Crossburner - Crossburner 10"

This post kind of takes me back to when and why I started the blog. Darryl from newish UK label Footloose Records got in touch to tell me about the label's first three releases. He mentioned Crossburner and mentioned Nails, Integ and Entombed in the same sentence, which is usually a good way to get someone's attention. Well, it got mine. Crossburner are from Milton Keynes, they formed mid-2013 and this is their debut 10" EP!

A lot's been happening for them band since the turn of the year. They've obviously released this record and in terms of live shows, they've already shared the stage with French band Cowards and our own Oblivionized, they're due to play a weekender alongside Cholera (who've released one of the best sounding 7"s of the year so far) and they are due to play with Discharge in July!

Tracklist:-

1. Burn The Saint
2. Crossburner
3. Chaos Reigns
4. Seque
5. Wet Mary
6. Demonic Forces

Opening with the squalid feedback of Burn The Saint, Crossburner head straight into their Holy Terror infused hardcore with on messing. It’s furious, the vocals are tortured, the wall of noise from the guitars is piercing and the rhythm section adds a threatening sense of dread to the song. The production fuses all of these textures together and creates a kind of controlled chaos that will bring a smile to your face. 

The following title track sees Crossburner hitting a faster stride, with ore urgency and adding some great subtle guitar elements into the mix. The blastbeats toward the end cut through the metallic riffs like pneumatic drills. They display a deft thrash touch during the opening bars of Chaos Reigns, which highlights that British punk flair that we’ve been treated to over the years by the likes of Gallows and The Plight. It’s used in a more angry setting here, but it’s still present and good to hear. The mid-section changes the atmosphere of the song completely, with a decidedly darker passage of guitar before Crossburner let rip once more. 

They break things up with Seque, a short noise piece that co-exists alongside a haunting sample. Their obvious anti-religion theme carries on into Wet Mary. This is a more expansive song, with less of a chaotic slant. The riffs are more pronounced and there isn’t as much dissonance or feedback amongst them. It’s slower and takes more from the sludge end of the spectrum, which is very welcome indeed. Ending it all with Demonic Forces, Crossburner see one final opportunity to raise the volume. The cymbals and guitars conspiring to shake the inside of your head beyond the recommended medical limit. 

This 10” is as a big an impact as any band would hope to make. It’s great to hear another UK band taking the metallic edge of Holy Terror and chucking in their own vibe. Crossburner are ones to watch this year, so make sure you get out to a show!

You can stream the record in full here:-



Now, at £1,000, I doubt you'll be purchasing a download from Footloose's bandcamp page but it's a very clever ploy to prompt you to buy the physical record, which you can do here - http://www.footlooserecords.bigcartel.com/product/crossburner-10-vinyl-e-p

Crossburner Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/crossburnerband
Footloose Records Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Footlooserecords