To be honest, I’ve only ever been a casual listener of Deftones and Team Sleep. I don’t even think I’ve ever thrown on a Deftones album just to listen to it all the way through. I’ve always just listened to a track or two and then moved on to something else.
When I first heard † † † (Crosses) back in 2011, I immediately wanted more. I got the first EP and the 5 tracks just weren’t enough for me. Upon doing a bit of research, I found that Deftones and Team Sleep frontman, Chino Moreno, was the voice behind † † †, so I gave both bands another listen. Suddenly I could truly appreciate the work that Moreno does and I waited to hear more from † † †.
Three years and one EP later, I, and lots of other people, finally have a full length LP. Granted, the 10 songs that originally appeared on the band’s EPs make up most of the album, but it’s nice to hear them all together along with 5 new tracks. The new mix helps create a complete picture of the † † † and what they are all about.
The band itself kind of came together by accident. Moreno had was skating over to childhood friend Shaun Lopez’s (Far) house to hang out. One day he arrived to find Lopez and producer, Chuck Doom, working on a set of songs. Moreno liked the sound and the trio agreed that his voice would fit nicely over what had already been laid down, so he jumped into the recording booth and the rest, as they say, is history.
Moreno’s voice works so well with these tracks because, like the music, it’s unique and has a lot of range. The album hits quite a few genres and textures and Moreno’s vocals blend in perfectly to create 15 almost impeccable tracks that range from noisy and gritty (“Bi†ches Brew” and “Op†ion”) to simple and atmospheric (“†hholyghs†” and “Dea†h Bell”).
† † † (Crosses) full length opens with “†his Is A †rick”, which infuses a hip hop beat with glitchy synths, distorted bass and Moreno’s famous howl on the hooks. It’s a great opener for the album and prepares the listener for the journey that they are about to take through the rest of the 14 tracks.
“†elepa†hy” has a very interesting soundscape. Layered through the electronic samples, driving bass, and heavy guitar riffs is a guttural growl that gives the track a bit of an uneasy feeling. This grumbly sound only helps to accentuate the lyrics of the chorus, “I wasn’t gonna play it tonight / But I can’t help it / The feeling’s alive / As long as you play the game / I’ll let you win”.
The impending doom continues with “Bi†ches Brew”. Haunting synths and heavy guitars give the song a very cinematic feel. The visuals in the recently released music video only add to the feeling of horror created by the song. The creepy images definitely stuck with me long after the video ended.
For me, the best tracks on the album are the moodier ones. “†hholyghs†” is probably the simplest sounding song on the album. Minimal instrumentations and Moreno’s reverbed vocals build through the verses into a chorus filled to the brim with energetic drums and haunting samples. “Dea†h Bell” is the closest that you’ll get to a lullaby from the band. A slow piano and a distortion start the track before Moreno’s subdued vocals come in. The song is very soothing even when it finally picks up its pace around the 2 minute mark.
† † † (Crosses) delivers a unique listening experience in their first full length album. While samples of Deftones and Team Sleep can be heard throughout, the overall sound is something that I’ve never really heard. The album as a whole is rather theatrical, with so many textures that it will take numerous listens to hear and truly appreciate everything the album has to offer.
Rating: 4.5/5
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