CROSSED is a crusty hardcore/metal band with definite screamo ties from Spain. Their most recent 2020 LP 'Barely Buried Love' is without a doubt my most listened to album of 2020, if that says anything about how much I love this band. Their dirty, evil, metallic hardcore is very reminiscent of
Majority Rule and newer takes on the style such as
Portrayal Of Guilt and
Binary. I find the primary allure (but by no means the only) Miguel's fucking stellar vocal work. Their ability to seamlessly switch from piercing pukes to bellowing lows is a thing of beauty and, when combined with the crusty, pummeling and sinister hardcore/metalcore, you've got a recipe bound for success.
The band's debut appeared in 2018 by way of the '
Language Dissolution Because Everything Is In Eternal Void' EP. It's a very good introduction to the band, but features more of the foundation than the frills and uniqueness that was captured on their 2020 LP. The vocals are still vicious. The instrumentals are still disgusting. Four of the six tracks are pretty decent, but you can most definitely hear the budding of their later sound on "Glory" (which goes ballistic come 30 seconds and shows their faster side) as well as "Pink Mist" (excellent use of dynamics and a swelling, gargantuan ending).
In 2019 they released a single titled '
Distrusted' that is the portal linking the old CROSSED world to the new. Miguel's vocals go all-out pretty much from the get-go, with complimenting metallic hardcore that sounds like massive sheets of ice falling into the ocean. The climax of the songs comes at 45 seconds when a sample of "chaos reigns" plays right before some seriously heavy shit goes down.
I wasn't aware of the band's existence until late January 2020 when my friend Rodrigo (from
Descubriendo A Mr. Mime) emailed me asking if I wanted to release it their new full length '
Barely Buried Love' on 12". I literally heard the opening track which is less than a minute in length and responded with a yes before hearing the rest of the album. It's that fucking good. And the opener isn't even the top track! (although it is a fucking banger) Seriously every track has something unique and amazing about it, but I'm not about to cycle through 13 tracks of gushing. As stated before opener "Fading" goes so fucking hard and embeds the most
Majority Rule sound to it that I've ever heard, especially after the 30-second mark. This is followed by the utterly annihilating "Melencolia" that showcases some of the best vocal shifts I've ever stuck my ears out for, as well as a behemoth of a breakdown at 50 seconds. And then there's "Long Night", just a fucking boulder of gold and currently in contention for the best song of 2020. It opens with screams so thick you'll think you've been doused in molasses before moving into a swelling groove that may or may not be a breakdown. There's a short atmospheric break led by a sick bassline before a swirling guitar brings everything back in to support the best vocals I've heard since early
Orchid (in particular the sass injected into the word "forever"). And then the song ends...after a punishing stop/start with multiple screamers. Goddamn that's a keeper. You'll notice Rodrigo's unmistakable scream make an appearance on "Colored Pain", hypnotic guitar harmonies at the end of "Salivate", screams that I would liken to a face on a hot plate throughout "Shiver", the greatest feedback note I've ever heard at 1:04 of "No Love" and finally the prodigious/gorgeous finale "Saudade".
If you haven't checked out CROSSED yet you are missing the fuck out, as '
Barely Buried Love' is cracking my top 10 LPs of 2020 without a shadow of a doubt. I think we have around 5 total copies left across both Zegema Beach Records stores so if this tickles your fancy (which it probably does) I'd strongly recommend nabbing one before they're gone!
________________________________________
