''Species'' is the fifth EP by Japanese
metalcore
Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...
band
Crossfaith
Crossfaith ( Japanese: クロスフェイス) is a Japanese metalcore band from Osaka that was formed in 2006, which currently consists of vocalist Kenta Koie, guitarists Kazuki Takemura and Daiki Koide, drummer Tatsuya Amano, and keyboardist T ...
. It was released on 20 May 2020 in Japan, and later released on 22 May 2020 worldwide.
Background and promotion
Crossfaith debuted their first single "Endorphin" exclusively on
Daniel P. Carter
Daniel Philip Carter (born 16 November 1972) is a British musician and radio DJ. He is the former singer and guitarist for hardcore punk band Hexes, the former bassist for A, the former lead guitarist for alternative rock band Bloodhound Gang ...
's
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
Rock Show, the day before the release of the single worldwide.
However, the EP wasn't announced until the release of the second single "Digital Parasite" on 9 April 2020.
In an interview with ''
Rock Sound
''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk, ...
'', the frontman, Kenta Koie would explain that ''Species'' would alter the course of the band for "at the very least for the next 10 years".
He would further go on to explain about the departure in sound from ''
Ex Machina'' to ''Species'':
Critical reception
The EP received mostly positive reviews, but also mixed reviews from several critics. Carlos Zelaya from ''Dead Press!'' rated the EP positively calling it: "Wasting no time and still managing to spring surprises with their multi-dimensional sound, Crossfaith continue to impress with ''Species''."
''Distorted Sound'' scored the EP 8 out of 10 and said: "In recent times CROSSFAITH have branched out their sound in a variety of different directions whilst continuing to stay cohesive and true to all the invigorating elements that brought them such adoration throughout their journey. ''Species'' is a compacted burst packed with fury and fun that will greatly please their existing fans as well as grab the attention of any potential newcomers. If you're new to the weird and wonderful world of CROSSFAITH this is the ideal appetiser to get you acquainted."
In a less favourable review, ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' gave the EP 2 out of 5 and stated: "Overall, ''Species'' hasn't evolved enough to justify its existence."
''Wall of Sound'' gave the EP a score 8/10 and saying: "Crossfaith continue to be a dominant outfit among Japan's heavy music scene. It will be interesting to see what kind of live show for ''SPECIES'' they bring back to Australia, because their last outing made them an unmissable band in my book."
Track listing
Personnel
Crossfaith
* Kenta Koie – lead vocals
* Kazuki Takemura – guitars
* Terufumi Tamano – keyboards, programming, samples, backing vocals
* Hiroki Ikegawa – bass
* Tatsuya Amano – drums
Additional musicians
* Jin Dogg – guest vocals on "None of Your Business"
Charts
Release history
References
External links
*
{{Crossfaith
2020 EPs
Crossfaith EPs
UNFD albums