Cross Dog is a noisy, experimental, bass-driven hardcore punk band from Peterborough Ontario. Their music is played at ear-splitting volumes, but the band’s socially conscious messaging cuts through the noise loud and clear.
Formed in 2013, the intentional omission of a guitarist from the lineup leaves Cross Dog lacking absolutely nothing. Affirming the power in the rule of three, Tracy A (vocals), Mark Rand (bass), and Mikey Reid (drums) explode with a multiplicative force that betrays the finite bounds of their instrumental limitations. The beats are hard and the riffs heavy, consummating in a raw power that far exceeds the sum of its parts. The four strings of distorted bass provide the perfect backdrop for Tracy’s ferocious and provocative vocals. Using the band as the vehicle, she delivers an unapologetically feminist message, steeped in rage with an intensity on stage that demands attention.
From basements to festival stages, they have viciously banged their heads alongside an eclectic bunch of legends like The Misfits, Metz, Preoccupations, Cancer Bats, Good Riddance, War on Women, Fucked Up, Dayglo Abortions, Single Mothers, and many more.
Cross Dog’s newest album (and first for Stomp Records), All Hard Feelings, sees the band maintain the sonic onslaught they’ve become known for, but with a few tweaks. “We enjoy being a chaotic and noisy band, but it’s hard not to love a good hook. We made the conscious decision to focus a little more on choruses and memorable parts, but we certainly haven’t become a pop band,” says bassist Mark Rand, on the direction of the album. Adds Tracy A, “The lyrics have always been a critical component of our songwriting, but this record is definitely the most personal for me. I wanted, and needed, to connect with our audience on more than just our shared values, but on shared and difficult emotional experiences, too.”
Cross Dog’s All Hard Feelings is as noisy and sonically relentless as it is thoughtful. The album has its feet firmly planted in hardcore punk rock, but doesn’t shy away from varied influences of noise rock, heavy metal, and rock and roll. The riffs, coming from a lone bass guitar supplemented by an arsenal of effects pedals and amplifiers, are as heavy as possible without sacrificing clarity. The rhythms are pummeling and are played with the sole purpose of making listeners bang their heads. The vocals are aggressive and in-your-face, while lyrically connecting with listeners through dominant themes of social equity and mental health. Aptly titled, the lyrics journey from the public to the personal, confronting the sociological, psychological, and emotional challenges that many of us face in this life, yet do so in a way that somehow feels simultaneously universal and deeply individual.
The record was recorded at High Wattage Cottage, produced and engineered by Scott Middleton (ex-Cancer Bats), and features guest appearances by The Anti-Queens.
