Hot Cross - 2004 Fair Trades and Farewells (Reissue)

Band : Hot Cross

Album : Fair Trades and Farewells (Reissue)

Release Year : 2004

Genre : Post-Hardcore | Screamo

 

Tracklist:

1. Prepare/Repair
2. Solanka
3. Throw Collars To The Wind
4. Better A Corpse Than A Nun
5. Two Cripples Dancing
6. Consonants
7. Tacoma
8. Existence
9. Rejoinder

"Fair Trades..." see's a bit of a departure from Hot Cross' previous sound. Seemingly doing away with the dissonant guitars and harsher of the vocal dynamics in favour of a much more straight forward, melodic approach, a step that they already seemed to be taking on their previous full length "Cryonics". However, don't get me wrong, they still retain an 'emo' sound and still employ the multiple volcalist approach; this is definately still Hot Cross.

In conclusion, although this is slightly different from the Hot Cross on "Cryonics" it is still very good and worth the listen. The added melodic edge shows that the band is not afraid to experiment and progress with thier sound and this can be nothing but a good thing. I would reccomend this EP to anyone who is already a fan of Hot Cross or any of the members past bands, or simply anyone who is into well-written, intelligent music. Also the added melody seems to lend Hot Cross some cross-over appeal and this may even be enjoyed by fans of bands like Thursday, as it is a lot more restrained than alot of modern screamo.

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Hot Cross - 2003 Cryonics

Band : Hot Cross

Album : Cryonics

Release Year : 2003

Genre : Post-Hardcore | Screamo

 

Tracklist:

1. Fortune Teller
2. A Weekend Spent Askance
3. Pretty Picture of a Broken Face
4. A Tale for the Ages
5. Dissertation: 14
6. In Memory of Morvern
7. Patience and Prudence
8. Frozen by Tragedy
9. Figure Eight
10. Requiescat

Frenetic. Abrasive. Unabashed. [Adjective]. Do these words describe your favorite band? If so, then you should already own Cryonics by our friends from Level Plane, Hot Cross. Just so things aren’t awkward, I’ll introduce the band: Hot Cross is a five-piece that’s heavy on the ex-member status (Saetia, Off Minor, Neil Perry, and You and I are some of the bands members have previously been in), but that’s not the only thing they’re heavy on! To someone who has never heard of this band, imagine fret-burning riffs, chaotic drum beats, and insane vocal dynamics (sometimes three people sing at once!). By the way, they go by the names of Greg, Josh, Casey, Billy, and Matt. Hey guys.

Hot Cross is hardcore, but in no way the chugga-chugga, growling/whining way that seems to be the thing to do as of late. I could say something cliché like they are breathing a fresh breath of air into the hardcore scene, but I won’t. What they’re doing isn’t new or unheard of, but it’s a little different from the norm and whatever it is, it really works. One highlight track on the album, “Pretty Picture Of A Broken Face,” exemplifies the three descriptions I touched upon earlier. The guitar interplay is amazing on this song, as are the vocals. Listening to three people each shout/scream/yell/sing something different, but still have it flow melodically is just breathtakingly awesome. The drums make me want to have a seizure, in an acceptable way. There is a certain element of danceability to Hot Cross’ songs on Cryonics, as well. “Dissertation: 14" is a prime example: the driving beginning will make you want to do that snake thing with your arms, and at the half-minute mark you’ll be pretending to get shot (the drums sound like machine guns!). The rest of the song you’ll spend just seizing all over the place.

What I’m getting at is most of this album is insane and spastic, like a seizure. Fear not, epilepsy victims, however, for the dynamics on this album allow for quiet, soothing moments too (“A Tale For The Ages” is a spaz-free, relaxing jam). There’s even a nice instrumental (“Frozen By Tragedy”) towards the end of the album. Speaking of instrumentals, the lyrics on this album aren’t too shabby, either. One of the best lines on the album appears in the first song, “Fortune Teller”: “Fuck not lest ye be fucked.” Simple, yet they hit you in the face when spat from the mouth of vocalist Billy Werner. The lyrics aren’t poetry, but they’re leagues ahead of some of the current crap that passes (A Static Lullaby what?).

Cryonics is a great album, one that I think was overshadowed by Shai Hulud’s release this year (they were both released on the same day). If you like radically killer guitar riffs, totally wacky vocals (with up to three singers!), and spastic drums, then I’d say this album is for you. Oh yeah, seizures too. If you’re into seizures, get this.

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Hot Cross - 2007 Risk Revival

Band : Hot Cross

Album : Risk Revival

Release Year : 2007

Genre : Post-Hardcore / Screamo

 

Tracklist:

1. Exits and Trails
2. Turncoat Revolution
3. Resent Resist Rebuild
4. Fire the Foundations
5. Cardiac Silence
6. Kill the Name
7. Silence Is Failure
8. Fatefully
9. Existence
10. Rejoinder
11. Finance Fuels the Sickness at Heart
12. Blame Truth
13. Scrape Wisdom

For most fans of Hot Cross and similar bands these lyrics have a strong, lingering power. Billy Werner, lead vocalist of Hot Cross and Saetia, is typically known for his caustic and intelligent lyrics, and he typically them with conviction and force. These lyrics are on "Fortune Teller," the first track on 2003's Cryonics, which until now, was Hot Cross' only LP, are pretty bombastic and this attitude does a good job of summing up the album as a whole. Hot Cross pushed the genre of hardcore, and more specifically emo, into a new frontier. This new territory included faster, more original guitar lines, cooler bass resolutions, and faster and more interesting drums, all while writing tight and catchy songs, which made Cryonics a singular and rare album, and is the main reason it's considered so highly now, almost four years later. During these four years between LPs, Hot Cross only released one EP, Fair Trades and Farewells, which seemed to push boundaries even further, with even more crazy contrapuntal guitar (see "Prepare / Repair" at 1:37 and "Better a Corspe Than a Nun" at about 0:33), odd time signatures, and shouted lyrics. And while these technical aspects were a great addition, I feel like while the ended started off on a really strong note, really ends up lagging on the final two tracks because of inferior songwriting and repetition.

Putting all of these pieces together, what is the end result? Risk Revival is a pretty great album. It doesn't have the musical or instrumental stunners that Cryonics did, and overall feels simpler, but Werner really stepped up his performance to make Risk Revival a visceral, strong album nonetheless. There's a youthful surge to its style that makes it immediately likable, but there's something lacking that makes repeated listens pale next to the completeness of Cryonics. If anything it's an excellent next step for Hot Cross who find ways to subtly redirect themselves, all while remaining godly in their genre. Hot Cross is still, after all these years, a punch in the face. Their music is quick, furious, and really satisfying.

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