Life's A Gamble
Crossed Fire

This album is a furious and massive blast of Groove Metal coming from Algarve, Portugal. And it's just the first album (after one EP, "It's All About Chaos") from CROSSED FIRE, a wild quintet that unleashes a violent and oiled work on "Life's a Gamble".
It's the same Groove/Thrash Metal inspired in names like PANTERA (on their final albums) and MACHINE HEAD, with some BLACK SABBATH touches, but the band has its own personality. They're not a copy, and their mix of insane harsh vocals, very good guitars (the riffs impacts on our ears as a punch, with some good solos), a strong and powerful rhythmic basis. And besides they're doing nothing extremely new, they are in search for it. And they'll get there doing a fine work as Ol' Big Daddy heard on this album.
Sound quality in a level that you all can hear the musical instruments in a very good shape, and understand the details of their songs. And this is good, for their music demands such quality to exist.
Their musical work really causes strong feelings in us all due their energetic and brutal insight, pulsing with a violent life, so hear all their 11 songs, because "Roleta Russa" is just an intro. And the track title means "Russian Roulette", that play with one bullet on one revolver pointed to the head, so we have 11 chances to blow our head off!
Their best songs: the energetic and grooving thunder called "Hope Fades Away" (a great song, with very good work of the guitars), the addicting and catching "Life's a Gamble" (again with great guitars, along with very good work from vocals, from insane harsh ones with some inserts of normal ones), the abrasive and bitter "End of Life" (with a not so fast tempo, ferocious guitar riffs and very good bass and drums works), the delicious and charming groove of "Despair" (the guitar creates riffs that catches us on the first hearing, as well as the vocals again are doing an excellent work), and the almost "sabbathic" "Believe in Yourself". But the entire album is lovely and good, so be prepared.
This is an extremely tasteful album, and these Patricios of mine are in the right way.
9 / 10
Almost Perfect

"Life's A Gamble" Track-listing:
1. Roleta Russa
2. Hope Fades Away
3. Black Lightning
4. Life's a Gamble
5. End of Life
6. Despair
7. Evolution
8. Believe in Yourself
9. Drinking Club
10. Scream
11. Got the Medicine, Pt. 1
12. Got the Medicine, Pt. 2
Crossed Fire Lineup:
David Rosa - Vocals
Eduardo Cunha - Guitars
Filipe Silva - Guitars
Pedro Vieira - Bass
Bruno Henriques - Drums
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