BATTLECROSS

Battlecross: If you want straight up metal, you've come to the right place. Detroit's Battlecross is keeping their chops well honed, after more than ten years slinging heavy riffs. Heavy metal for the working class, or "blue collar thrash metal," is what Battlecross specializes in. The first thing you'll notice is the crazed, bearded front man Kyle Gunther, grunting, singing, and growling while his long hair (on his head and face) flies. In fact, you'll get quite a bit of long hair whipping with synchronized headbangs -- as metal bands are wont to do. This is a dynamic band that likes to whip the crowd into an excited frenzy. Virtuoso solos, pounding drums, and technically perfect instrumentals are a fitting background for Kyle's brutal vocals and self-aware lyrics -- something the band calls "positive aggression." For a band that sounds relatively scary, the lyrics are generally optimistic; which is pretty unique as far as metal bands go. Perhaps this is because Battlecross has landed on Metal Blade Records, a label that has name recognition and more than one act that has it made it big, like Lizzy Borden, Between The Buried and Me, and Gwar. (Metal Blade was home to the Goo Goo Dolls, let's not forget that). Battlecross is walking the line between homage to original thrash, and experimenting with new elements which is what being a metal band in 2014 calls for. With every live show, fans can expect nothing but non-stop energy, dripping sweat, and one hell of a bangover the next day.