Published on May 24, 2001
In the press material for their debut album
Synthetic Division, Crossbreed singer James Rietz explained
that the guide for the Florida-based industrial group has been
“watching what other bands have done wrong.”
Cocky? Perhaps – but what would one expect from a band whose
eerie stage presence reminds someone of people who have lived by
Chernobyl a little too long? Besides,
Synthetic Division is ample proof that Crossbreed has done
their homework, so a little boasting is definitely called for.
The band – vocalist Rietz, guitarist Chris Nemzek, bassist
Charlie Parker, keyboardist Flip, keyboardist DJ Izzo and drummer
Travis Simpkins – take all the lessons that groups such as Nine
Inch Nails, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson and the like have put forth over
the years, and combine it into one sonic attack that will knock the
plaster off of the walls. It’s intense; it’s frightening… it’s
addictive.
From the opening riffs on “Severed,” one can tell that
Crossbreed are a band who refuse to conform to what any scene may
expect from them – and they plan on taking no prisoners with their
musical attack. Listening to tracks like “Pure Energy,”
“Underlined” and “Machines,” one can tell that Crossbreed is not a
band treading on well-plowed industrial ground.
Oh, sure, the crunching guitar work from Nemzek and the
alternating shrieks and melodic vocal lines from Rietz – as well as
the samples, though wisely used sparingly – suggest that this is
industrial rock. But this is no mere photocopy; Crossbreed distills
all of its influences into its own unique sound – and the end
result is nothing short of refreshing.
While
Synthetic Division is not the kind of album that can be
played at low volumes in the quiet of a brightly-lit room, it is an
album that does not have a weak performance on it. Every single
track is something to celebrate, right down to the painful cries
that double for chorus vocals in “Lost Soul”. Make no mistake:
Crossbreed is a winner, and
Synthetic Division is an album that is going to be very hard
to top. But if this disc is any indication of Crossbreed’s
potential, then one would have to say that if anyone could outdo
this album, it would be Crossbreed themselves.