Review CRUZH ‘Tropical Thunder’

Swedish rockers Cruzh started back in 2013 out of the ashes of TrashQueen in which Anton Joensson and Dennis Butabi Borg played at the time. Their passion for melodic rock and metal was unbroken and Cruzh became the new outfit for this appetite.

In the beginning, the band didn’t unveil their faces and names, a bit of a mysterious band that released with ‘In a Blink of an Eye’ a first successful song. This clever marketing move brought some attention, and the unmasking came rather quickly. What counts though besides all the gimmicks is the music and here we can state that Cruzh deliver good stuff.

Melodic rock and metal, with many references to the late 80s, that is what you get from Cruzh. In line with many other bands in the vivid Swedish rock scene also Cruzh are masters of their craft. Snappy riffs, a good drive, and catchy melodies that’s not only base for the excellent opener ‘Tropical Thunder’ but also the key trademarks of the entire album unleashed by the Swedes. The guys, in general, find the sweet-spot when it comes the heaviness and melodies. The pounding ‘Are You Ready’ is one example of the heavy side and even the keyboard-laden ‘All You Need’ doesn’t drown in meaninglessness. The latter is sugar-sweet and the same goes for ‘Paralyzed’. Although being more on the mainstream side of things it’s this kind of songs that fit into the context of the album, securing a good flow next to the rocking hymns like ‘Moonshine Bayou’.

Cruzh know their craft and they certainly know how to write a good melodic rock songs. ‘Tropical Thunder’ transfers a good vibe and has a positive expression, exactly what is needed these days. Get the party started.