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This new canadian band (with members of BOOTLICKER, NO HEART, LAST CRUSADE and SPLIT ARROWS among others) released a debut demotape last year that immediately catched my attention, i got a bunch of copies for distribution and instantly became one of my favourite demos from 2022. And they also featured 2 tracks on the British Columbia Bovver compilation also released last year.
I got hooked up by their fresh hardcorepunk somehow taking influences from both shores of the north Atlantic Ocean, like if GANG GREEN and CIRCLE JERKS would be jamming with THE PARTISANS and THE SKEPTIX on a drunken party. Or something like that.
So now it was time for their vinyl debut on their own and here you have 10 tracks of sharp, catchy, fast and piercing Punk Hardcore on a 45rpm 12inch with the title “Perverted Law”.
Our take: Spain’s Mendeku Diskak label brings us the debut vinyl from this Canadian band that shares a member with Bootlicker. Mendeku Diskak has built a reputation for bringing us exciting, often Spanish-language oi! music from groups like Lost Legion, Castillo, Fuerza Bruta, and Mess, but Crosshairs doesn’t fit that template super well… especially given the Bootlicker connection, Crosshairs sound like they’d be more at home on a label like Neon Taste. The label’s description hits the nail on the head when they say Crosshairs takes influence from both sides of the Atlantic. The core of their music is US-style hardcore that sounds a lot like Career Suicide (as well as bands like Gang Green and the Circle Jerks who influenced CS), but with moments that pull from the more blistering end of UK82. See, for instance, the bass runs on “Guillotine,” the guitar leads on “Panopticon,” or the driving closing track, “Herd.” The vocals toe that line too, with a hoarse shout that makes me think of another 2000s-era (but 80s USHC style) Toronto band, Terminal State, but leaning on UK82 cadences that Savageheads fans will dig. If you’re a fan of Headcheese and Imploders, Crosshairs has a similar sound, but with that sprinkling of UK82 influence bringing some unique flavor to their mix.
I got hooked up by their fresh hardcorepunk somehow taking influences from both shores of the north Atlantic Ocean, like if GANG GREEN and CIRCLE JERKS would be jamming with THE PARTISANS and THE SKEPTIX on a drunken party. Or something like that.
So now it was time for their vinyl debut on their own and here you have 10 tracks of sharp, catchy, fast and piercing Punk Hardcore on a 45rpm 12inch with the title “Perverted Law”.
Our take: Spain’s Mendeku Diskak label brings us the debut vinyl from this Canadian band that shares a member with Bootlicker. Mendeku Diskak has built a reputation for bringing us exciting, often Spanish-language oi! music from groups like Lost Legion, Castillo, Fuerza Bruta, and Mess, but Crosshairs doesn’t fit that template super well… especially given the Bootlicker connection, Crosshairs sound like they’d be more at home on a label like Neon Taste. The label’s description hits the nail on the head when they say Crosshairs takes influence from both sides of the Atlantic. The core of their music is US-style hardcore that sounds a lot like Career Suicide (as well as bands like Gang Green and the Circle Jerks who influenced CS), but with moments that pull from the more blistering end of UK82. See, for instance, the bass runs on “Guillotine,” the guitar leads on “Panopticon,” or the driving closing track, “Herd.” The vocals toe that line too, with a hoarse shout that makes me think of another 2000s-era (but 80s USHC style) Toronto band, Terminal State, but leaning on UK82 cadences that Savageheads fans will dig. If you’re a fan of Headcheese and Imploders, Crosshairs has a similar sound, but with that sprinkling of UK82 influence bringing some unique flavor to their mix.