REVIEW: CROSSOVER – Miserere

 

CROSSOVER – Miserere

Sleaszy Rider SRL

My relationship with Black Metal has never been straightforward, especially concerning the classic Nordic scene. For years, I found the style monotonous, as if confirming the phrase that "everything is the same if you don't love it." However, there is one notable exception to this musical aversion, and that is the Greek Black Metal scene. Its distinctive sound, developed by pillar bands like Rotting Christ and Varathron, managed to win me over, offering a complexity and character that stands apart from the established North European formula.

Within this broader spectrum of the Greek Black Metal sound, I also include Crossover. This is a band that, while perhaps differing in details, shares the same character and has now carved out its own long history in the domestic scene. Their journey began in the late '90s, initially as Zion (1997-2000), before later evolving into Crossover. This progression marks their continuous presence and the evolution of their sound, making them a significant chapter in this Greek "variation" of Black Metal that I hold in such high esteem.

After a long period of silence that lasted a full fourteen years since the release of "Pythagorized," Crossover return to reintroduce themselves with their new work, "Miserere." For the writer, this new release functions as a musical recapitulation piece. While successfully retaining and summarizing the entire musical style the band has cultivated over the years—the melodies, the atmosphere, and the Hellenic-centric feeling—it simultaneously manages to inject it with new life. Indicative of the thematic content, in fact, is the album's cover, which draws inspiration from the devastating Evros wildfires of 2023, symbolizing loss yet also rebirth. "Miserere" is not merely a return, but a statement of continuity and renewal.

Listening to "Miserere" immediately conveys a sense of righteous indignation. The album seems to express the pent-up anger over life's injustices, the absence of any "bright being" that magically appears to offer a solution. This rage is reflected in many parts with an intense Thrash Metal aesthetic, with the formidable composition "Quod Volas Tota Lex Erit" serving as a prime example. It is worth noting the participation of Wrath (Dodsferd) on the opener "The Unreconciled Dead" (O Aspondos Nekros), where Crossover articulate deep existential anxieties, reminiscent of the spirit of the great author Nikos Kazantzakis (note: which is based on the eponymous poem by Nick Spane, published in his 2022 book titled «Θαμμένος στην Γη του Ονείρου» and recited by the author himself). They also do not forget their symphonic past, which is dynamically revived in the composition "A Song Of Crows," adding a theatrical dimension to their sound. Finally, the production by John Ampatzoglou is flawless, clean, and dynamic, steering the sound away from the "digital construction logic" that dominates many contemporary releases.

The album closes with a moving tribute: the cover of the track "The Ring of Sorrow" by Astarte. This is a gesture that honors the memory of Maria, the founder of Astarte and a wonderful person I had the pleasure of knowing. Her loss left an irreplaceable void in the country's music scene, where she left an indelible mark. May the earth lie soft upon her.

In conclusion, "Miserere" is an album that not only possesses variety in its sound but is also deeply rooted in the history of Crossover. This new release, however, is not a simple repetition. On the contrary, it injects new life into the band's style. The band sounds full of energy, yet simultaneously more mature than ever, proving that the long wait was worthwhile and that their position in the Greek scene remains strong and irreplaceable.

Nick Parastatidis