UMUR
"Tau Cross" is the self-titled debut full-length studio album by multinational heavy metal/punk act Tau Cross. The album was released through Relapse Records in May 2015. Tau Cross was formed in 2013 by members of Amebix, Misery, and Voivod.
The music on the album is a combination of traditional heavy metal and punk. Rob (The Baron) Miller (Amebix) has a voice that reminds me a lot of Jaz Coleman from Killing Joke, and there are other parts of the music too, which reminds me of the legendary British band. Tau Cross is generally more heavy metal oriented though and there are other differences too, which ensures that Tau Cross doesn´t come off as a clone act. The music is at times pretty interesting as a result of the mix of styles (there are a couple of nods towards folk too), and it does open pretty strong with "Lazarus" and "Fire in the Sky". Unfortunately it´s like the remaining part of the album can´t really follow up the strong opening with something of equal quality. There simply aren´t that many tracks on the album which are memorable after the album has ended.
The band are well playing, and Miller is a fairly raw and distinct sounding vocalist, and the album also features a well sounding production. So all in all there are many positives to mention when describing the music. As mentioned the songwriting could have been a bit more inspired and the tracks a bit more catchy, but a 3 star (60%) rating is still warranted.