Becton Simpson
Comprised of two good friends based in London, Crashface have been percolating under the surface for a year and clearly working on some killer tunes ready to whack the public in the guts with. Their debut EP Heavy Infectious does everything it says on the tin. It’s heavy. It’s infectious. These tracks get under your skin and make you walk with a swagger in your step.
The band are full of that classic Brit-punk attitude which the scene is sorely missing and singer Charlie Hinton has it in droves, with his Libertines jacket, spiked up hair and dead eye stare. And while the music matches the aesthetic to a certain extent too, this is not just your bog standard punk.
Opening up with the explosive ‘ultraplasticplanetkiller’, we’re immediately in ‘this isn’t what I expected but it’s good’ territory. Blending electronic elements and samples with guitars to create a thick wall of modern heavy alternative music that set the pulse racing, this is a relentless opener. And that repeated chorus of “we won’t get out of here alive” will sound great screamed by thousands in a sweaty pit.
Continuing in the same vein, the rest of the EP is a surprising mix of fresh alt-punk sounds merged with the catchiness of pop and the dirty industrial vibes of post-punk. ‘Loading Screen Infinity’ sounds like the twisted love child of Death Spells and Bring Me The Horizon, and Hinton’s vocals on ‘COLD’ have that Brit-pop Liam Gallagher sneer – all without the toxicity of course.
Ending with longest track on the record ‘You’re The Worst Thing That Ever Happened To Me’, this is probably their most ‘stripped-back’ in terms of production. Less of the echo-drenched drums, effects and swirling electronica and more just about two guys playing some hella loud music. What would My Chemical Romance sound like if they were two British guys who started their band in 2020? Probably a bit like this track.
It’s enjoyable to hear different sides to the band and wonder what avenue they’ll explore next – more of the post-punk industrial, more of the traditional or a chaotic blend of both? They clearly have the ability to pull off either and a full length album from the duo will be an intriguing delight.
Producing such a huge sound for a two-piece band, the ability to work on these tracks and really hone and craft them into something special during the lockdown months has really paid off, resulting in a powerful and extremely impressive debut. Seeing these songs live is certainly set to be an absolute blast and thankfully fans of the band hopefully won’t have to wait too long, with a series of shows lined up for November round the UK. For now though, we have Heavy Infectious.