Release Date: 26th January
Label: Sony Records/UNFD
Whilst Osaka’s finest haven’t released a full album since 2015s Xeno, they have been treating us patient fans with select singles and Eps such as last years ‘Freedom’, and ‘Wipeout’ which came out today. Japans premier Metalcore band, Crossfaith burst onto the international scene with the relentless Monolith and their incredible cover of The Prodigy’s ‘Omen’ back in 2012. Since then they’ve gone from strength to strength with their masterful blend of Metalcore sensibilities and electronic experimentation. On this release however, the electronics take a step back as they put out one of their most straightforward releases in a long time.
Wasting no time getting to the juicy core, eponymous track ‘Wipeout’ bursts immediately into a furious vocal introduction and a bouncing riff, the staple to any Crossfaith song. Perhaps one of the most interesting moments on the record comes later in the song where we have a soft(er) clean vocal bridge that sounds like something more suited to an Enter Shikari song. But it, works, with the heaviness returning like a sledgehammer to the face. Second track ‘Inside the Flames’ is where the lack of electronics comes the most apparent, although Crossfaith have always been extremely competent songwriters so the lack of familiarity does nothing to hamper what a fantastic song this is. Showing off vocalist Kenta Koie’s range as both a screaming and clean vocalist, I’d argue it’s one of the best songs in Crossfaith’s entire catalogue.
The final track ‘Vermillion Gold’ is a short one, and with a heavy dose of electric organ, is the one closest to their usual output. With a driving drum beat and incredibly catchy chorus the track is the perfect round off to a great Ep. My only problem is that this record isn’t a full album release although I’m more than happy to wait to ensure we get a full Crossfaith album with tracks of this quality.
Rating: 8/10
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