Labels: Fireflies Fall/Navalla Discos/Saltamarges/Through Love Records/Zegema Beach Records
Formats: Vinyl/Digital
Release Date: 21 Mar 2025
Tracklist:
1. Ojos Cerrados
2. Vaciar Un Corazón
3. Distrés
4. Monotonia De La Lluvia En La Ventana
5. Cerrojo
6. Carne Atravesada
7. Sentirse Solo
8. Cruz Vertical
9. Cuerpo Distorsionado
10. Realismo Dolor
11. Catedral
I've been in love with Spanish hardcore/metal band Crossed ever since I purchased a copy of their 2022 album Morir from Left Hand Label (which was a co-release with Clever Eagle Records, Pundonor Record and Zegema Beach Records). Following their 2022 split release with Vibora and the 2024 EP Vida Quieta, Crossed return with their newest album Realismo Ausente. For those still unfamiliar, Crossed is made up of members from Boneflower, Descubriendo a Mr Mime and Eros+Massacre.
This album isn’t even a month old yet, so I don’t feel that far behind for once! Self-deprecation aside, Crossed are on an absolute roll. Opener ‘Ojos Cerrados’ fills the speakers (and room) with a screeching, heady mix of twinkly post-hardcore and blackened metal. It acts as an ice-breaker or an initiation if you will as it’s followed by ‘Vaciar Un Corazón’, which is filled with much more intensity and a whole lot of groove too. I for one wasn’t expecting that! The percussion sits a little deeper in the mix, while the bass and guitars ramp up the volume alongside the high-pitched vocals.
‘Distrés’ opens up yet more sonic avenues on this release, as Crossed manically switch between upbeat punk rhythms and off-kilter signatures that truly blur genre lines. They purposefully ignore the need to write lengthy songs and allow momentum to do it’s thing. ‘Monotonia De La Lluvia En La Ventana’ is another case in point with it’s unnerving feedback and panic-inducing riffs. This song is somewhat different in approach as it relies on spoken-word vocals during the first-half before the band hits top gear once again.
In a time where bands are crossing genres as if they never existed, ‘Cerrojo’ offers no safe haven. Proper core riffs/bass delivered alongside eardrum-bursting screams and upfront drumming amplifies how far Crossed are willing to go for their art. ‘Carne Atravesada’ is filled with the most unnerving noise and screams, it’s easy to forget that this isn’t a noise/ambient black metal release. I mean, it sort of is but not in that sense as it’s got much more to it like the blasting insanity of ’Sentirse Solo’, which comes complete with mathcore-esque panic chords and added post-metal riffs.
The excellent continuation you get on Realismo Ausente doesn’t go unnoticed, The way Crossed uses feedback and natural sounds to bridge gaps between songs works perfectly. ‘Cruz Vertical’ is testament to that as it instantly hits after ’Sentirse Solo’ has seemingly ended, filling the speakers with heavy hardcore and repetition that actually sounds good!. They can do no wrong, as proven by the glorious yet metallic melody that opens ‘Cuerpo Distorsionado’. Those metallic tones make themselves heard throughout the song, while huge stomping riffs and high-pitched shrieks override the senses alongside cymbal-led percussive crashes.
Penultimate song ‘Realismo Dolor’ both carries on the momentum left by it’s predecessor but also brings the earlier groove back to the forefront of Crossed’s sound, along with the spoken-word/shouted portion of the vocals. Ending with the album’s longest song ‘Catedral’, Crossed treat you to the heaviest piece overall. It contains pretty much everything that this record has to offer sonically, while creating the ultimate soundscape in which to conclude.
Crossed have always been heavy but that term is subjective. Some listeners will consider Morir to be a lot heavier while others will say the same about this album. I’m not looking to draw a proper comparison between the two (though it reads like I am) and I do like to approach records as I find them. Realismo Ausente is a great record filled with so much density. This year is passing by far too quickly, don’t let records like this do the same.
You can stream and purchase the album both digitally and physically from Crossed below:-
Crossed - https://www.facebook.com/crossedxband
You can also buy physical copies from the labels below:-
Fireflies Fall - https://firefliesfall.com/shop/
Navalla Discos - https://navalla.bandcamp.com/merch
Saltamarges - https://saltamarges.bandcamp.com/merch
Through Love Records - https://shop.throughloverec.com/collections/releases
Zegema Beach Records CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases / USA - https://zbrusa.com/collections/all
Fireflies Fall - https://www.facebook.com/firefliesfall
Navalla Discos - https://www.facebook.com/navalladiscos
Saltamarges - https://www.facebook.com/saltamarges
Through Love Records - https://www.facebook.com/ThroughLoveRec
Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords
