The "blue ex" turns 20

"Fuck not lest ye be fucked!"

20 years ago I was dreaming of a tattoo with this very line...

Despite their short run, SAETIA are one of the most iconic Screamo groups ever. When they disbanded in 1999, two of them moved on to form OFF MINOR and the other three founded HOT CROSS. Their lineup was completed by Casey Boland of YOU AND I and Josh Jakubowski of NEIL PERRY and JOSHUA FIT FOR BATTLE. From the top off my head I can't come up with two better compensations for a beloved band that split up. You can't fuck with both of these bands! While nowadays I prefer OFF MINOR over HOT CROSS, 17-year-old me was more into the emotional, melodic, more straight style of "Cryonics".

Where OFF MINOR dived into spazzy, chaotic territories with loose song structures, jazzy elements and no-thrills-outbursts, HOT CROSS were more accessible with "Cryonics", tho nowhere near easy. They had their fair share of guitar-noodling and a Screamo-moment here and there. But they always clinged to pretty straight Punk-rhythms, catchy Emo-melodies and even some clean sung vocals. The production was pretty up-front and defined too. It grabbed you by the throat and didn't let go 33 minutes long. In 2003 HOT CROSS were right at home at Level Plane Records, with labelmates like CITY OF CATERPILLAR, FORSTELLA FORD, A DAY IN BLACK AND WHITE or THE FICTION. All bands that had their foot in Screamo but basically catered to the Post-Hardcore-crowd...

Personally I loved their progression from 2002's "A New Set of Lungs" to "Cryonics". Their debut-EP is a great record of its own, but they positioned themselves a bit too close to OFF MINOR. With "Cryonics" they came into their own and wrote a record that could appeal to AT THE DRIVE-IN-fans as well as supporters of the new wave of Screamo and emotional Hardcore. 

HOT CROSS and OFF MINOR helped to shape the new era of Screamo and their influence on the scene is closely tied to one another. With all the Mathrock-elements they made a major impact on the genre, that was felt throughout the 2000s and into the 2010s. Bands like KIDCRASH, LOMA PRIETA or NATIVE took a lot from them. 

Revisiting "Cryonics" in 2023, it hasn't lost a step. Its intense nature pulls you right in and classics like "Fortune Teller", "Figure Eight", "Requiescat" and "Dissertation: 14" make it something special. And then there's "A Tale for the Ages", one of the best "ballads" ever written. I've always wondered how this song would sound without the screams and a clean ass production. It'd be pure Pop gold. Yeah, HOT CROSS were this good in 2003!

To me, "Cryonics" is a trip down memory lane if there ever was one. "Act your age or act alone?". Me doesn't care. I'm 17 again with these tunes...

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