CD Reviews

This CD is very positive and they have worked hard at getting their message across
Reviewer: Wesley Rostoll
It has taken a long time for Crossingpoint to finally release a full length album, but it has been well worth the wait. These guys hail from the Durban area and have been dishing out their own unique brand of hardcore since the late nineties. Their music is also a lot of fun to dance a little crazy to if you're not afraid of the occasional arm or leg flying your way.
Despite the band's heavy and angry sound, this CD is very positive and they have worked hard at getting their message across. Crossingpoint are known to hand out lyric sheets to their songs at shows and they also like to encourage people to come and speak to them after gigs about what the band stands for and believes in. The songs tackle topics like sexism, being an individual, and environmental issues. These guys are filling a big gap in the local music scene and are well worth checking out.
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They have a very strong message and don't only preach it - but live it
Reviewer: Alain (Gig Zine)
I have been anticipating a CrossingPoint release for a while now, and now I finally have it and I am very happy about it. CrossingPoint have been one of my favourite bands for a while now, and this album rocks in every single way. The digi-pak is the first released in SA, and what a first release. This is Cp's first release (except for some demo's a few years back) and it is a great album. The songs are hardcore, but with a punk feel to them. Often very catchy and fun to listen to - I find myself singing along a lot! The lyrics are also something that I admire about this band - they have a very strong message and don't only preach it - but live it. This is an awesome band and SA should be proud to have them. Get a copy now!! It is only R50.

Independent South African group truly creates a work of art
Reviewer: Chris Stapleton
I was able to pick this CD up from a GIG and fell in love with it. I was really blown back by the amazing artwork featured on this unique cover design. Being the first digipack from SA really is the icing on the cake. When I got home a put the CD in my hi-fi and was blown away. Starting off with some gentle sounds and soothing vocals the CD explodes in to one hell of a ride sound. With extremely positive and well written lyrics the music is topped of with unbelievable playing of the instruments.

This band is truly unique as i struggled to compared them to any other HXC band
Reviewer: Bobby http://www.hxc.co.za
This is the first Full Length CD from Durban Positive Hardcore Band CrossingPoint. I seriously had my doubts about the quality of the cd and the band when i heard the first track with the initial wailing of "the icebergs ..." on the intro to the song. It just brought back way to many bad memories of other SA bands. Soon after the song properly kicked in and all doubts were forgotten, this band is truly unique as i struggled to compared them to any other HXC band i have heard. They mix gang vocals, melodic interludes and full blown HXC vocals in every song. As I mentioned earlier, altough I cant put my finger on it, there is something they do that screams SA Rock, this isnt a bad thing and further helps seperate them from overseas HXC bands. The tracks themselve are extremely well structured with no annoying repetition or similarity between tracks. Lyrically the CD shines as well with themes ranging from Enviromental Awareness to Gender Issues. The only issues i had with the CD was that I found alot of the songs a bit slow and there is a noticeable lack of mosh sections found in most other HXC releases. All in all this CD is definately a keeper and for only R50, there is no excuses to not buy it.
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Most of the songs carry uplifting messages and thought-provoking social comment
Reviewer: Leon Muster - The PE Herald
Durban-based band Crossingpoint’s debut self-titled album is independently produced and available at the band’s gigs and through its website (www.crossingpoint.co.za) Most of the songs carry uplifting messages and thought-provoking social comment, although these tend to be lost as the vocals are screamed as opposed to sung. Interesting tracks are Tunnel Vision, which is about media propaganda and Words of the Unspoken, which hits out at sexism in the workplace.
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Don`t miss this one or you will regret it for the rest of your life.
Reviewer: Dave http://www.zazone.com
Crossingpoint are based in Durban, and produce positive, progressive hardcore music. The band is Wesley on vocals and sampler/keyboards; Brandon on guitar; Ross on bass and Ricky on drums. The describe themselves as a `tight group of friends who play a passionate and often brutal synthesis of metal, hxc and electronics with a positive, relevant message.` “All this time, all of these years, we’ve been killing everything. Someday something has got to move, all this time, all of these years.” Yea, that’s some of the chorus of “the Icebergs, the first track on the new crossingpoint CD, wow, it’s so great and I just love it when I get given a hard band with deep lyrics, I’m so sick of thrashy screaming repetitivenes. I believe that Crossing Point will inject some welcome passion into the South african alternative / metal scene. The impressive lead intro’s with the deep solid baseline’s are reminissent of hard 70’s rock bands such as Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. In my honest opinion, this is a definate must-buy album for and hard rocker. Listening to the CD in my lounge with a cold beer, by the time the “Tunnelvision” track came up I thought to myself that this is vocal mastery that all great bands would die for, the eight and sadly final track entitled “The urgency” is great and will have you forming a mosh pit in your sitting room. A pulsating album, don`t miss this one or you will regret it for the rest of your life. Hi, me again... after the review I tossed the CD on a pile with the my others, and something made me grab it and put it back into the player, must have been the catchy label design... just wanted to add that track 2, `Words of the unspoken` is definitely my favourite, now stop reading this and go to their website and get your copy!!!
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It really pushes the limits in terms of what is possible as underground and independent artists
Reviewer: Matt Saville - Blunt http://www.bluntmag.co.za
I have been waiting for this release for over a year now, so now that I have it in my CD player at last, it almost feels unreal to be listening to it. It's been worth the wait though and I don’t mean this as a cliché. The album is Crossingpoint's debut full length and is a collection of their finest work from the past few years. This is indicated by the track credits acknowledging the input of past band members. Crossingpoint's release is completely DIY, from the excellent recording quality to the phenomenal artwork. It really pushes the limits in terms of what is possible as underground and independent artists and this really gives the album integrity. Crossingpoint are able to back up what they make music about and this conveys a sense of authenticity. Where many hardcore bands have chosen the trendier metalcore route, Crossingpoint are true to their punk roots. The album is still heavy and passionate, but displays a unique sound and unreal originality. The eight tracks clock in at just over 25 minutes and the album has a real cohesion about it. What's more you can pick it up for just R50. - Matt Saville
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Crossingpoint do not bury their message under anything
Standout Track: 'New Life,' 'The Urgency'
Author: Kyle Navis - http://www.quitmyscene.com
Crossingpoint is hardcore band that dabbles with some electronic elements in an attempt to get away from the norms of hardcore. This fails to a certain degree, but it’s obvious that Crossingpoint has a passion to bring their message through music to a wide audience. It’s just a bummer that the music doesn’t quite live up to the lyrical content.

