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Hot Cross - Risk Revival Make the most of the mellow first 30 seconds of “Exits And Trails”, the opener to Hot Cross’s sophomore record Risk Revival, as it’s the only respite you'll get in the next 44 minutes. After this short intro, the track soon lives up to the rest of the record, exploding with the kind of frantic energy and passion we’ve come to expect from the Philadelphians. It’s a noisy clash between the brashness of punk and the complexities of post-hardcore – part At The Drive-In, part Anti-Flag, part Fall Of Troy – and never has it been more welcome. One of the reasons for this warm reception is the time we’ve had to wait for the record’s arrival. It’s been almost three years since the EP Fair Trades & Fairwells, and four since the last full length Cryonics. That time has seen the departure of second guitarist Josh Jakubowski, and along with him, the scrapping of half an album’s worth of material (although Jakubowski does leave a large imprint on Risk Revival, both recording and naming it, and also lending lead vocals on “Silence Is Failure”). It’s also seen the previously DIY-dominated band moving to Hope Division Records (a subsidiary of Equal Vision), and handing over some of the responsibilities of the band as they did so. Vocalist Billy Werner is quick to reassure that these are practical concerns however, and not artistic: “Basically it’s the same Hot Cross; the only difference is now someone else is footing the bill.” But he’s not quite right. The Hot Cross of old may be immediately recognisable in the writhing angularness, in the jagged, restless intensity, but Risk Revival sees the vocals receiving more focus, and the substitution of more singing for screaming, in a slightly less screamo-orientated sound. The other big change is in the production, which is much more clear than past recordings. Although the tracks sacrifice some rawness for this polish, it’s undoubtedly a positive move, and not to be mistaken for a restrictive one – Risk Revival is Hot Cross firing on every cylinder they can get their impulsive hands on. “Rejoinder” is one of the band’s catchiest songs to date, “Finance Fuels The Sickness At Heart” one of the most irate, “Silence Is Failure” one of the heaviest. Whereas the slight shift in sound (or more tellingly, the label move) may result in a few sneered comments from underground elitists, it will please a far greater number of shrewder listeners. matt |
