Record Label: Equal Vision Records
Genre: Post-Hardcore
Band Link: link
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Some consider Hot Cross to be screamo, but that label doesn’t do them any justice whatsoever. There is no mindless aggression here, but intricately crafted post-hardcore that is concurrently complex and appealing.

There are a lot of good things to say about Hot Cross: the smart songwriting, the vocals that have range but never assault, and the inventive, prog-like structures. But what really sets Hot Cross apart is the excellent guitarwork. The guitarist is capable of different styles, from Spanish acoustic to metal riffing to upbeat punkiness to clean, cascading indie arpeggios. And yet on songs like “Fire the Foundations,” he is also able to take a step back to fit in with the song’s relative simplicity.

There is not one element of the band that overpowers the music. Everything fits together well, and if there’s any complaint it might be the polished quality and fears of a mainstream crossover. But there are certainly worse bands that made it big under the screamo banner – Hot Cross should show genre fans how it’s done.

Bottom Line: Not a perfect comparison, but Converge fans will dig this.
Notable Tracks: Exit and Trails, Turncoat Revolution, Cardiac Silence
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