I’ll start this review off by admitting something. I went into this EP ready to dislike it simply because it was described as “post-hardcore”. I, in my ignorance, cast a premature judgement and expected to hear another awkward, uninspired At The Drive-In knock off. What I didn’t expect was a 20 minute barrage of punk energy, intricate arrangements and catchy riffs. By having just enough variety to keep it interesting but enough cohesion to maintain their momentum Crusades have crafted a focused and vivacious debut.
Describing a band as high-energy is a pretty standard cliche for any punk/hardcore (or their innumerable sub-genre permutations) but in this case it is an apt description. The Golden Throats EP is crackling with energy. There is an urgency to the record that makes it feel like they recorded it live, pushing amps to the limit and screaming at the top their lungs. The opener ‘Pseudo Andro’ sets the tone for the entire EP with its blend of nimble riffs, tempo shifts and animated hollering. There is an undercurrent of classic metal swagger in some of the riffs and that helps them to come alive and adds an element of originality to a sometimes stale genre.
The little touches of other genres are probably the main reason this record won me over so quickly. It is an excellent blend of technical abilities, energetic performance and heart. The songs feel like the exist on the edge of disaster and the only thing holding it all together is conviction. The call and response vocals and abrupt starts and stops of ‘Harlequin’ feel like the whole thing could devolve into cacophony at any second. By the end of the EP any comparisons to other bands or misgivings about the genre are rendered irrelevant by the honesty and overall exuberance of the band.
Crusades have a heck of a debut on their hands. The spare, minimal production on the album helps the record come across as a live performance. I would imagine they are great live as this kind of music is best communicated through face to face interaction. With this EP as a starting point I would wager that you’ll be seeing them around quite a bit in the future.
Golden Throats is out now on Overlook Records.
Review by Michael B. Hayden.
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