Having played a host of major league metal fests in the US, Battlecross have already started to make headway, but like any band with an ounce of common sense they know better than to rest on their laurels. They needn’t worry too much, however, because they’re clearly onto a winner with their hybrid onslaught.
Confusingly, their moniker suggests a sword-wielding persuasion, but the fact is Battlecross have very skillfully merged the acerbic raw power of At The Gates, the short, sharp trigger of Exodus and the ever-present guitar chug of deathcore.
The result is a record that drags this Detroit mob away from the saturated melodeath scene and gives them a bit of old-school swagger, including riffs that could be peeled from either US or Teutonic thrash epics. Most songs average under four minutes, and with groove and attention-grabbing riffs high up on the list here, it’s easy to see why Battlecross are big-stage fodder while they still manage to cling onto staunch metal ethics that keep them credible with the kids who dig Cattle Decapitation as much as Slayer.
