Few, if any, bands in the short but storied history of the nascent genre of screamo have evolved as quickly as Hot Cross. Starting out as the "ex-members" project of the genre-defining but short-lived Saetia, they initially released A New Set of Lungs, an EP that shocked by surpassing their former musical incarnation, mixing extremely raw vocals with heavy, cutting instrumentation. Hopes were high for their sophomore effort, Cryonics, but it seemed that the band had betrayed their roots. Offering up much more conventional song structures and some sonically questionable elements, like amateurish back-up vocals, the band dumbfounded their elder fan base but won new acclaim in the mainstream press. Fair Trades and Farewells brings hope to the old school zealots while still marching the same path as Cryonics.
This time through, Hot Cross' guitarists abandon any past reservations that they may have had about playing outright metal, and that abandon pays off. The lightning fast yet catchy opening lick on "Better a Corpse Than a Nun" is a perfect example of what their tightly woven six-string attack is capable of: simultaneous Yngwie Malmstein-like axe wankery and accessibility. The band's rhythm section keeps up with the guitars rather well. The drumming is tightly executed if somewhat busy, while the bass pops along like an immense bumblebee on a massive dose of Adderol.
Unfortunately, like its predecessor, Fair Trades falls somewhat short in its vocal component. Lead vocalist Billy makes an attempt to return to his pipes-shredding repertoire from their debut, and the effort pays off. Too many tourdates have seemingly left his throat unable to match its past banshee howls, but his emotional intensity helps make up for it. The backing vocal components have also improved, if only because they are more sparsely distributed and better woven into the songs. Thankfully, Hot Cross maintains their thoughtful, evocative lyrics, however they may be sung.
Fair Trades and Farewells boils down to a happy middle ground that will likely please both fans and critics of Cryonics, while leaving both groups equally optimistic about Hot Cross' future endeavors.
1. Prepare/Repair
2. Solanka
3. Throw Collars to the Wind
4. Better a Corpse Than a Nun
5. Two Cripples Dancing
6. Consonants
More about: Hot Cross
