2020 is coming to an end…finally, yes indeed! I guess that’s what everybody is thinking about. In many ways, the whole COVID crisis has made 2020 kind of a guest at your place that is overstaying his stay for too long, yet you can’t throw him out because he is a family friend you’ve known forever and it would reflect bad on you…get it?? Anyway, after letting this out of my chest, I have the pleasure to share with you my latest find, “Phoenix” by *Russia’s own Shrezzers.
Double kick drum, double attack guitars, and the exchanges between the singer and a screamer are all central elements of the metalcore genre. Prod by Alexander Ivanov, “Phoenix”, embodies all of the above…with a twist. The song features programmed drums in the intro and in the middle section –ala Nine Inch Nails– and a sax. Yes, you’ve read it right, a sax! It’s been a while since I last heard a wind instrument in a song by a band with a “heavy” sound. This track must have been Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song) by Incubus, who at the time of that release (1998) had a Primus vibe. I actually saw them in Philadelphia during the tour they did with Primus and Buckethead in 1999…wow that far back. The reason why I bring up these acts is because “Phoenix” does have hints of Primus’ unapologetic tempo changes and breakdowns, Buckethead’s “I’m overplaying but I can do it because I am a sick guitarist”, and Incubus’ catchy melodies mixed with heavy distortion in the choruses. Singer Diego Silva Malaga’s voice does remind me of Brandon Boyd of Incubus during the “Make Yourself” era, and AFI’s Davey Havok during the seminal release “Sing the Sorrow”. Yet, he manages to have a style all of his own, easily playing with his falsetto to then have his vibrato blow through the speaker…did I say Jeff Buckley?
2020 has been a bummer -without question-, but tracks like “Phoenix” are precisely what signals that music (good music that is) can’t and won’t be stopped. In this instance, “Phoenix” is that kind of guest that surprises you in every conversation and you wish you’d see again soon. Can’t wait to listen to more stuff from these guys.
* Diego is based out of Peru and his work also includes the great As We Survive. I’m sure this transcontinental partnership will spark more hits!
Find out more about Shrezzers here: