...hope prevails - Reviews
Metal
Maniacs – July 2002 Vol. 19, No.5
“Crutch is a critically phenomenal metal concoction from Central Pennsylvania.
First, you’re greeted by trad-tech metal before Latino melodious guitar jams
and scientific thrash right into the sickest of modern metalcore. And
we’re only 30 seconds in! …Hope Prevails is the implausibly incredible
debut, a debut that flows through eras of metal history like there’s no
tomorrow. This is the gem of this issue! From the first listen,
anyone with a sense of creativity in their metal blood will be floored by
Crutch’s mind-boggling blend of metals. Death seems to be their chief
influence, Schuldiner their obvious guitar muse, but the way the songs in
general are prearranged, there’s piles of modern metalcore blended throughout,
along with insane offtime breakdowns. Mainly, though, it’s pure
technological metal, from progressive time signatures and melodic perfection, to
lightning-quick riffing and heavier-than-Satan-himself kill segments, to the now
ever-present At The Gates influence, these guys cover it all. The
production is immaculate for a demo and everything is clocked in at just the
right time. If you dig the metallic hardcore thrash of Skycamefalling, the
breakdowns and timing of Meshuggah, and the genius of Death all around, this
will please you. They’re just too fucking good.”
Blackscroll E-Zine
" ‘...hope prevails’ is melodic and technical, incorporating time
changes and demonstrating a variety of musical influences. Crutch can move from
acoustic, classically played guitar to some violent solos and make it work well.
At the same time, there is no confusion to this listener. This is brutal, thick,
death metal. The truth is, Crutch has their own sound, and it is sick! This is
an accomplishment many bands only wish for.”
Beat the Blizzard E-Zine
(Norway)
“This is not a perfect CD, but it definitely is an amazing CD. There is
something about the music on this piece of plastic that makes me think that this
band already is an essential part of the future of death metal… The music on
this disc is technical and melodic and the song structures are the most
interesting I have listened to from a death band in quite a while… As I said;
it's not a perfect CD, but it's a CD with creative musical pieces that gives me
faith in this band and their ability to expand the somewhat rigid limits for
music in this genre. CRUTCH is aiming for the premium league of death metal and
they have what it takes to get there…”
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