Album Review: Battlecross-Rise to Power

As a music critic, there are certain instances where you're reviewing something that's in a niche that you unabashedly love. You're well aware that a majority of your audience will not like it nearly as much as you and that you're likely to be widely scrutinized for praising the hell out of it, but you could care less because the artist is making music that hits all the sweet spots for you. Rise to Power, the third LP from Michigan-based extreme metal act Battlecross, is one of the strongest examples of this phenomenon in recent memory and stands firmly amongst my favorite releases of 2015 so far.

Since their inception, Battlecross has played a style of metal that is equal parts late-80's thrash and Gothenburg melo-death worship. In other words, they kind of sound like the demented, beautiful lovechild of Overkill, At the Gates, Death Angel, In Flames and Pantera. On Rise to Power, they stick to that formula and for the first time in their career, shows a complete mastery of it. The band makes the most of Rise to Power's brisk 36-minute runtime, filling each song with enough killer riffs and solos, intense vocals and in-your-face energy to fill an album that's twice the length. There isn't much in the way of innovation or varied song structure going on here, but there's no filler or gimmicky bullshit to be found, which is a refreshing change of pace in a year that has had no shortage of disappointing metal releases. Rise to Power is a breezy, frenzied, fun and easily digestible attack on the senses and i loved every god damn minute of it.

4.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Scars
2.The Climb
3.The Path