Zion

Crossfaith are a very easy band to understand: they like to have fun and drink lots. Half the reason for this is the antics of the music they perform-which could best be described as rave-metal? The Japanese 5 piece are only just starting to gain a reputation for being one of the most lively metal bands on the planet however they have been going at it longer than you may think. Formed in 2006, Crossfaith have released 2 full length albums but strangely it was their six track EP Zion that launched them into the mainstream by fusing metalcore with electronic plus chugs of guitar (and beer) somewhere in between.

The lifeblood of Crossfaith bursts out from the first second of Monolith. It’s heavy on the synth where you can visualise the flashing lights blinding you on the floor. Suddenly it cascades down into meaty chugging of metalcore. Coordinated jerks of synth often spike up at times to enhance a particular breakdown or vocal hook. By adding electronica with metal, Crossfaith gain a massive boost of energy that is also apparent in Quaser. The ebbing electronics lead the song through a wormhole of breakdowns that are only dominated by the bellowing vocals of Kenta ‘Ken’ Koie.

The raving mood is captured wholly in Zion, however there are stand out songs where you cannot stop yourself from flailing your arms or screaming along. Dialogue is a 2 and a half minute instrumental which is completely made up of dancing synth that will have the most tainted Marilyn Manson fan throwing shapes on the dance floor. But the grand effort from Terafumi Tomano is sort of annoyingly short. You wish that it was longer so that the night never ends, nor does it sleep. Fortunately however, you’ve got Jagerbomb to listen to as well. You almost know what you’re in for from these guys with a track title named after a drink. With an equal shot of metal and electronic, it becomes a full throttle metal party anthem. There are spiraling moments when you want to headbang, jump, shout, down a drink then dance some more. Jagerbomb captures the essence of Crossfaith’s music perfectly.

The samples and synthesizer may, intentionally, deter your mind during Zion but there are ample amounts of fast paced metal music within that branch off to a wider audience. Leviathan speeds along at 100mph like any other quick metalcore band but accelerated fills from drums can be heard just to up the ante of Crossfaith’s power. Ken hardly takes a breath during Leviathan as he’s constantly screaming lyrics into the feeble mic that mimic a vocal style of artists such as Brandon from Bleeding Through. The climactic ending of Leviathan is in the same vein as the entire rhythm of Photosphere. This track never really climaxes into an epic moment but instead keeps building up in force and power except for the elating choruses. Still in keeping with the speed of the rhythm in Photosphere, Ken screams out lyrics that are as catchy as a bad cough. It’d be no surprise if he got a cough from the ferocity he has in Zion...Maybe it’s the Jagermeister that keeps it at bay?

What these guys are is FUN. Sheer, unadulterated fun. Bursting with energy and spitting venom with every word, Ikegwa Hiroki and co. are blasting out modern metal pit-starters for the ages. Monolith sums up about everything you need to know about Crossfaith within the first few bars. Starting out with a synth part that would make even the most brutal black metalheads start tapping their feet, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a Pendulum album, not a metal one. But then, with the first of many "OH!'s", the metal kicks in. Anybody that does not like metalcore should stop reading right now, because this song is metalcore on top form. The chugging guitars, backed by soundscaping synth and precise drums, sound like Killswitch Engage on top form. If Killswitch Engage had just drank a case of Red Bull each. THEN...the dubstep. With a BWOOOOM, Crossfaith go from being just another metalcore band in a genre that is becoming rapidly saturated to one of the few true innovators left in the scene. Hiroki has so much emotion in his voice, the electronics are so infectious and the guitars and drums so perfectly balanced that most people will be swept up in a crazed mosh-dance before the song is halfway done.

And this is just the first song. Sheesh.

If there is any fault in this EP, it's that Crossfaith don't seem to be able to keep up the innovation. All the songs after Monolith are the same genre-soup of metalcore and dubstep, but without the infectious quality of the single. Jagarbomb is aptly named, as it should appeal to the same people as the most new school drink out there. The other tracks are just as energetic, thought he electronic elements threaten to drown out the metal sometimes.

Usually when electronica is mixed with metal, the electronic elements are the soft part. They are the annoying poppy bits at the start and end to songs, the buildup before the bridge or the keyboard bits that are trying to sound like guitar solos. Crossfaith shatter all these stereotypes by turning the electronics WAY up and not apologizing for them at all. When a band can make dubstep WUB-WUBS sound just as heavy as chugging guitars, you know you have hit something big. As the 80's slip further away through time, Crossfaith look boldly to the brave new world. And it's there's for the taking.