Ever since Judas Priest’s Unleashed In The East live album first showcased the country’s following of the genre, Japan has a long history of producing some of history’s less conventional metal acts. Comparatively normal by the country’s standards but by no means your ordinary band are Osaka dance/metal fusionists Crossfaith, now on their fourth album ‘Xeno’.
They could have started the album much worse than with intro ‘System X’, starting with strings leading into an electronic build up. By the time the title track’s guitar and drums come crashing in, the synth feels like an extension of the guitar, Crossfaith’s two styles complimenting each other rather than fighting for dominance. ‘Raise Your Voice’ and ‘Devil’s Party’ further confirm that Crossfaith are approaching crossover music without any stylistic awkwardness, just a potential to release big singles. They even invite some friends along; Caleb Shomo’s appearance on ‘Ghost in the Mirror’ makes you wonder why Beartooth have never recruited a synth player. Skindred frontman Benji Webbe’s claim that his track ‘Wildfire’ is “the ultimate collaboration” sounds a little tongue-in-cheek, but it is a joke that he is very much in on, bringing his character into the already pretty characterful mix. Ballad ‘Tears Fall’ seems like a bit of a token ballad as opposed to something that needed to be said, Kenta Koie’s distinctive Japanese accent the only thing that sticks out. But on another more melodic note but more in line of the rest of the album is the stronger ‘Calm The Storm’. For an album that mostly stretches towards the rock side of things, the mainly synthesised closer ‘Astral Creep’ is another more electronic track bookending the album and making the power chords that end the track more effective.
From Tom Morello lending his riffs to The Prodigy’s ‘One Man Army’ to Skrillex laying down some drops on Korn’s ‘Get Up’, the electronic and metal worlds are no stranger to each other; With this album, Crossfaith were always going to need to bring more than fusion gimmicks to capture anyone’s imaginations, but create some songs to leave a lasting impression. On ‘Xeno’, fans of both genres will be pleased to hear that they succeed.
ALEC EVANS