BROKEN CROSS - Militant Misanthrope

Heavy music is awash in duality and ostensible contradictions. Aggressive, abrasive instrumentation often times will rub shoulders with layered, emotional lyrics. Conversely, sparse acoustic passages can be a backing track for singing about universal annihilation. The one required constant is sincerity. Broken Cross, the one-man outfit run by Swedish mastermind Niklas Holm (Extermination Temple), is nothing if not dedicated to the task of crafting impeccable thrashy hardcore with an eye on the apocalypse.

So, where does the disparity come in? While extreme music and nihilism are usually complementary, Broken Cross has a sense of levity that similar acts lack. Musically, new album Militant Misanthrope is a bit more upbeat and (dare say it!) fun than its more apocalyptic peers. Holm has plenty of bile to spew at the world, as evidenced by past song titles like "Forsaken Existence" and "Path To Extinction"; naming your album Militant Misanthrope is also a pretty good clue as to what you're all about. Yet on a sonic level, the music is much more akin to Iron Reagan, BAT or Misanthrope mastering engineer Joel Grind's Toxic Holocaust.

Dwid Hellion, godfather of metallic hardcore with the legendary Integrity, contributed the amazing cover art, drawing inspiration from anime comic art and werewolf folklore. It's a good representation of what the album contains, ferocity with a bit of good time thrown in. Misanthrope feels at home in a mosh pit or a house party; putting both together would be the best-case scenario.

Militant Misanthrope will see release February 2nd on LP with Apocalyptic Visions, on cassette via Judas Chair Collective, and on CD through Psychic Rebellion. You can preorder it now on Bandcamp.