Crossbreed – Synthetic Division – Review

Crossbreed

Synthetic Division (Artemis)
by Scott Hefflon

Tampa, FL’s Crossbreed were discovered by Kittie, so there’s a place to start, huh? This six-piece has two keyboardists, blends Depeche Mode’s dark wave influences with nü metal’s groove fixation, and a cold industrial tone with howling hardcore vocals. While it sounds like a mess – and don’t get me wrong, it is trying to be too many things – there are numerous very good pieces examined briefly before being tossed to the side in favor of some other shiny trinket. Fans still impressed by Ministry and Static-X will probably never notice the difference, but anyone who got tired of that stuff by the mid-’90s will wish Crossbreed would focus on a half-dozen styles and really do something with them. Cuz look at it this way – if, by their debut, they’ve gotten this good at this many things, imagine if they were to master the few they chose to focus on, their true calling. Yeah, be very afraid…
(130 5th Ave. New York, NY 10011)