Listening to the eight songs on this album, time and again, I cringe when the music doesn’t fit together. Awkward transitions and a few offbeat rhythms tend to throw the songs as wholes apart and keep them from being very strong. In the same sense, the way the music is produced does not lend itself well to sound that flows well. The quiet, non-distorted parts are too quite and effects-laden, and the heavy parts are too heavy and chunky.

Perhaps it’s that Crossingpoint uses only one guitar and therefore only records only one (for the most part), but the guitar itself makes a few attempts at a riff-based song (‘The Iceberg’), but fails to engage in the usual sort of groove that most hard bands in general are able to achieve in that setting (although they do find isolated moments to shine on the aforementioned standout tracks). The second song starts off with lead and rhythm guitar parts, and the rhythm part is simply too big and emphasized and throws the listener off. Again I fault the production, as there is little use of panning to separate part. These details end up making Crossingpoint’s overall sound seem rather two-dimensional instead of drawing the listener in and grabbing their attention.

Hardcore bands are generally known for having lots of breakdowns, correct? Crossingpoint has a few, but again we are faced with production issues that fail to bring them out and focus the energy, although “Words of the Unspoken” does end on one of the more intense moments of the this album. Keyboards are scattered around these songs, and are forgettable at best. Used for those over-quiet parts, they don’t play much part in the rest of the songs, which is a shame, because incorporating them more would certainly add a new element of depth to the overall sound.

Moving on in Crossingpoint’s sound, the vocals are probably the strongest part of the band, and show lots of potential for some good sing-alongs. Be aware, though, that the vocals are not without their shabby moments, most notably during the few times that singing is utilized in a rather out of tune fashion. Also, had more of the background vocals been used, it would have also added more depth. The bass guitar has a few moments to shine, but other than that, all trace of it is lost in the all-encompassing guitar tones. Perhaps a bit more emphasis on the low-end would have brought together a more filled-out sound. The drumming isn’t much to speak of and once or twice seems to miss a cue by a half-beat. The production on the drums isn’t particularly great either and it’s difficult to make out the kick drum when I know that there a few double-bass fills that are missed.

The obvious advantage to Crossingpoint’s album is in its lyrics and messages. With song topics about the environment, women’s rights, positivity, contentment, and embracing traditional culture, this is not a collection of fruity love poems. Crossingpoint do not bury their message under anything, which can be to their benefit, but without the music to adequately live up to the standards set by such well thought out themes, it seems like something is lacking. Offhand, this album has some of the coolest album artwork I have seen in a long time. And while I rag a lot on the production, I expect that this translates well into a live setting, but for those of you on this side of the Atlantic, it might be awhile until Crossingpoint makes it over here from South Africa. Either way, this is a fair introduction to band that exhibits potential to stick out from the rest of its peers.
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