Album Review
Crossfaith – Apocalyze
We’ve all seen the Metal/Dance crossover before. We’ve had Korn’s ‘Path of Totallity’. We’ve heard bands like Enter Shikari and Hadouken. We’ve even seen Pendulum cover Metallica. Crossfaith make all of these look like child’s play. Japanese electro-metallers haven’t been on the scene for all that long, however, they’re already kings in the metal/dance fusion genre. Apocalyze is purely evidence that confirms this.
The album sets the tone with a prelude which resembles the start of any mediocre dance album, however, the minute ‘We Are The Future’ hits, it’s quite clear that Apocalyze really is something else. Crossfaith have no doubt revolutionised, despite keeping their signature sound from their previous release, ‘Zion EP’ – they’ve really, really upped their game.
Apocalyze fluctuates from heavier-than-hardcore tracks ‘Countdown to Hell’ and ‘Hounds of the Apocalypse’, which are filled with brutal riffs and powerful metal vocals to heavily-electronic party anthems, such as ‘Eclipse’. They even casually drop Hybrid Theory-esque anthem ‘Gala Hala’ in the middle for good measure. From start to finish, this album remains incredibly strong –appealing as much to dedicated dance fans as it will to metalcore enthusiasts.
This album brings forward exciting new horizons – they’ve proved that brutal breakdowns, dirty dubstep, metal riffs and catchy choruses can all co-exist in musical harmony. They’ve fused the strongest elements of popular modern genres, whilst revamping all the good elements of nu-metal. Essentially, they’ve created a new precedent in metal-electronica. One thing is for sure; Apocalyze will ultimately inspire and influence rock music. This album is the future.
Venue: Apocalyze
Support Band: Sony