Today, March 18, ††† (Crosses) released two new songs, “Initiation” and “Protection”. The team consists of Deftones’, the American alternative metal band, Chino Moreno and the producer/multi-instrumentalist Shaun Lopez.

The first few seconds of “Initiation” start off with a chilling guitar solo, followed by the first verse played by Moreno. The verse perfectly captures the sense of danger “Our lives will never be the same, I’ve cut you out of the frame”. Moreno performs an unsettling chorus, accurately resembling the track’s theme, with shallow vocals thanks to effects. The chorus is claustrophobic, putting the listener on the edge of their seat, ready for the rise in bass. ††† (Crosses) puts all their might in the third verse; the beats are harder, while Moreno’s frequency is higher. “Initiation” hits it’s final verse with a banger of Lopez’ performances, right before the end of the song.

The music video keeps up with the thrilling lyrics. Starring Thais Molon, who has been in a number of  ††† (Crosses)’s music videos, starts off at a restaurant, grabbing a mirror from under the table. The video peaks at Moreno and Lopez’s stunning performances. Molon is then seeing jumping on a trampoline, looking into a vacant pool with a pit of fire-fitting the song’s lyrics “Consume our flame”.

The second song, “Protection”, contrasts “Initiation”. Although the alarming instrumentals are still present in the solo, the lyrics offer a cry for help; a sense of hopelessness, “I lie awake hoping baby”.

††† (Crosses) also did a cover of Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses”. This was latest track since they announced working on “Protection” and “Initiation”, followed by another track in June.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat