Crossed Hearts is a band who has the misfortune of being thrown into not one, but two backhanded categories: “NWOTHM” and “female-fronted”. I’m sure those are two descriptors that will be used in multiple online reviews of their debut album, Forced Perspective. I find this to be a travesty. Instead of focusing on the larger umbrella Crossed Hearts falls under or the gender of their lead singer, my fellow online metal album reviewers should focus on the fact that we’ve got a killer band at hand, one who’s ready to bring the thunder, loud and proud.
I can attempt to sandwich in all the 80s witticisms in the world to fill up this review (and believe me, I will), but they still wouldn’t properly describe just how unforgivingly 80s inspired Forced Perspective is. It’s as if this band knowingly has one foot in the pre-thrash US metal private press underground of ’80-’83, and the other in the major label metal mania of the decade’s mid years, when bands like Quiet Riot, Icon, and Madam X were being paid a boatload of money to make quite the racket. Yes, you read that right kiddies. Once upon a time, heavy metal bands actually got paid!
Forced Perspective is a well-rounded, high energy outing that encapsulates the sounds of the PMRC era. There’s the obligatory speed metal outbursts on cuts like “Speedin’ for Your Love” and “Free Destiny Rock”, the latter of which pays lyrical homage to the legends of yesteryear (Deep Purple, Accept, Dio, etc.). “War Rig” and “Spellbound” scratch that pseudo-epic metal itch, not going full swords and sorcery, but just enough to appease the Manowarriors. Nasty Accept-esque gallop riffs? Yep, this album has though too on the attitude-driven “Bad Guy”.
Yet above all, what lies closest to Crossed Hearts’ err…hearts, is their passion for melody and hooks. I wouldn’t go so far to call this an all-out melodic metal album, but you can’t deny the early Dokkenisms of the atmospheric ballad “Ruminating”. This enchanting slab of nostalgia was tailormade for cranking up with the windows down at the witching hour. While different in overall approach, I get this same sense from the Screaming for Vengeance meets Dawn Patrol coke-fueled frenzy of “Hot Foot”, as well as the blistering heavy rock of “Call of the Wild”.
Crossed Hearts aren’t the most over the top band in the traditional metal scene today. They can play their instruments well, but aren’t technically proficient to the point of nausea. What they lack in virtuosity and overall ability, they make up for in nuts n’ guts, which is what it’s all about. So many traditional metal bands today get so caught up in the aesthetic side of things that they forget the music’s initial purpose. This isn’t a fashion show. This is life. Crossed Hearts proudly wear their metal hearts on their sleeve, making any tried and true old school maniacs proud. I look forward to watching them grow over the years, as it’s only upwards from here!
7 out of 10
Label: Church Recordings
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Accept, Judas Priest, Enforcer