Hailing from Japan, electro-metal giants Crossfaith have come out once again with an EP dripping with musical creativity. The three-track EP, FREEDOM, opens strong with the title track which features guest vocals from Rou Reynolds, the vocalist of the popular British rap-metal band Enter Shikari. From the crescendo that opens the song to the first beat, an electrifying feeling rushes through your veins. The fast paced tempo and rhythm make you want to jump up and down and bang your head wherever you are. Rou Reynolds verse slows the song down into a hip-hop style rhythm. The rapping is filled with energy as Reynolds makes a huge impact to the opening track.
The next song, Rockstar Steady, takes a different route to the other songs by Crossfaith. Featuring the iconic famous Japanese rapper, JESSE (from THE BONEZ and RISE), Rockstar Steady is sure to be a hit all over the world. The song overall has a much greater tech influence than other tracks on the album but still has the same great sound that Crossfaith are famous for. This song will make you want to sing along and also want to kick your mate while you’re moshing to it.
The final track, and the first of the EP that was released to the world, Diavolos has unmatched energy. The initial scream is filled with passion and leads into the most powerful song on the EP. The sing-alongs during the chorus alongside the fast, heavy breakdowns make Diavolos one of the best Crossfaith tracks to date. Although being the only song to not feature any guest vocalists, the vocal range of Kenta Koie shows that his band are soon to be one of the biggest international acts in the metal scene.
A neo-futuristic manga-esque tale of human / machine hybrids, a repressive government and the power of music, Freedom takes us to a place in the not too distant future in which civilization has developed so rapidly that the citizens are starting to question what it means to be truly free.
– Robbie Tannous