| Ex Machina | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1 August 2018 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:06 | |||
| Label | Sony Music | |||
| Producer | Drew Fulk | |||
| Crossfaith chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Ex Machina | ||||
| ||||
Ex Machina (stylised as EX_MACHINA) is the fourth studio album by Japanese metalcore band Crossfaith. It was released on 1 August 2018 in Japan through Sony Music, and later released on 3 August 2018 worldwide. It was produced by Drew Fulk.
In an interview with Dead Press! in April 2017, the band confirmed that they had two new singles ready for release for the summer and that they planned to release the fourth studio album on 1 August 2018. [1]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Already Heard |   [2] |
| Dead Press! | 8/10 [3] |
| Distorted Sound | 8/10 [4] |
| KillYourStereo | 70/100 [5] |
| Rock 'N' Load | 8/10 [6] |
| Wall of Sound | 2/10 [7] |
The album received mostly positive reviews, but also mixed reviews from several critics. Already Heard rated the album 4 out of 5 and stated: "There's much to unpack on Ex Machina and it's worthy of a few listens to delve deeper into the lyrical content to unravel the world they've created, and the commentary they're making about our own current society. A dramatic and epic heavy opus, this album will surely stand the test of time amongst the band's back catalogue." [2] Dead Press! scored the album 8 out of 10 and said: "In fact, the standout moments on the record invariably occur on tracks like this where the band dare to blend all of their influences together in equal parts rather than distinctly favouring one over the other. In this respect, Crossfaith have really honed their compositional skills; the transitions between the heavy and harsh verses and the big dance choruses are smoother and more fluid then ever before. With Ex Machina, Crossfaith have effectively combined the punch and power of their critically acclaimed Zion EP era with the more expansive, chorus orientated songwriting of the more maligned Xeno ." [3] Distorted Sound scored the album 8 out of 10 and said: "On the whole, what EX_MACHINA essentially does is put forward a refined distillation of everything CROSSFAITH have accomplished up to date, rather than any kind of drastic reinvention. The band have clearly found their niche over the last few years, and this record serves as excellent proof of their continued songwriting brilliance and knack for finding and melding together both brutally heavy guitar work and screaming with the occasional anthemic chorus. Fans are sure to love it, and newcomers may well find themselves quickly assimilated into the CROSSFAITH machine." [4]
Alex Sievers from KillYourStereo gave the album 70 out of 100 and said: "After sitting on the outskirts of Crossfaith's sound for years now, Ex_Machina has finally pushed me over the edge and down into their cyber-metal digital realm. Despite a couple duds that just don't match the seriousness or urgency of this record's excessively better takes, I'm honestly more than happy to have now been plugged right into Crossfaith's futuristic, synthetic world. Fingers crossed that future updates aren't riddled with any bugs." [5] Rock 'N' Load praised the album saying, "All 13 songs that span the 46 minutes push the boundaries of blending genres to create something that can only be really be called Crossfaith. The complexity works and takes a few listens to appreciate the difficulties that have been overcome to make it become something that is undoubtably an impressive result." [6] Wall of Sound gave the album a slightly negative score 2/10 and saying: "Overall, this album is a massive misfire from a band capable of far better. There is not even an inch of the greatness, we all know this band is capable of achieving. Riddled with cliches we've heard a million times before and sporting more ballads than an Ed Sheeran album. I strongly recommend checking out any of their earlier work before diving into the questionable content found on this release." [7]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Deus Ex Machina" | 1:39 |
| 2. | "Catastrophe" | 3:32 |
| 3. | "The Perfect Nightmare" | 3:58 |
| 4. | "Destroy" (featuring Ho99o9) | 3:37 |
| 5. | "Freedom" (featuring Rou Reynolds of Enter Shikari) | 3:21 |
| 6. | "Make a Move" | 3:20 |
| 7. | "Lost in You" | 4:14 |
| 8. | "Wipeout" | 3:56 |
| 9. | "Milestone" | 4:39 |
| 10. | "Eden in the Rain" | 3:18 |
| 11. | "Twin Shadows" | 2:20 |
| 12. | "Daybreak" | 4:27 |
| 13. | "Faint" (Linkin Park cover; featuring Masato Hayakawa of Coldrain) | 2:45 |
| Total length: | 45:06 | |
Crossfaith
Additional musicians
Additional personnel
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) [8] | 16 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC) [9] | 99 |
Crystal Lake is a Japanese metalcore band from Tokyo, formed in 2002. The band comprises vocalist John Robert Centorrino, guitarists Yudai Miyamoto and Hisatsugu Taji, bassist Mitsuru, and drummer Gaku Taura, who is a former member of Nocturnal Bloodlust. After Shinya Hori's departure, Miyamoto is the only member of the original line-up who remains in the band. Crystal Lake have released five studio albums. Their latest studio album, Helix, was released on 28 November 2018.
Crossfaith is a Japanese metalcore band from Osaka that was formed in 2006, which currently consists of vocalist Kenta Koie, guitarists Kazuki Takemura and Daiki Koide, drummer Tatsuya Amano, and keyboardist Terufumi Tamano. They are characterized by performing a style of metalcore with dubstep and other forms of electronic music influences, and for their intense live performances.
Apocalyze is the second studio album by Japanese metalcore band Crossfaith. It was released on 4 September 2013 through Smaller Recordings in Japan, Search and Destroy Records in Europe and The End Records worldwide. It was produced by Yasuo Matsumoto and Kenya Yamamoto.
