A lot can be said for when side projects become as good as a main project. With that being said Crosses is just that. Made up of Chino Moreno (Deftones, Team Sleep, Palms), Shaun Lopez (Far, The Revolution Smile) and Chuck Doom, this trio has created something rather special. I’ve written about them before, but I can’t get enough. They recently released their full length album. It combines the first 2 EP’s with 5 new songs. It was also put together in such an order to make a cohesive album. The new songs are just as good as their previous release, especially Bitches Brew, The Epilogue, and Blk Stallion. The mix of influences from each member and the amount of talent that each possess create such an intriguing blend. This album is great for driving around, gearing up for a night out, sitting at home and relaxing and for baby making. Crosses live is a whole different animal. Having Dino Campanella on drums and Jono Evans on guitar/keys, rounds out the entire sound. When I first saw them they had 2 drummers. Dino plays in such a way that it is almost like there are still 2 drummers there. Chino has such a distinctive voice that can be soothing as well as ferocious. Shaun has a signature guitar tone that many people try to emulate from his days in Far. Mixing those elements with an electronic sound is unbeatable.
Chino has said that this is not something that will keep him from Deftones. In fact he’s recently said that he can’t wait to get back with his Deftones bandmates to work on the follow up to their great album Koi No Yokan, not to mention working on new music with Team Sleep and Palms. It’s only mid february and I can already tell that this album will be in constant rotation for me and will probably be in my top 10 of the year
Crosses:
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By: Brian Lacy
