Artist: †††(Crosses)
Release: †††(Crosses)
Release Date: 10th February 2014
When you have an itch that needs scratching, sometimes it’s better to apply cream. In the case of a successful musician the prickling on the skin is often an urge to explore their musical horizons, leave their current band and attempt to create something a little different. Thus the side project is born and failed by most, Fort Minor, Angels & Airwaves and Temple Of The Dog to name a few and once again Deftones frontman Chino Moreno is satisfying his artistic urges with †††(Crosses) self-titled debut.
‘Crosses’ kicks things off with †his Is A †rick and from the get go you are greeted with synthesised beats. Gone are the guitars and live drums, now exchanged for processed rhythms. An average start that trudges through but manages to break out to the other side making way for †elepa†hy and its 80’s funk to completely takeover your body. Before you know it you’re lighting up the dancefloor, lost in a satiable groove.
Bi†ches Brew is an altogether different beast, a bleak, brooding track clawing at your soul with the first noticeable use of guitar, used to great effect, with its heavy distorted dirty riffs before brief screams from Moreno are put to bone chillingly good use. What is evident is that Crosses are a far more relaxed outfit than Deftones. Preferring instead to create ambient sounds fit to fill the universe which is the case for †hholyghs†, with its fuzzy sounds being a perfect partner to Moreno’s distinctive croon which soars through the out of this world chorus.
Not afraid to mix their sonic delivery up, lead single †he Epilogue’s hybrid of hip hop and pop startles you with its positive upbeat nature, whilst ‘Crosses’ is an easy listen, it is far to Jekyll and Hyde for its own good. For every track that resembles a Fron†iers, heavy hitting, big time choruses combining with a dreamy landscape, there is a Nine†een Nine†y Four, a middle of the road song that fails to spark the imagination.
But more often than not ‘Crosses’ does come good, in particular Op†ion, which is a steamroller that will squash the senses with its Deftones esque distortion and exciting groove, oozing melody at every angle, flattening you over and over every time the chorus hits. While Blk S†allion has the sex appeal of an Italian stallion taking you on a ride with the downright dirty groove, however coming back for more of the same is not a possibility as you are hindered by a meaningless instrumental and closer Dea†h Bell is a sombre end to a baffling yet at times brilliant debut.
‘Crosses’ was never going to match Moreno’s genius in Deftones, but comes close on numerous occasions, ‘Crossess’ lacks continuity and for every high there is sadly a low. Now that Moreno has got this out of his system it is probably about time for a new Deftones album, right?
7/10
Reviewer: Antoine Omisore
