Reviews

The Netherlands’ Razor Crusade showed tons of promise on their debut EP, “Are You Wired?” and their first full length “Infinite Water,” expands their modern euro-hardcore sound while taking it in some new directions.  The most apt comparison to a recent band (but also the biggest cop-out) would be to compare Razor Crusade to Refused. The combination of the slightly euro accented english vocals over experimental and some interesting samples/sounds makes that conclusion inescapable. In fact, the song The Low Spark sounds like the first four songs off of The Shape of Punk To Come being played in two and a half minutes.  Razor Crusade doesn’t approach the heights of The Shape... but they do offer a progressive take on modern hardcore.
 
The sounds played with by RZRCRSD range from multi layered harmonies and vocals to whispering vocals fading into the distance, from big garage-y guitars to ultra-produced blunt hardcore tones. All sorts of electronics are used, even a Speak-n-Spell (or the euro equivalent thereof). The lyrics are catchy, but sometimes dip too much towards bland ‘hardcore’ lyrics.  Some clichés are inescapable (burning, wrists, dying/killing) but some great new territory is explored, particularly all the different aspects  and facets of water in “Our Planet Is Intimate.”  The title of that song, combined with images of “aqua sculptures” and the reminder that “we’ve got enough water to drown our neighbors,” makes an important statement on how water links everyone together and how we have to “fight.  This is all we’ll ever have.”  All the water that exists now is all that will ever exist.  The life we live now is the only life we will ever have to live.
 
Ultimately, I don’t find myself listening to it that much.  As with their EP, I recognize the convergence of sound, intelligence and great production as something I should dig, but it just doesn’t jump out in my mind when I’m throwing on music.  This is not to say that people shouldn’t check it out, Infinite Water features a great layout and twelve rocking tracks.  I’m actually really partial to the fifteen second into.  “This song is for Alex,” consists of the words “completely unfolding, we’re drowning” and then the title.  And I love it.