We live in a really confusing, frustrating time, a period that seems to house one upheaval after another, a chaotic existence that feels like it shows no mercy and has none to give. It’s a challenge psychologically to navigate it all, and at times it feels that sort of venture is too much to handle. Where do we go when everything seems like a goddamn red flag?

Multi-national crushers Cross Bringer express as much on their thunderous second record “Healismus Aeternus,” which translates to “eternal healing,” and over the course of five tracks and 27 minutes, the band—vocalist Lina, guitarist Sanya, bassist/synth player Artemy, drummer Michael—pour all their vitriol and emotion into this creation, pummeling you with corrosion and the occasional dash of beauty mixed into their blend of metal, doom, and hardcore. They also bring plenty of outside experience from projects including Predatory Void, Reka, Hoari, and Downfall of Gaia, which they use with volcanic results on a record that doesn’t require too much of your time but still delivers the goods.

“Desolation Hypnosis” opens with sounds rising, ominous vibes infecting, and then a burst, Lina’s shrieks piercing as bendy, rubbery playing warps your mind. Ghostly speaking wafts through the din as warped, yet melodic bursts explode, throaty howls crush, and everything ends in strangeness. “Metamorphosis” sits and crashes, wild dashes opening wounds, the playing turning both numbing and disorienting as Lina’s cries dig under the flesh. Guitars drip and hover as the heat builds gradually, the playing stinging with force, ramping up before cooling off again, sounds settling and blurring. “Structural Imbalance” rips, the howls strangling, fiery hell exploding as the playing drubs and melts. The pace begins a dangerous spiral, screams crushing before a cleansing coolness arrives, feeling both dreamy and mauling, ending in a murky field of synth.

“The Vessel” is an immediate assault, guitars dive bombing and doing ample damage, the ferocity blazing to a degree that it’s hard to face the building intensity. The tempo then drives violently, vile howls striking, humid and dizzying warmth toying with your mind, dissolving into a laser bath of keys. Closer “Perpetual Servantship” starts with guitars ringing and then attacking, a grisly dash pushing toward rippling screams and the attack slicing through muscle. The vocals turn raw, heated guitars increasing your body temperature, a complete onslaught aiming to cleanse by fire, reverberating into icy terrain. Static builds a weird lather as the sounds blare through the darkness, fading into oblivion.

It’s nearly impossible for some to navigate a volatile existence that continually forces us deeper into our minds, trying to come to terms with reality vs what our fearful minds feed us. “Healismus Aeternus” pushes through that strange disconnectedness, barrelling toward the point where we must come to some sort of mental understanding of where we stand in order to move forward in a healthy manner. Cross Bringer’s metallic fire is a means to facing and trying to conquer that battle, something that will grow more and more important as our world is at a tipping point.

For more on the band, go here: https://crossbringer.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://silentpendulumrecords.com/products/cross-bringer-healismus-aeternus-lp

Or here: https://consouling.be/release/healismus-aeternus

For more on the label, go here: https://silentpendulumrecords.com/

And here: https://consouling.be/