The Breed – Crossroads

Czech punk with a dense and unsavory metallic flair. Not sure what else to say here. The sense of theatrics – from the incessant guitar wizardry to the Photoshopped nuclear reactors in the band photos – was just too much for me.

Roughly half the songs are sung in English, with some questionable translations. “Snort It” has the verse “Beautiful day / is coming today / tickling, listening / be the one / spend the right.” Certainly not bagging on these guys for English being a second language, only that I usually can’t quite understand what it is they’re getting at. Which means the lyrics become secondary, at most, and listening to Crossroads must be taken on a purely visceral level. And on an emotional level, I’ve never been much of a fan of metallic hardcore. The Breed doesn’t do much to change that.

Somebody clearly had fun in Photoshop, piecing together the post-apocalyptic layout of a bunch of nearly naked fellows in gasmasks wandering around a ruined desert landscape, but it just adds another dash of silliness to the mix, as if this band is trying way, way too hard. I recently reviewed fellow Czech band Zemezluc’s new album and found it pretty captivating and creative, especially for a three-piece. These guys, however, are way too droll and goofy for me. There are moments where they briefly remind me of Behind Enemy Lines, but even on songs like “The Hell”, a tune that that carries some momentum behind it and has some nice gang vocals, that metallic undercurrent and those noodling guitar pyrotechnics ruin it for me. If you’re a fan of contemporary European punk/metal, check this out. Personally, I’ll pass.