† † † (Crosses) with Deftones frontman Chino Marino at the healm, released their debut full length album, an experiment into a goth, Depeche Mode-ian sound.
Filled not with the usual hard rocking feel we are used to with Marino, but dark, cinematic sounds, filled with synthesizes, bordering on a nightmarish EDM feel. The album is a mixed bag of songs, new and old, with the band’s two EP’s filling two thirds of the album, with an additional five new songs. The blend of a past Marino side project, Team Sleep, and with † † † bandmate Shaun Lopez of Far, much of the album shows the mix of the two styles and songwriting influence.
The album’s first single “Bitches Brew” with its mix of instruments, real and fabricated, along with Marino’s ability to switch from a melodic Dave Gahan-esque temperament to an all-out scream toward the end, is a good representation of the whole album. Other highlights include opener “This is a Trick”, with a hip-hop sensibility and rock bass throughout, “Thholyghst” with its simplistic use of instruments making way for Marino to roam free, and closer “Death Bell” with its ethereal, sweeping soundscape with a less-is-more attitude. Whether that plays well with Deftones fans, may be another story.
† † † album is out now on Sumerian Records.