Crux

Item: Failure To Yield
Author: Todd Brown

Failure To Yield

(1995)

Reviewed by Todd Brown

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Label Tooth & Nail RecordsThe LighthouseDecember 1995

hardcore punk punk

Punk rock fans rejoice! This is the most legitimate piece of punk I've heard come out of the Christian scene yet. It's hard, it's fast, the production is thick, the vocals are good, and I really have nothing bad at all to say about this band.

Crux is a difficult band to place within the punk world. They're too hard to fit nicely within the new school mold, but use a fair amount of harmony in their vocals, keeping them out of the old school. Picture a harder Rancid and you won't be too far off.

As tends to be the case with punk bands, Crux tends to be political in their lyrics, putting a spotlight on the world and shouting out "Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!" "Agenda" takes a look at the concept of planned parenthood, and its impact on race relations:

Sanger's hate agenda Painted over as compassion In legal ethnic cleansing In third reich fashion Empty the ghetto by scraping clean the uterus Eliminate the benign imbeciles, a poison among us...

"New Morality" takes on the issue of political correctness:

You tell me what to buy Suggest what I should eat Giving off no light But providing plenty of heat You're offended if I smoke But defend my right to kill You're "liberating" new morality Has left me feeling ill

I'm feeling ill...

But all is not politics and anger. Crux lightens up with "Dance Feever" a simple little ditty praising the joys of the pit.

Vocalist Rich shows a good range throughout the disc, moving from intense yelling to singing simple harmonies with the other band members, and all easily within the span of a line or two. The rhythm section is tight and the guitars are crunchy and innovative enough to hold the listeners interest through all eighteen tracks. In all, this is a quality debut.