Crusades – The Sun Is Down And The Night Is Riding In

To call the Ottawa punk scene incestual makes it sound too wholesome. At this point, a band family tree would be impossible. They’ve crossed the line into band forest territory; new sprouts feeding off the old growth. It’s a successful ecosystem inhabited by amazing musicians. At the end of the day, those people and their bands are releasing the most high quality records, per capita, in the entire world. The newest germination is Crusades’ debut full-length, The Sun Is Down and the Night Is Riding In. In my eyes, all punk worth a damn is somewhat anti-Christian, but Crusades take it to a new level. They combine their disdain for organized religion with melodies four voices deep. Crusades own the night, enlisting the unholy powers of unlikely allies like The Chinese Telephones, From Ashes Rise, and Alice Cooper.