song and a poor attempt at doing an emotional ballad. 1.5/5
Good Things:
There aren’t that many good things about this album. A couple of the chorus’s are catchy, the drums are pretty good and occasionally there is an okay guitar riff but apart from that there is nothing special. Also the album is quite short only being 34:13 minutes so therefore the pain won’t last too long.
Bad Things:
The lyrics on the album are awful. The bass is barely ever audible and when it is, there is only a simple pattern being played. Too many of the songs sound the same. ‘So Far Away’, ‘Colors’, ‘The Deep End’ and ‘Dead Skin’ all have the typical slow acoustic thing going then when the chorus comes everything goes heavy (but not so heavy as to turn away mainstream fans). A couple of their song (‘Death Trend Setta’ and ‘Disco’) sound like Limp Bizkit b-sides. Overall there is nothing special about this album at all and it is just another cheesy mainstream band.
Album Highlights:
- No Giving Up
If you like mainstream rock bands such as Nickelback or Puddle Of Mud then you should give this band a go. If not then stay well clear of it, some songs may be catchy but after two or three listens they become very bland and boring.
That’s why I’m giving this album a 2/5
