Kreuzen

Milwaukee's Die Kreuzen was one of their hometown's first apostles of the new hardcore gospel. Their first album is an essential document of Midwest bluster and fury on a par with early blasts from Hüsker Dü or Negative Approach. Though they later dabbled in moody metal crossover, DIE KREUZEN presents a relentless, unfiltered hardcore attack. Minute-plus blasts like "This Hope" and "Live Wire" thrash like a man electrocuted, with squalls of splintered punk guitar and the desperate beat of boredom-killing drums. Before their molten core cooled, this was Die Kreuzen's big bang.