The Dream, the Space is the debut studio album by Japanese metalcore band Crossfaith. It was released on 20 April 2011 through Zestone Records in Japan and Tragic Hero Records worldwide.
Crossfaith (クロスフェイス) is a Japanese metalcore band from Osaka that was formed in 2006, consists of Kenta Koie (vocals), Kazuki Takemura (guitar), Hiroki Ikegawa (bass), Tatsuya Amano (drums), and Terufumi Tamano (keyboards). The band released their first demo Blueprint of Reconstruction in 2008, since then they have released 4 studio albums, 1 demo, 6 EPs, 24 singles and 27 music videos.
Xeno is the third studio album by Japanese metalcore band Crossfaith. It was released on 16 September 2015 through Ariola Japan, Razor & Tie and UNFD. It was produced by Josh Wilbur.
If This Is All We're Going to Be is the third studio album by Australian rock band Luca Brasi, released on 29 April 2016 by Poison City Records. It was produced by Jimmy Balderston and recorded at Red Planet in Hobart between November 2015 and April 2016.
Mesmer is the fourth studio album by Australian heavy metal band Northlane. It was released on 24 March 2017 through UNFD, with no announcement prior to the release. It was produced by David Bendeth and recorded at The Barber Shop Studio in Hopatcong. It follows the group's slight departure from their metalcore roots and towards a more alternative and experimental sound, as established on their previous release, Node. It peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart. It is the last Northlane album to feature their founding bassist Alex Milovic as a member of the band.
Ark is the fourth studio album by Australian metalcore band In Hearts Wake. It was released on 26 May 2017 through UNFD and Rise Records. It was produced by Will Putney.
Black Flame is the fifth studio album by British metalcore band Bury Tomorrow. It was released on 13 July 2018 through Music For Nations and Sony Music. It was produced by Dan Weller.
Alien is the fifth studio album by Australian heavy metal band Northlane. It was released on 2 August 2019 through UNFD. It was self-produced by the band themselves and recorded at Chris Blancato's Studio in Sydney, although Marcus Bridge's vocals were recorded at Electric Sun Studios in Arndell Park. The album's second single, "Bloodline", shows the group's continuity of slight departure from their metalcore roots and towards a more alternative and experimental sound, as established on their previous releases, Node and Mesmer. It also marks the group's first shift into different genres, as they blended into the album elements of nu metal, industrial metal and EDM. This is the last album to feature their founding bassist Alex Milovic, who only appeared on the track "Vultures".
The Sign is the third studio album by Japanese metalcore band Crystal Lake. It was released on 7 October 2015 mainly through Artery and JPU. This is the first album to feature vocalist Ryo Kinoshita after the departure of Kentaro Nishimura in 2011. It is the first and also the last album to feature their third bassist Teruki Takahashi before he left the band.
True North is the fourth studio album by Japanese metalcore band Crystal Lake. It was released on 30 November 2016 mainly through Artery. It is the last album to be released on this label.
Helix is the fifth studio album by Japanese metalcore band Crystal Lake. It was released on 28 November 2018 in Japan and on 15 February 2019 worldwide through SharpTone Records. It was produced by Daihei Yamanaka and the band themselves. It is the first release on this label since the band's departure from Artery Recordings. It is also the last album to feature their founding rhythm guitarist Shinya Hori before he left the band in 2020, and vocalist Ryo Kinoshita before his departure in September 2022.
Everyone Loves You... Once You Leave Them is the seventh studio album by Australian post-hardcore band the Amity Affliction. It was released on 21 February 2020 through Pure Noise Records and was produced by Matt Squire. It is the band's first album release with the label. It is also the first album to feature new drummer Joe Longobardi as official band member, who replaced Ryan Burt due to his mental health reasons on 5 February 2018. Additionally, Longobardi also performed as a session drummer on the band's sixth studio album Misery.
Afterburner is the ninth full-length studio album by American rock band Dance Gavin Dance. Released on April 24, 2020, on Rise Records, the album serves as a follow-up to the group's eighth studio album, Artificial Selection (2018). Recording sessions for the album took place over a three-month period between August and October 2019 with producer Kris Crummett at Interlace Audio in Portland, Oregon, while the vocals were recorded with producer Drew Fulk in Los Angeles, California. The album is considered a musical progression for the band, as the group experimented with funk, Latin, rap, and metalcore which accompanied their post-hardcore and experimental rock styles. It is the group's final studio album to be released during bass guitarist Tim Feerick's lifetime before his death in April 2022.
Kaliyuga is the fifth studio album by Australian metalcore band In Hearts Wake. It was released on 7 August 2020 through UNFD. It was produced by Josh Schroeder.
Species is the fifth EP by Japanese metalcore band Crossfaith. It was released on 20 May 2020 in Japan, and later released on 22 May 2020 worldwide.
Baptize is the eighth studio album by American rock band Atreyu. It was released on June 4, 2021 through Spinefarm Records and was produced by John Feldmann. It is the first album not to feature vocalist and founding member Alex Varkatzas who left the band in September 2020. The album received polarized reviews from music critics, with praise going towards the ambition, but criticism primarily going to lack of focus and consistency.
Scoring the End of the World is the sixth studio album by American metalcore band Motionless in White. It was released on June 10, 2022, through Roadrunner Records. The album was produced by Drew Fulk and Justin DeBlieck. It is the band's first album to feature drummer Vinny Mauro and bassist Justin Morrow performing on the release.
