Evolving, and growing.
Everything we know
Everything we love
Everything we believe in
Will change
Living is changing
Momentarily, everything will be re-imagined"
This is how the new album starts by The Cruxshadows. Let me give you a bit of personal history with this group. When I was in junior high, I always used to hang out with my brother and his friends and they would play a lot of games that would involve either one of two things. One game was the "What can Joey get away with because he's a kid?" game, and the other was video games... usually. Once in a while, though... we'd crank on The Matrix... and play Vampire: The Masquerade, which was like D&D but with vampires. It was so cool! However, the black cherry (because...everything has to be black.) on top of this was putting in the Succubus Club soundtrack, a 13 track CD that was the coolest, darkwaviest, undergroundiest synthpopiest music you'll ever hear. I love a lot of these bands on here that I want to cover at some point! However... there were two that really stood out to me and one of them was The Cruxshadows.
Don't judge... maybe their legs were cold but their stomachs were hot!
They're a truly unique band. Theyre the only band that I've seen in which dancers are full-time members of the band. They're the only band that has a dude with a headset mic climbing on the scenery and singing. Heck, their instrumentation consists of a guitar, a synth, two violins, a percussionist, and a lead singer. Not only that, but the other thing that stood out with them was the message that they were conveying. Many darkwave bands are known for depressing,haunting, even suicidal themes. The Cruxshadows has a different focus... one made of living, loving, being, and believing (...I took that straight from their symbol). So, obviously I'm going to like this album, but I have done my best to pull the rose-colored pieces of glass out of my ears and give this new album, As the Dark Against My Halo, an honest review!
I want a big 3D version of this cover... so I can think this lady's lunging at me.
After the first track of," And I Believe" comes the synth heavy anthem of "Valkyrie". Right from the gate, they are holding nothing back. There's something to be noticed with the atmosphere of this song. The beat pounds into your heart, yet the lead singer Rogue's vocals feel whimsical, almost haunting. To me, this created a sense of having a pulse, but the bewilderment of wondering what you truly are. At this point, the pristine lyrical crafting comes out during the chorus and covers you like an aural blanket of relief, with the words...
"God knows
That Fate is armed with arrows
And she watches the battlefield"
I interpreted the lyrics as if Fate can attack at any moment, but someone knows of your dismay and will be there for you when Fate were to be so inclined to attack...UGHSOGOOD! Let's move on before I get too deep in all this... Anyone think they get philosophical but realize they just sound stupid? Yeah I have that...
Anyways! As much as I would love to break down each track... I think I'm going to talk about the tracks that stood out to me the most. I'm not downtalking any of the songs on this album! Each of them have something to offer, from the mocking tone in Rogue's voice in "Sleepless" to the sacrifical tone of "Burning". However, there is one track that stood out the most on this: Quicksilver.
This song is actually an older tune from them. It topped a lot of charts and further established what they are about. I'll put it to you like this: If you don't like this song, you will NOT like the rest of this album. In my opinion, this is the closest thing we are going to get to an aural sentience of this band. Heavy beat? Check. Haunting lead vocals that fill you with hope? You got it. This has everything involving darkwave!
I mean... can YOU pull off a suit and goggles? Maybe Rogue was riding sidecar to a wedding...
Another track that I feel stands out is the tune "Matchstick Girl". I say this because it stands out so much in contrast to the rest of the tracks. It starts off with a simple piano... then over time the intensity builds into a spellbinding tale of a girl trying desperately to stay alive. I'm going to be honest... I was so emotional listening to this track. It seems like they stripped what they were known for and put all of their resources into creating an atmosphere that leaves you cold and paralyzed.
Get your kleenex ready... not like that, sicko.
The second half of the album carries the momentum from the first half into catchy, meaningful tunes such as Indivisible and Angelus Everlasting. What caught my attention throughout this album are the subtle differences in each track. From the superficial standpoint, it seems like a bunch of mid-tempo songs with violins, synthesizers, and lost of Hard Gs dropped. However, listening to it more... each song has a different feel. After Quicksilver plays and gets you riled up, the track Infinite Tear comes in and makes you think about yourself. Just when you are vulnerable, Matchstick Girl plays and brings to your knees... Throughout this album, there are broad themes of war and religion, but in the end of it all, this album is about believing in yourself and making yourself into what YOU want to be.
So, what's my conclusion to this? The Darkwave genre may not be for everyone, but I can say this one thing: If any band can warm you up to the genre, it's the Cruxshadows. They pour everything into their music and have created an adamant yet visibly hidden following around the world. Listen to Quicksilver and Matchstick Girl. If you don't like either one of those pieces of work, then well... no hard feelings. If you do like, I strongly recommend checking this band out!!
I hope you enjoyed this read! please check out my friends! geeksotroundtable.blogspot.com and please comment, follow, like, subscribe, do whatever!
Thank you,
Joey
