About Permanent Radiant
Permanent Radiant is the fifth release by rock/darkwave band Crosses. It was released on December 9th, 2022 and is six tracks long coming in at just over 22 minutes playtime. Crosses is one of the many side projects by Deftones singer and frontman, Chino Moreno, with Far guitarist Shaun Lopez completing the project.
According to Chino: “People know Crosses is, across the board, a little moody throughout our songs, but this is a bit more optimistic than most of the music I make… Period.”
Permanent Radiant Tracklist
1. Sensation
2. Vivien
3. Cadavre Exquis
4. Day One
5. Holier
6. Procession
Permanent Radiant Review
As a huge fan of Chino’s body of work with Deftones and someone who places Team Sleep’s only album in the top 50 releases of all time out of any genre, I’m always on the search for a new and refreshing take from Chino Moreno’s LA psyche. While it’s disappointing that the best the Crosses camp could issue to us was an EP – it’s still refreshing to hear any new music from the boy from the land of Deftones.
Track one, Sensation, the longest track on the entire EP, gives us a quiet almost melancholy intro into what feels like a Deftones track as Chino’s soaring vocals give way for the slow and foreboding kaiju that is Shaun Lopez’s riffs as they trudge closer and closer to the listener.
Track two, Vivien, is the ballad on this release which ushers in a feeling of loss and eternal sadness with lyrics like “now we drown in silence.” It’s a new kind of heartache from a Chino release which anyone who has experienced love or loss will immediately gravitate towards.
For me this is where the inventiveness of Permanent Radiance ends as track 3, Cadavre Equis, features a drum beat that is highly programmed and lacking in soul. While Shaun Lopez’s guitar solo piercing through this song’s veil creates an aura of ambient alternative rock, all it does is result in an easily forgettable song.
Then there’s the jungle jive of track 4, Day One, which seems to have been created for the easy listening crowd with Moreno and Lopez’s planned retirement into a Jamaican beach band. The only thing missing here is a pair of steel drum kits.
Track five, Holier, is a B side that shouldn’t be here and track six, Procession, leaves room for Chino to create an audibly pretty effects driven vocal melody while the muffled drum kits try to build to a climax which never happens.
All in all, Permanent Radiance is a fine addition to the Crosses discography. It allows Moreno and Lopez to experiment in directions which will hopefully result in a better more refined future full length release. It’s nothing compared to their self-titled album that’s for sure.
Listen to Permanent Radiant
‘Permanent Radiant’ on Spotify
‘Permanent Radiant’ on Apple Music
Where to find Crosses
Crosses on Twitter
Crosses on Youtube
Crosses Website
