Cruz Control
Arrrggghhh! Feedback! A veritable riot of high frequencies and screaming guitar distortion kick starts Verra Cruz's debut single. Well.....start as you mean to go on!
A frenetic barrage of guitars and drums ensues. Screechy enough to satisfy my inner punk, yet boppy enough to make those dancing-feet move. For a new rock band it is often difficult to compromise your heavy sound with the pop edge that'll get you airplay. Verra Cruz have managed this beautifully. That punk ethos comes wailing over my speakers and is blended perfectly with a somewhat commercial edge.
I've chosen the wrong term as there is no compromise here. Rather a finely balanced marriage of these diametrically opposed schools of music. Sloppy guitar work is reinforced by a meticulously orchestrated drum-beat. This is quality engineering, establishing Verra Cruz as the Brunel of UK rock.
Topped off with Kings of Leon-esque vocals, the sturdy bassline serves as the foundation on top of which the guitar manages to bring the house down! This how I like my music; a rhythm section that grabs you by the balls and then shakes you 'til your hair falls out!
In actual fact the music is quite simplistic. The melody walking up and down those dirty bass-runs is then thrown against some of the most exciting and superb drumming I've heard from a UK band. "Corner of My Mind" is a diamond in the rough of the hundreds of rock bands trying to break the UK scene. To top it all off, Verra Cruz have a real flair for the arrangement of their music and employ dynamics in a fashion that many bands don't grasp until after 20 odd years of playing together.
A debut single that will inspire many a band to form and many other bands to quit if this is the competition they're facing. For all of the feeble rock ensembles out there, be afraid. Be very afraid, coz Verra Cruz are so perfect its frightening!